STEP-BY-STEP “Separation of Powers: What’s for Lunch?

”
Time: One class period

OPTION A: POWER POINT PRESENTATION

OPTION B: OVERHEAD TRANSPARENCIES

USE either the Power Point or the overhead transparencies as the guide for the entire
lesson.
Reveal each item as you are ready to move onto the next portion of the lesson.

DISTRIBUTE one “Separation of Powers: What’s for Lunch?” handout to each student.

ASK students to answer the 3 survey question regarding rating school lunches and discuss
their answers with the student sitting next to them.

ARRANGE students into groups of 2-4.

INTRODUCE the exercise by explaining to students that they will be designing a school lunch menu,
and there will be 5 rounds to this activity.

DISTRIBUTE one “Designing the Menu” handout to each group.

ALLOT about 5 minutes for rounds 1,2 and 5 and about 2 minutes for rounds 3 and 4. Tell
students when it is time to pass along the handout to begin the next stage.

INSTRUCT Students to complete the assignment for Round 1 as the “Lead Chefs.” They should
not begin Round 2 until everyone is done Round 1. When ready, instruct students to
pass the handout to another group and complete the assignment for Round 2 as the
“Writers.” For Round 3, return the handout to the original “Lead Chefs” to perform this
task. For Round 4, pass the handout back to the same “Writers” group to perform the
assignment (if necessary). For Round 5, pass the handout to a totally new group of
students to complete the assignment. For the “Final Result” category, ask the students
to pass the handout back to the original “Lead Chefs” for that worksheet.

REVIEW the jobs students performed in each round and analyze with students what happened.

CONNECT the lesson with how the federal government is set up, what job each branch has, their
main components, and who they represent.

INSTRUCT students to take notes on their individual handout during this portion of the lesson.

REVIEW the final goal for the three branches (making laws) and connect with today’s lesson.

CLOSE by having students complete the 5 question mini-review on their individual handout.
What’s for Lunch? Name:
Separation of Powers

Rating Your School Lunches: Circle the answer that is closest to your opinion.

 How would you rate the food in 1 = Horrible 2 = Average 3 = Delicious! 4 = I don’t eat the food
your school cafeteria overall? in the cafeteria.

 Do you think the food needs to be 1 = Yes! 2 = Some of it. 3 = No! 4 = No opinion.
improved?
 Is the food being served healthy? 1 = Not at all 2 = Sometimes 3 = Always 4 = What does healthy
mean?

Branch: Executive Branch: Legislative Branch: Judicial

Main Part: The President Main Part: Congress (House of Represen- Main Part: Supreme Court
tatives and Senate)

Job(s): sets issues for Congress, signs bills Job(s): to make sure other two branches
into law, vetoes bills, is the boss of the gov- Job(s): to write and pass bills are doing their jobs
ernment

Cares About: their voters Cares About: the Constitution

Cares About: ALL Americans

Final Goal: to make laws

 view!
Let’s Re 4:
Round
Making Round 2:
Laws ss . . .
Congre
Congress ... e to over- Roun
Round n v ot d d 5:
3: __ca r e s ident an
tails e p
Round 1: __writes the de ride th lan The S
The Pre p up
of the plan sident pass its _ _ __ Court reme
__ ... __ _ ...
The Presid __________ __ __ _
ent ... __signs
or vetoe __eva
lu
Congres s
__sets imp
s’ plans the pla ates whethe
ortant is- ______ n fits t r
(Const h
sues to be
worked on
______ itution e rules
) ____
_______
_____

Final Product: __Laws_________

And then the Executive Branch carries out the
law. In this case, it would make the food on your
Today I Learned: NEW school lunch menu!

What are the 3 branches of the government, and what is 1. Executive; to set important issues for Congress, sign or veto bills, run the gov-
each branch’s main job? ernment

2. Legislative; to write and pass bills

3. Judicial; to evaluate whether the other branches are doing their jobs and fol-
lowing the rules

What is the goal the 3 branches are trying to reach? To make laws

Can any one branch reach the goal on its own? ______ Yes ___X___ No

Does any one branch have all the power? ______ Yes ___X___ No
What’s for Lunch? Name:
Separation of Powers

Rating Your School Lunches: Circle the answer that is closest to your opinion.

 How would you rate the food in 1 = Horrible 2 = Average 3 = Delicious! 4 = I don’t eat the food
your school cafeteria overall? in the cafeteria.

 Do you think the food needs to be 1 = Yes! 2 = Some of it. 3 = No! 4 = No opinion.
improved?
 Is the food being served healthy? 1 = Not at all 2 = Sometimes 3 = Always 4 = What does healthy
mean?

Branch: Branch: Branch:

Main Part: Main Part: Main Part:

Job(s): Job(s): Job(s):

Cares About: Cares About: Cares About:

Final Goal:
 view!
Let’s Re 4:
Round
Making Round 2:
Laws ss . . .
Congre
Congress ... ____ Roun
Round _____ d 5:
3: __ __ _
____
Round 1: __________ The S
The Pre up
sident _____
__ Court reme
... _ __ _ ...
The Presid __ _
____ ______
ent ... __________ ______ ____
____
__ _ ____
_______ _
_______
______ ____
______ ____
__ _ ____
_______ _
_______

Final Product: ______________

And then the Executive Branch carries out the
law. In this case, it would make the food on your
Today I learned: NEW school lunch menu!

