Three Branches Checks and Balances Activity for Civics & American History

This Checks and Balances Scale Activity for Civics & American History is a great, hands-on review tool for the system of checks and balances in your unit on the Three Branches of the American Government! Students review how the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches of government check and balance each other by “balancing the scales” for each branch, matching a check (in the form of coins) to balance corresponding powers for each branch. 

This hands-on activity demonstrates how powers given to each branch of government by the Constitution are checked in some way by the other branches, protecting us from tyranny. Checks & Balances can be a difficult topic to grasp for middle school Civics or American History students, so I hope this game will get them thinking and making connections! 

Print the coins on yellow paper for an eye-catching worksheet that will look great in an interactive notebook! 

This resource includes:

✯ The two-page Checks and Balances Scales worksheet. There is a scale for each branch of government, with select Powers already stacked on one side. Students will take “Check” coins and “balance the scales” by adding the correct coins to each scale. There are also three comprehension questions after the activity for further review and reflection.

✯ The Checks and Balances “Check” coin sets. Two on each page, for ease of printing. 

Powers and their corresponding checks include:

• The President can veto a law Congress passes … checked by the Congress’s ability to override a veto with a 2/3rds vote.
• SCOTUS Justices are appointed for life … checked by Congress’s power to Impeach federal judges for high crimes and misdemeanors.
• Congress makes the laws … checked by the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review, which can overturn a law deemed unconstitutional.

✯ An optional Extension Activity is included. A chart lists some of the Powers of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches, and students are invited to write down the corresponding check, as well as reflect on what would happen if that check were no longer in place. What might happen, for example, if the President didn’t have the power to veto any laws passed by Congress?

✯ Answer Keys are included.

This resource is presented as a non-editable PDF.

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