The Three Branches of Florida's Government

Help your fourth graders learn how Florida's government works! In this one-page worksheet, students read a short passage about the three branches of government in Florida, match each part of the government to its job, then decide if four sentences are true or false.

The passage explains that the legislative branch, called the Florida Legislature, makes the state's laws and has two parts: the Senate, with 40 members, and the House of Representatives, with 120 members. The executive branch carries out the laws and is led by the governor, who is elected for four years and can sign a bill into law or veto it. The judicial branch is made up of Florida's courts, and the seven justices of the Florida Supreme Court decide what laws mean. Students also learn that all three branches work in Tallahassee, the state capital, and that the Declaration of Rights in the Florida Constitution protects people's rights. A Key Words note next to the passage explains legislature, veto, and justice. The true or false sentences use common mix-ups, like placing the government in Miami, so students must check the text. The sheet is written to Florida benchmark SS.4.CG.3.1.

What's inside:

• A short passage with key words in bold
• A Key Words note with three short meanings
• 4 match-the-job items and 4 true or false sentences
• A visual answer key with every answer marked in red

How teachers use it:

• As a quick check after a Florida government lesson
• For morning work, centers, or an exit ticket
• As homework or sub plans, with no prep needed

It takes about 5 to 10 minutes and prints clearly in black and white. This worksheet is part of our Reading in Civics series for grade 4.