State and Local Governments

State and Local Governments

Students will explore the concept of federalism, from the powers held by the federal government to the powers reserved for the states. They will also learn about state government structures and functions, the state-level lawmaking process, and discover local governments, including county, municipal, and tribal governments.

State government resources were created with support from the State Government Affairs Council. Local government resources were created with support from the National Association of Counties.

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Lesson Plan

Comparative Constitutions

If you’ve seen one constitution, have you seen them all? Compare and contrast the provisions of the U.S. Constitution alongside the state constitutions of Florida and Virginia. Find common ways in which state constitutions differ from (and are similar to) the U.S. Constitution, and take a closer look at your own state constitution. Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials below!
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WebQuest

Who Represents Me?

Do you know who represents you in the federal, state and local government? Do you know how to get in touch with them? Follow this WebQuest to find answers to these questions and more!
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Lesson Plan

Counties Work Extension Pack

Make your students’ game play more meaningful by using our activity and assessment set designed specifically for Counties Work. This easy-to-use Extension Pack helps you give context and purpose to the game, as well as reinforce and assess the game concepts. That means deeper learning for students, and best practices around game-centered learning for you! Extension Packs are designed for use with projectors or interactive whiteboards.
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Lesson Plan

Counties Work Extension Pack (Texas)

Make your students’ game play more meaningful by using our activity and assessment set designed specifically for Counties Work (Texas). This easy-to-use Extension Pack helps you give context and purpose to the game, as well as reinforce and assess the game concepts. That means deeper learning for students, and best practices around game-centered learning for you! Extension Packs are designed for use with projectors or interactive whiteboards.
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Lesson Plan

The State Governor

In this lesson, students discover the roles and responsibilities of a governor. Through a reading and board game, students identify the source of a governor's power and how that power is best used in a variety of situations.
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Lesson Plan

Governing Washington Communities

Local government has lots of layers, and Washington's is no different. In this lesson, students learn the structure and function of local government in Washington and how they can “harness the power” of local government to address issues of concern.
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WebQuest

County Basics

You probably know you live in a county (or the equivalent of a county), but do you know what county governments do? Find in this webquest!
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Lesson Plan

State Lawmaking (HS)

How do states make laws? Students track the state lawmaking process as they learn about the people, organizations, and official efforts that help a bill become a law.
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Lesson Plan

Initiative & Referendum (WA)

Washington’s initiative and referendum powers let regular people participate directly in lawmaking! This lesson presents the initiative and referendum powers as tools and shows students how to use them.
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Lesson Plan

Power to the States! (HS)

States have their own governments, but what powers do they have, and where does that power come from? In this lesson, students will explore the nature of state power as pre-existing the Constitution, as well as the limits states imposed on themselves when they created the Constitution. They’ll learn about the states’ police power and how state power related to the federal governments’ powers.This lesson is a more advanced version of “State Power” lesson in our State and Local Government curriculum unit.This resource was created with support from the State Government Affairs Council.
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Lesson Plan

County Contributions (Infographic)

Meet the departments doing the important jobs that make your county work!
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Lesson Plan

Comparing Constitutions: Ohio (HS)

Compare and contrast the U.S. and Ohio constitutions in this hands-on lesson using excerpts from both documents. Dig into how they structure the government, address individual rights, outline the amendment process and more.
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Lesson Plan

State-Federal Tug-of-War (HS)

Even before the Constitution was ratified, the relationship between state and federal power was unclear. Students will learn the source of that tension and why this tug-of-war has continued through our nation’s history.
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Lesson Plan

Crisis Collaboration: COVID-19 Mini Lesson

What do you know about the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic? Explore the actions and relationships between different levels of government as they figure out what to do in response to COVID-19.
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Lesson Plan

Comparing Constitutions (WA)

How does Washington’s state constitution compare and contrast with the U.S. Constitution? Look no further for the answer! Guide your class through some basic similarities and differences as well as side-by-side text analysis with this lesson’s integrated reading/activity format.
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