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National and County Government

A 45-minute Grade 3 lesson on how a system of government is structured across national and county levels.

National and County Government is a free 45-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.Civ.5.3-5 — explain where different systems of government came from and how they are built. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Grade 3 to Grade 5
Length:
45 minutes
Standard:
D2.Civ.5.3-5

Grade 3 to Grade 5 · Civics

D2.Civ.5.3-5

Explain the origins, functions, and structure of different systems of government, including those created by the U.S. and state constitutions.

Objective

Students will be able to sort a power into the level of government that holds it and justify the sort.

Students are successful when they can

  • Sorts powers into national and county.
  • Gives a reason based on reach rather than importance.
  • Names something that needs both levels.

What you need

  • Two large headings: national / county
  • Twelve power cards
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — same country, different rules

5 min
  1. Ask why the law on workhouses was the same everywhere but the roads were not.
  2. Collect first attempts.

Teach — reach decides the level

15 min
  1. Sort 'setting the law on workhouses' as national. Reason: everybody must be treated alike.
  2. Sort 'repairing the county roads' as county. Reason: only that county's people use and pay for them.
  3. Sort 'declaring war' and 'setting national taxes'. Same reason as the first.
  4. Sort 'funding village schools' and 'setting county rates'.
  5. Say the test: does it need to be the same across the whole country?
  6. Show the both case: a school law is national, the school building is county.
“Would it be a problem if the next county did this differently?”

Guided practice — sort and defend

13 min
  1. Pairs sort twelve power cards under the two headings.
  2. They write the same-across-the-country reason for three of them.
  3. Groups challenge one sort each.

Independent practice

9 min
  1. Students complete the 'National or County?' page.
  2. Watch for sorting by importance rather than by reach.

Close

3 min
  1. Name one thing decided nationally today that used to be local.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Sorts by how important it feels.

Why: Big things belong at the top.

Fix: Roads matter enormously and are county. Ask the same-across-the-country question instead.

Thinks the county is simply a smaller Parliament.

Why: Both meet, debate and vote.

Fix: The county cannot make law. It spends rates within law Parliament made.

Says only one level can be involved.

Why: Sorting implies exclusivity.

Fix: Schools need both. Name what each level supplies.

If they are not there yet

  • Six cards, three clearly of each kind.
  • Give the reason and ask which level it points to.

If they finish early

  • Find a power that has moved level since 1889.
  • Argue for moving one power to the other level.
  • Say what would go wrong if counties set their own workhouse law.

Exit ticket

Sort 'repairing county roads' and 'setting national taxes'. Give one reason for each.

What to look for: County and national, justified by whether it must be the same everywhere. Reasons about size mean the reach test needs another run.

Printable practice for D2.Civ.5.3-5

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about National and County Government

How long does the National and County Government lesson take?

45 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 15 min, guided practice 13 min, independent practice 9 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does National and County Government teach?

D2.Civ.5.3-5 — D2.Civ.5.3-5, Civics for Grade 3 to Grade 5: “Explain the origins, functions, and structure of different systems of government, including those created by the U.S. and state constitutions.” In plain terms, explain where different systems of government came from and how they are built.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Two large headings: national / county, twelve power cards and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: sorts by how important it feels; thinks the county is simply a smaller Parliament and says only one level can be involved. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “Sort 'repairing county roads' and 'setting national taxes'. Give one reason for each.” County and national, justified by whether it must be the same everywhere. Reasons about size mean the reach test needs another run. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with National and County Government?

Yes — 1 printable D2.Civ.5.3-5 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is National and County Government free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to D2.Civ.5.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.