Games


 * The links below go to a website called iCivics.org, which was started by the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Each section has games as well as webquests to provide you with more information about the topic. (The description for each section was taken from iCivics.org.)**


 * The Constitution and Bill of Rights**
 * Our government makes rules, but it also has to follow them. Its rulebook is called the U.S. Constitution, which has guidelines for how the government is organized and what it is allowed to do. We can change the Constitution if we want** to, but it’s not easy! A change is called an amendment, and the first ten of these are referred to as the Bill of Rights. These amendments were added to protect people’s rights. Here you’ll learn more about our government’s rulebook and what it means for you!****************************************

**The United States’ government is designed to ensure that no one ever becomes too powerful. It is divided into different parts, which each have their own role and sometimes get in the way of each other! Here, you’ll learn more about some of the parts of our government and how they work with each other, and sometimes against each other, to get things done!**
 * Separation of Powers**
 * The Judicial Branch**
 * The judicial branch includes the nation’s courts, whose job it is to ensure the government follows the law. Courts also settle disagreements between different groups, and the Supreme Court has the final word in settling disagreements about what the U.S. Constitution means! Here you’ll get to see if you can argue like a lawyer or make fair decisions like a judge.**
 * The Legislative Branch**
 * The legislative branch is Congress. It makes the laws for our country. Congress has two parts, the Senate and the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress has a lot to consider when making decisions about our laws. Making laws can be tough! Here you’ll get to try it out as you get a behind-the-scenes look as how a bill really becomes a law.**
 * [|The Executive Branch]**
 * The President of the United States is head of the executive branch! As the chief executive and the commander-in-chief, the President is charged with running the government and leading the military. The executive branch also includes government agencies, like the U.S. Department of Education, that carry out laws on a day-to-day basis. Here you can try out being President, and learn that there’s a lot more to it than making speeches and shaking hands!**