Georgia SS4CG1.c

Social Studies4th GradeGovernment/Civic Understandings

The Standard

The federal system of government in the U.S. (federal powers, state powers, and shared powers)

Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies · Describe the meaning of:

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify duties handled by the national government, state governments, or both. They classify examples and explain why some powers are divided while others are shared.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student correctly sorts examples such as printing money, issuing driver’s licenses, and collecting taxes. The student explains that national and state governments have separate powers, while some responsibilities overlap.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think the national government controls every decision or that states are completely independent. They often miss that both levels can collect taxes and establish courts.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Label printing money, issuing driver’s licenses, and collecting taxes as federal, state, or shared. Then explain one label in a sentence.

Lesson moves

Give pairs responsibility cards, such as printing money, running schools, and collecting taxes, then have them place each under federal, state, or shared.
Ask students to explain why collecting taxes can be shared, while printing money belongs only to the federal government.
Play Power Sort Relay, with teams racing to classify one responsibility card at a time and justify each choice.
Compare a Georgia driver’s license with a U.S. passport, then have students identify which government issues each and explain why.

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