Learning about the U.S. Government

It seems that election years prompt me to test my own knowledge of how things work within the U.S. government, and the result is a new YouTube video. About four years ago, I decided explain our political parties and the U.S. Presidential elections. Earlier this year I talked about Super Tuesday. More recently, I described the three branches of government in an overview of the entire system. (In just about 10 minutes!)

Some of my favorite comments from viewers so far (besides the one that caught a typo) mention how beneficial it is to listen and learn about the system and its history. Even those outside the U.S. have embraced the opportunity to follow a lengthy explanation in order to think more in English and come out on the other end with more insight and new vocabulary.

If you’d like to have a private student or a group of students take a review quiz, I’ve prepared PDF slides you can download. In a class setting, you can consider the option of playing in teams (having 10 seconds to confer before stating the answer) or having students buzz in to state the answer before other teams. Awarding points can create a more competitive experience if you wish. Who says U.S. civics can’t be fun?