Grades 2–5
A Letter to My Mayor
A civic action letter template: kids write to their mayor about a real problem in town (a broken swing, litter, a busy crossing) and suggest a fix.
Social studies worksheet · Government and citizenship
Government Word Search
A 12 by 12 word search of government and citizenship words: Congress, Senate, President, court, law, vote, mayor, governor, citizen and more.
- Grade level
- Grades 2–5
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Government and citizenship, Rules and laws, Voting, Rights and responsibilities
What kids do
“Find the 12 government words. They go across, down and on a slant.”
Printed on the sheet:
- Pick a word. What does it mean?
Words on this sheet
senatehousecourtlawvotemayorcitizenjusticeballot
Teacher tip
Ask kids to explain three of the words.
How to use it
- Hold a real class vote on something small.
- Read the sheet together, since the vocabulary is new.
- Keep a classroom globe, a world map and a U.S. map in reach while kids work.
Watch for
Keep politics neutral. Focus on how government works, not on parties or people.
Talk about it
- What makes a good leader?
- What question would you ask an expert on this topic?
Take it further
Hold a mock election for a class decision.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More government and citizenship worksheets
Grades 2–5
Government: True or False
12 true-or-false sentences about government and citizenship: the voting age, the number of senators and justices, mayors, governors and the Constitution.
Grades 2–5
The Three Branches of Government
A tree diagram of the legislative, executive and judicial branches: who is in each one and what each one does.
Grades 2–5
Local, State or National?
Learn the leader of each level of government (mayor, governor, President) and sort 9 jobs into local, state or national.
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