WEEK 2

DAY

Name:________________________________ Date:___________________
1
Directions Read the text and then answer the questions.

SCORE

The U.S. government has three branches. One branch is the executive branch. That
branch is in charge of running the government. The president of the United States is 1. Y N
the head of the executive branch. Another branch is the legislative branch. That branch
is in charge of taxing. It also makes laws, prints money, and does other important jobs.
Congress heads the legislative branch. The third branch of government is the judicial
branch. That branch is in charge of making sure that laws are fair. It also interprets the 2. Y N
most important set of laws, the Constitution. The judicial branch is also in charge of making
sure that anyone accused of a crime gets a fair trial. The Supreme Court is the head of the
judicial branch.
3. Y N

1. Which word best summarizes what 4. What is the meaning of the word
4. Y N
the text is about? head in this text?

A running A the leader

B accused B the mind 5. Y N

C government C the start of something

D trial D a part of the body

___ / 5
2. Which branch of government is in 5. What does it mean to be in charge
Total
charge of making sure laws are fair? of something?

A the president of the United States A to push

B the executive branch B to be responsible for
C the legislative branch C to work together
D the judicial branch D to write

3. Why is Constitution capitalized?

A It is the last word in a sentence.
B It is the first word in a sentence.
C Constitution is a proper noun.
D The president is the head of the
executive branch.

© Shell Education #50926—180 Days of Reading for Fifth Grade 21

 WEEK 2
DAY

2 Name:________________________________ Date:___________________

Directions Read the text and then answer the questions.

SCORE

Why does the U.S. government have three branches? Each branch of government has
1. Y N special powers and jobs that the other branches do not have. And each branch checks,
or stops, the other branches from having too much power. This system is called checks
and balances. Here is an example of how checks and balances work: Congress creates
bills, but bills do not become laws until the president signs them. Congress is the head of
2. Y N the legislative branch. The president is the head of the executive branch. The executive
branch checks the power of the legislative branch. But the judicial branch checks both other
branches. If a law is not fair, the judicial branch has the power to stop the law.

3. Y N

1. The government has a system of 3. In this text, what is the definition

checks and balances so that of checks?
4. Y N
A the president is the head of the A stops
executive branch.
B marks
5. Y N B Congress can create bills.
C pieces of paper used to pay bills
C no branch has too much power.
D examines
D there are three branches
of government.
___ / 5 4. What is the tone of this text?
Total 2. How does the executive A playful
branch check the power of the
legislative branch? B guilty
C somber
A Congress is the head of the
legislative branch. D formal
B The president is the head of the
executive branch. 5. Bills do not become laws until
C Congress creates bills. the president signs them. In this
sentence, the word them refers
D Bills do not become a law until the to what?
president signs them.
A until
B the president
C bills
D signs

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 WEEK 2
DAY

Name:________________________________ Date:___________________
3
Directions Read the text and then answer the questions.

SCORE

How does the judicial branch decide whether a law is fair? This branch uses the
Constitution. The Constitution is the most important set of laws in the United States. The 1. Y N
Constitution tells how the government will work. It also tells what each branch will do
and the powers each branch has. It tells what the states are allowed to do and what the
federal government is allowed to do. The Constitution has been amended, or changed,
twenty‑seven times. The first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights. The Bill of 2. Y N
Rights explains the rights that we have. For example, we have the right to give our opinion.
The government cannot make a law stopping us from stating our opinions. If a law goes
against the Constitution, it is unfair. If a law is not fair, the judicial branch stops that law.
3. Y N

1. What would a reader learn after 3. Which word has the same root word
skimming the first few sentences? as allowed? 4. Y N

A The judicial branch uses the A low

Constitution to decide if a law is fair.
B wed 5. Y N
B The judicial branch uses other laws
C
to decide if a law is fair. allowance

C The judicial branch makes changes

D lower
to decide if a law is fair.
___ / 5
D The judicial branch uses the federal 4. Which is a synonym for change, as it
government to decide if a law is fair. is used in the text? Total

A money
2. What is one main idea about the Bill
B amend
of Rights?
C law
A It is the judicial branch
of government. D power
B It tells how the government will work.
C It tells what the states can do. 5. What does it mean when the Bill of
Rights says that it is legal to give
D It tells the rights we have. our opinions?

