What is the Purpose of Government? Preamble Gallery Walk | Civics Back to School

This What is the Purpose of Government? Preamble Gallery Walk First Week Back to School Activity for Civics & American History is a great introduction to your curriculum for the first week back to school in any Civics, American Government, or American History classroom. (Use it for Constitution Day, too!) 

Students explore a gallery walk of over 30 images, quotes, newspaper headlines as they brainstorm an answer to the question: “What is the purpose of government?” They then examine the Preamble of the Constitution and apply its six goals of government to the images in the gallery walk before reflecting on and revising their final answer. Suitable for middle and high school Civics, American Government, and America History students, this is a great curriculum-focused activity to kick off your school year! 

Compatible with the Florida State Standard for Middle School Civics:

• SS.7.CG.1.8: Explain the purpose of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. (Students will identify the goals and purposes of the national government as set forth in the Preamble).

This What is the Purpose of Government? First Week Back Activity for Civics & American History resource includes:

✯ A 4-Page What is the Purpose of Government? Gallery Walk Worksheet. 

As they explore the gallery walk, students choose five images to describe and relate to the purpose of government. They then form their initial answer to the question: What is the Purpose of Government? After reading through the Preamble to the United States Constitution, students will relate some of the images in the gallery walk to the six goals of government listed in the Preamble, and they will use what they have learned to write a final answer to this central question, citing evidence from the gallery walk and Preamble primary source text. All together, this is a great introduction to government and the United States Constitution, really driving home for students how government applies to our daily lives and why it’s an important, fascinating topic to study. 

✯ Over 30 images that relate to the six goals of government listed in the Preamble: to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty.

Sample images include: road work, the U.S. Postal Service, the White House and Capitol building, tax returns, peaceful protests, a free press, the Iwo Jima statue and Emancipation Proclamation, and many more examples of our government at work! 

If you’re looking for a Back to School Activity (or Constitution Day lesson!) that kicks off your curriculum and introduces students to so many key concepts that you’ll be teaching in your Civics, American Government, or American History class, this gallery walk definitely fits the bill! Students will love getting up out of their seats, and this is a great way to ease into your curriculum and introduce the concept of government and why it’s so important. I hope you love it! 

This resource comes as a non-editable, printable PDF, and includes an Answer Key.

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