Separation of Powers:What’s for Lunch?

How would you rate the food in your school cafeteria

overall?

1 = Horrible

2 = Average

3 = Delicious!

4 = I don’t eat the

food in the cafeteria.

Do you think the food needs to be improved?

1 = Yes!

2 = Some of it.

3 = No!

4 = No opinion.

Is the food being served healthy?

1 = Not at all

2 = Sometimes

3 = Always

4 = What does

healthy mean?

How would you rate your school’s lunches?

Designing a New Menu:

• Today, you and your classmates are in charge of designing a new menu for your school lunches!

• One catch - it must be healthy!!!• Second catch – no single student can decide

this on his or her own. This will be a group effort!

Round 1: Choosing the Categories

• Role = Lead Chef • Examine the menu options.

• Debate amongst yourselves, and then CIRCLE the 5 categories for your menu upon which you can all agree.

• Remember, it must be healthy!

STOP WHEN YOU’RE DONE!

Round 2: Creating the Menu

• Role: The Writers • Using the categories that the “Lead Chef” developed, you are to choose what foods to serve.

• Tip: Your menu must match the categories that the writers created.

STOP WHEN YOU’RE DONE!

Round 3: Move Forward or Try Again?

• Role = Lead Chef • If you agree with what the WRITERS came up with, vote YES for the menu to be made.

• If you do not like what the WRITERS decided, vote NO. This is a VETO!

STOP WHEN YOU’RE DONE!

Round 4: Where to go now?• If the Lead Chef said YES,

your menu is one step closer to being made!

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

• If everyone likes the menu you created, it moves ahead.

• If everyone does not agree, you would try again to write something the Lead Chef would agree with. However, there is not time for this today.

STOP WHEN YOU’RE DONE!

Round 5: Evaluating the Results

• Role: The Judge • You have 2 important responsibilities:

(1)Decide what “healthy” means.

(2)Decide if the school lunch menu meets your definition of healthy.

STOP WHEN YOU’RE DONE!

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?

Quick Review: What was the goal? To make a healthy school lunch!

• Round 1: The Lead Chef chose the

categories.• Round 2:

The Writers decided on the menu.

• Round 3: The Lead Chef said yes or

no to the menu.

• Round 4: The Writers’ menu was

approved by voting to overrule the Chef (if needed).

• Round 5: The Judges evaluated

whether the menu was healthy.

• Final Result: Either the lunch will be

made or it will not! If not, this all starts over

from the beginning!

In order for this to happen, what had to occur?

• Each group had to perform its role.

• Each group had to follow the rules.

• The final product was a compromise of all three groups.

Connecting School Lunches to Your Government:

• The Lead Chef = Executive Branch

• The Writers = Legislative Branch

• The Judge = Judicial Branch

• Your goal = Making School Lunches• The 3 Branches’ Goal = Making Laws

Role 1: The Executive Branch

• Main Part: The President

• President’s job – There are several!– Set important issues for

Congress to work on– Signs 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

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

Role 3: The Judicial Branch

• 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 U.S. government.

Checks & Balances• First, because there are three branches in the law-

making process, there is a “Separation of Powers” where no branch has more power than another.

• To make sure that no branch is more powerful, the rounds that the branches go through to pass a law is known as “Checks & Balances.” This is where each branch “checks” one another to agree with the decisions each have made about passing a law.

Let’s Review the Law-Making Process• What’s the goal?

To make laws!

• What must happen?

– Round 1: President sets ideas for bills.

– Round 2: Congress writes and passes bills.

– Round 3: President says yes or no (VETO)

– Round 4: If yes, bill is a law. If no, Congress votes again and tries to override the President.

– Round 5: Supreme Court evaluates whether the law meets the rules of the Constitution.

– Final Product: A Law or nothing!

If a law … then the lunches will be made!

Bonus Question: Which branch would make the lunch (i.e. carry out the law)?

Today I Learned:

•What are the 3 branches of the government, and what is each branch’s main job? •What is the goal the 3 branches are trying to reach?•Can any one branch reach the goal on its own? Why/why not?•Does any one branch have all the power? What is this called?