OUR COUNTRY TODAY

1. OUR COUNTRY TODAY UNIT 4 LESSONS 3&4

2. Federal Government LESSON 3

3. The capital of our country is Washington D.C. Washington D.C. is named after George Washington, our country’s first president.

4. Our country’s government is in Washington D.C. The United States government has 3 parts, or branches. • Legislative branch of government • Executive branch of government • Judicial branch of government

5. Legislative Branch Congress Writes and votes on laws for all of our states. Capitol Building • Senate • House of Representatives • number based on states population • 435 members • called representatives • 2 representatives for each state • 100 members • called senators

6. Executive Branch President • Most important leader of our country. • Signs laws and works with leaders from other countries. • Lives and works in the White House. White House

7. Judicial Branch 9 Judges • called justices • decide if laws are fair • decide if laws have been broken • meet and work in the Supreme Court Building Supreme Court Building

8. A Trip to Washington D.C.

9. Pack your suitcases…. We are going to Washington D.C.

10. I hope your seatbelts are buckled, because we’re taking off! Let’s discuss a few facts about Washington D.C. before we arrive. This city is important because it is the capital of the United States. Our country’s government is in Washington D.C. It is named after George Washington, our first president, and Christopher Columbus.

11. We are here….let’s visit some sights. Let’s begin with some monuments. A monument is a building or statue that honors a person or thing that happened. Here is our first monument….

12. The Washington Monument This monument honors George Washington. It stands 555 feet tall. When at the top, you can see across the entire city.

13. The Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial was built to honor Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president. He is also honored because he worked to end slavery in the United States.

14. Vietnam Veterans Memorial This monument honors the people who fought for our country during the Vietnam War. This monument has the names of all Americans who died in the Vietnam War. It is 246 feet long.

15. Now let’s visit some buildings in Washington D.C. How is the Tour so far????

16. The White House Front View Back View Entrance Hall The Blue Room The East Room

17. WHITE HOUSE FACTS The White House is where the president lives and works. George Washington oversaw the construction of the White House, but he was the only president never to live in it. The White House has…. 132 rooms 28 fireplaces tennis court 35 bathrooms 8 staircases jogging track has 6 levels 3 elevators swimming pool 412 doors 5 full time chefs movie theater 147 windows bowling lane

18. The Capitol Building This is a building where Congress meets to make our country’s laws.

19. Supreme Court Building This is the building where the Supreme Court works and meets.

20. Here are 3 things that ARE NOT in Washington D.C., but are symbols for our country. • Mount Rushmore (South Dakota) • Statue of Liberty (New York) • Liberty Bell (Pennsylvania)

21. God Bless America!

22. The Land of Freedom LESSON 5

23. In our country, the United States of America, freedom is a right of every citizen. The Bill of Rights is a list of freedoms for all Americans. The Bill of Rights is part of our country’s Constitution.

24. Constitution Bill of Rights

25. The American Flag The American flag is a symbol for our country. Our flag also has symbols on it. The 50 stars symbolize our country’s states. The 13 stripes symbolize the first colonies of our country.

26. Colors of the Flag Red stands for courage White stands for liberty Blue stands for justice

27. Pledge of Allegiance We say the pledge to honor the flag and our country. We should always show respect to the American flag.