three branches
Storyboard Text
- Adventures with Kristina and Catherine
- Legislative Branch Edition
- By: Kristina Kitsul
- Today, I am at Target with my sister Catherine. I want to buy her a new toy because she had won the spelling bee yesterday. While shopping Catherine points to a woman and whispers, "I think she is stealing that barbie." I explain to her that that is definitely against the law.
- I notice the confused face she makes and then she asks what a law is. I explain to her that a law is a rule made by the Legislative Branch. Just like our parents make rules at home, the Legislative Branch make rules for our country. Stealing is against the rules!
- She is happy with my answer and continues looking for her new toy. She finds a lego set of the 50 states in America that she really likes and picks it up. We are ready to go checkout until all of a sudden she asks, "How do they decide which rules to make?"
- I tell her about the team that makes up the Legislative Branch. There are two parts, the Senate and the House of Representatives, together they are called Congress (slide 9). Because it is made of two parts, it is also known as a bicameral legislature (page 80). The Senate is like a special grown up club. Just like in your lego, each of the 50 states sends two adults to represent them. Together they come up with ideas that they would want to become laws. The House of Representatives is another special club, but the amount of representatives depends on how many people live in the state. Some states get more grown ups and some get less. If a big group of the grown ups agree on an idea, it becomes a law!
- Catherine is very happy to learn about this team. She feels like a grown up learning these new facts and we finally get to pay for the lego and go home to build it! The total comes out to be $23.50. I give the cashier $30 and get $6.50 back. Catherine takes the change from the cashier and takes a good look at the coins. I know another question is coming!
- She asks me how money was created, "How did someone decide this was a quarter?" Luckily she was already learning about the legislative branch so it was time to tell her about one of their checks and balances (slide 8). You know how there are quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies? Well, one of Congresses special powers, or their share of power, is through their decision of the value of money. They decided what the quarter looked like and its worth of 25 cents! They make sure money works correctly in our country!
- "I think that's awesome! The legislative branch has some really cool powers." she says. I tell her that's not all, theres a few more things I want to show her at home when we start building the lego. She smiles holding the lego on her lap.
- We finally arrive at home. I can't wait to tell her the two most interesting facts about the legislative branch! She has learned so much today!
- "What else did you want to tell me Kristina?" I was so excited when she asked me that question. I then explained to her that if we ever got into trouble with another country, the Legislative Branch would be the ones with the power to announce war. She found this very interesting. I also told her to take a look at her United States lego. The Legislative Branch are the only ones that can add new states! Imagine adding a new state! That is awesome. Both of these are examples of the checks and balances in our country! "That's incredible! I'm so glad I chose this lego at the store," she replied.
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