What are the 3 branches of the government, and what is 1.

each branch’s main job?

2.

3.

What is the goal the 3 branches are trying to reach?

Can any one branch reach the goal on its own? ______ Yes ______ No

Does any one branch have all the power? ______ Yes ______ No
Designing the Menu:
Round 1: Group Members:

=
Role Chef
Lead Directions: As a group, decide on what 5 categories of food should
be served every day for lunch at your school. Mark each with an X.

The Rule: School lunches must be healthy!

___ a hot drink ___ salad ___ a sandwich ___ dessert

___ a cold drink ___ vegetables ___ meat ___ no dessert

___ milk ___ fruit ___ something ___ bugs

cooked
___ juice ___ chips ___ yoghurt
___ pasta
___ bread ___ a side dish ___ Your Choice:
___ fish

!
STOP Group Members:

Round 2:
=
Role riter Directions: Using the 5 categories marked with an X above, decide
W
The as a group on what EXACT food will be served for one day’s lunch.

Your Menu:

Write the 5 checked categories Choose a food for each category, and
above in the lines below: write it below:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

!
STOP
Round 3:
Directions: Read the menu that the Writers developed. As a
group, decide if you agree or disagree with them. Take a vote, and
=
Role Chef
the majority wins.

Lead

______ Yes, we approve of the menu! _____ No, we disagree with the menu!

!
STOP
Round 4: Directions: If the Lead Chef disagreed with your menu, you need
to decide as a group whether to overrule him. Do you like the menu
you developed? Take a vote. If everyone agrees, you override the
=
Role riter Lead Chef!
W
The

______ Yes, the Writers override the Lead Chef, and our menu advances!

______ No, the Writers do not override the Lead Chef. This version of the
!
menu will not be made. STOP

Group Members:
Round 5:
=
Role udge
J
The Directions: First, you will decide what “healthy” means. Then look
at the final school lunch menu on this worksheet, and decide if it
meets this rule of being healthy. Take a vote, and majority wins!

Complete the following rule. To be healthy, school lunches must:

Use your rule to evaluate the school lunch menu. Final Result:

_____ Number of Judges Voting: ___ Yes, menu will be

Yes, the school lunch menu is healthy. made!

___ No, the menu goes

______ Number of Judges Voting: in the trash!
No, the school lunch menu is not healthy.
 Separation of Powers: 
What’s for Lunch?

How would you rate your  
school’s lunches?

How would you rate

the food in your
school cafeteria 1= 2= 3= 4=
overall? Horrible Average Delicious! I don’t eat
the food in
the cafeteria.

Do you think the

food needs to be
improved? 1= 2= 3= 4=

Yes! Some of it. No! No opinion.

Is the food being

served healthy?
1= 2= 3= 4=

Not at all Sometimes Always What does

healthy
mean?

1
 Designing a New Lunch Menu!

Round 1: Choosing the Categories

 Role = Lead Chef

Round 2: Creating the Menu

 Role: The Writers

Round 3: Move Forward or Try Again?

 Role: Lead Chef

Round 4: Where to go now?

 If the Lead Chef said NO, then the
WRITERS must vote again on the menu.

Round 5: Evaluating the Results

 Role: The Judge

Final Result: Will your lunch be made?

 Raise your hand if your lunch will be
made?
 Raise your hand if your lunch will NOT be
made? 

2
 Role #1: The Executive Branch

Main Part: The President

President’s Job: There are several!

 Sets important issues for Congress to work on
 Sign bills into law
 Or says no, which is called a VETO
 Is the boss of the government and makes sure the
government carries out all the laws

Who does the President care about? ALL Americans

3
 Role #2: The Legislative Branch

Main Part: Congress

Includes:
 The House of Representatives

 The Senate

Job: Write and pass bills

Who do they care about? Their voters

4
 Role #3: The Supreme Court

Main Part: The Supreme Court

Their Job: To make sure the other two branches are playing
by the rules!

What do they represent? The Constitution, which is the

official rulebook for the government.

5
 v iew ! Making
e
Let’s R Law s
Round 1:

The President ... Round 2:

______________ Congress ...

______________
______________

______________

Round 3:
Round 4:
The President ...
Congress ...
______________
______________

______________
______________

Round 5:

The Supreme Court ... Final Product:

______________
______________
And then the Executive Branch carries
out the law. In this case, it would
______________ make the food on your NEW school
lunch menu!

6
 Today I learned:

What are the 3 branches 1.

of the government, and
what is each branch’s
main job?

2.

3.

What is the goal the 3

branches are trying to
reach?

Can any one branch

reach the goal on its ______ Yes ______ No
own?

Does any one branch

have all the power? ______ Yes ______ No