Bait and Hook

I have decided to let you in on my inner thought processes.  As you read this post, you will follow along with me as I think through the creation of a Hook Lesson in a unit on the structure of the United States government...

In order to get students excited about a unit on the structure of the United States Government, I have been going over several different approaches to grabbing their attention.

I have already incorporated movies, music, and theatre into other lessons for the unit.  For my opening lesson I have thought about having the students do a group activity that gets them thinking about the idea of 'checks and balances' so that they can later relate that to the structure of the US Government structure and the idea of 'separation of power.'

I want to relate the idea to science and the concepts of balance and equilibrium.  For example, in order to balance a scale, both sides have to have equal weight.  In the same way, each branch of the United States government carries the same amount of weight.  They each have powers but those powers are kept in check by the other branches so that one does not out weigh the other.

There are three branches of government.  In math we have the equilateral triangle.  All of its sides are the same length and all of its angles measure 60 degrees.  This could symbolize the equal distribution of power within the government.

I Googled these ideas.  Separation of powers, checks and balances, balances of force, triangles....and wouldn't you know it, someone has thought of an activity that incorporates these ideas.
checks and balances

I am still unsure of how I will design the lesson exactly but at least I have a place to start.  The students will be divided into three groups.  Using a rope attached at the ends and divided into three equal sections marked with different colors, students will simulate the checks and balances of government by playing a three way game of 'Tug of War.' They will see how one team has to apply the same amount of force as another in order to keep the triangle balanced.  They can then discuss the measure each branch of government may take to override the decisions of another branch or keep them in check.  They will also see how it is important that their be equal force of pull distributed throughout the triangle in order to keep its shape.  If one team lets go, the shape falls apart.  If one team pulls with greater force than the other, the shape will begin to skew and it will no longer be an equilateral triangle.
I am hoping that this lesson will be engaging and entertaining for students as well as educational.  They will simply be introduced to the idea of checks and balances through the metaphor or symbolism of a balance, an equilateral triangle, and the concept of force and motion.