A People can do anything they want.

B People must stop an unfair law.
C People can make laws.
D People can say what they think.

© Shell Education #50926—180 Days of Reading for Fifth Grade 23

 WEEK 2
DAYS

4–5 Name:________________________________ Date:__________________

The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the
head of the judicial branch of the
United States government. It is
made up of a group of nine judges
called justices. The head justice
is called the chief justice. The
president nominates, or names,
justices. The Senate votes on
the justices. Justices cannot be
on the Supreme Court until the
Senate votes for them. The Senate
is part of the legislative branch
of government. The president is
the head of the executive branch.
Those branches check the power
of the judicial branch.

The Supreme Court also

checks the power of the other two
The Supreme Court Building
branches. Congress makes laws,
and the president signs them. But if a law is unfair, the Supreme Court can stop the law. The
justices look at the law carefully. They read the Constitution. They decide whether the law goes
against it. If it does, then the justices can stop the law.

The Supreme Court also has other duties. If two states are having a disagreement, the
Supreme Court decides the case. The Supreme Court is the top court in the country. So it
also hears some cases from other courts. Sometimes, people do not think they got a fair trial.
People who do not think they got a fair trial can appeal. That means they can ask another
court to hear their case. Sometimes, people appeal to the Supreme Court. The justices hear
some of those cases. There are a lot of cases, so the Supreme Court does not hear all of them.
When the Supreme Court hears a case, it makes a decision. That decision is final and cannot
be appealed.

The Supreme Court meets in a special building in Washington, DC. When people want their
cases to be heard, all of the information on the case is sent to the justices. They decide whether
to hear the case. If the justices decide to hear a case, the people involved in that case go to
the Supreme Court Building. They state their points of view. Then the justices make a decision.
Some decisions are unanimous. That means that all of the justices agree. Other decisions are
not. When the justices do not agree, the Supreme Court rules the way that the majority of the
justices vote.

24 #50926—180 Days of Reading for Fifth Grade © Shell Education

 WEEK 2
DAY

Name:________________________________ Date:__________________
4
Directions Read “The Supreme Court” and then answer the questions.

SCORE
1. Who is the head of the 5. Which happens first?
Supreme Court?
A Justices decide to hear a case. 1. Y N
A the president
B The people in a case go to DC.
B the chief justice
C The justices get the case information.
C 2. Y N
the Senate
D The justices make a decision.
D Congress

6. What is a real-life example of 3. Y N

2. What do justices read in order to something that is unanimous?

decide whether a law is fair?
A A soccer team wins a game.
A newspapers 4. Y N
B A kid eats all the cookies in a jar.
B the Internet
C A class votes on a celebration, and
C textbooks all the students want a movie day. 5. Y N
D the Constitution D The library has already checked out
your favorite book.
6. Y N
3. What is the author’s purpose?
A to write about unfair laws 7. Which is a summary of the text?
B to write about the Supreme Court A People can appeal to the Supreme 7. Y N
Court if they did not get a fair trial.
C to explain how to get to the Supreme B The president nominates justices.
Court Building
D C The Supreme Court is made up of 8. Y N
to get people to visit Washington, DC nine justices.
D The Supreme Court checks the
4. The Supreme Court probably has an powers of the other branches and
odd number of members so that hears some cases.
___ / 8
A votes will not end in a tie. Total
B the justices will hear cases.
8. How does the Supreme Court check
the power of the other branches?
C the Supreme Court will be larger.
A It nominates the president.
D the president will nominate justices.
B It votes on justices.
C It decides whether a law is unfair.
D It meets in the White House.

© Shell Education #50926—180 Days of Reading for Fifth Grade 25

 WEEK 2
DAY

5 Name:________________________________ Date:__________________
Reread the text “The Supreme Court.” Then, read the prompt and
Directions respond on the lines below.

SCORE
___ / 4
Which part of a justice’s job do you think you would like the most? Why? Which part
would you not like? Why? Explain your answers.

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26 #50926—180 Days of Reading for Fifth Grade © Shell Education