You will learn
- Define executive, head of state, head of government, cabinet, civil service.
- Explain what executives do.
- Compare presidential and parliamentary models.
- Explain limits on executives.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Executives carry out laws and manage services.
- Heads of state and government may be the same or different.
- The civil service is permanent and neutral.
- Executives are limited by other institutions.
Words to know
the branch of government that carries out and enforces laws and runs public services
a group of senior ministers who advise the head of government and lead departments
the permanent staff who carry out government work and serve whichever government is in office
a plan of action chosen by a government or organisation
1. Discover: The ministry of school buses
Mr Cole invents a country where a new law says every child should have safe transport to school. “Parliament passed the law,” he says. “Now the executive acts. The minister of transport and a cabinet of other ministers decide a plan. Civil servants, who work for any government, draw up routes, buy buses and train drivers. The president or prime minister leads this work. But courts can check whether the plan follows the law, and the legislature can question the minister and review the budget.”
Think: Why is it helpful that civil servants keep working when governments change?
2. Understand: Executives
Idea 1: What the executive does
The executive carries out and enforces laws, proposes policy, runs public services, manages the budget agreed with the legislature, directs foreign relations and responds to emergencies. A cabinet of ministers usually leads departments such as education, health and transport.
Idea 2: Two common models
In a presidential system, one person is both head of state and head of government and is elected separately from the legislature, as in Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the United States. In a parliamentary system, the head of government, often a prime minister, comes from the legislature and answers to it; the head of state may be a monarch or a largely ceremonial president. Both models have strengths and weaknesses, and we compare them without ranking.
Idea 3: The civil service and limits
The civil service is made up of professional staff who serve whichever government is in office. Executives are limited by the constitution, by the legislature, by independent courts, by term limits where they exist, and by a free press and active citizens.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Define
Executive.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Carries out and enforces laws.
Example 2 (We do it together): Define
Cabinet.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Senior ministers leading departments.
Example 3 (You try): Name
One limit on an executive.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Courts or the legislature.
Did you know?
In some countries the head of state and the head of government are two different people.
Why this matters
Understanding the executive helps us know who is responsible for public services.
4. Explore: Who does what?
Use a chart of a made-up country to match ten tasks (build a clinic, pass a law, judge a dispute, repair a road, approve a budget, and so on) to the executive, legislature or judiciary. Explain one task that needs two branches.
- Read.
- Match.
- Explain.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Many tasks involve more than one branch.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The executive is ___.
- A cabinet is ___.
- The civil service is ___.
- A policy is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is the executive?
Carries out laws.
Question 2. What is a cabinet?
Senior ministers.
Question 3. What is the civil service?
Permanent staff.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is the executive?
- What is a cabinet?
- What is the civil service?
- What is a policy?
- Name a limit.
Level 2: Grow
- Why a neutral civil service?
- Why limits?
- Why budgets?
Level 3: Stretch
- Read the chart.
- Match tasks.
- Explain one.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Explain what the executive does and two ways it is limited.
Show a sample answer
Carries out laws; courts and legislature.
Another one. Ask an adult about a public service that the executive branch runs, without naming parties.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: The legislature makes laws.
Fix: They are permanent.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can define executive, head of state, head of government, cabinet, civil service.
- I can explain what executives do.
- I can compare presidential and parliamentary models.
- I can explain limits on executives.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Executives carry out laws and manage services.
- Heads of state and government may be the same or different.
- The civil service is permanent and neutral.
- Executives are limited by other institutions.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Courts and justice systems. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Define executive and cabinet. [2 marks]
- List four things an executive does. [3 marks]
- Compare presidential and parliamentary executives. [3 marks]
- Explain why the civil service should be neutral. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Executive [1]; cabinet [1]
- Four [3]
- Presidential [1]; parliamentary [1]; difference [1]
- Reason [1]; example [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is the executive?
- What is a cabinet?
- What is the civil service?
- What is a policy?
- Name a limit.
- Why a neutral civil service?
- Why limits?
- Why budgets?
- Read the chart.
- Match tasks.
Homework
Draw an executive chart.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is the executive? | Carries out laws. | 1 |
| 2. What is a cabinet? | Senior ministers. | 1 |
| 3. What is the civil service? | Permanent staff. | 1 |
| 4. What is a policy? | A plan of action. | 1 |
| 5. Name a limit. | Courts. | 1 |
| 6. Why a neutral civil service? | Continuity and fairness. | 1 |
| 7. Why limits? | Prevent abuse. | 1 |
| 8. Why budgets? | Pay for services. | 1 |
| 9. Read the chart. | Read. | 1 |
| 10. Match tasks. | Match. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Carries out laws.; 2 Senior ministers.; 3 Permanent staff.; 4 A plan of action.; 5 Courts.. Level 2: 1 Continuity and fairness.; 2 Prevent abuse.; 3 Pay for services.. Level 3: 1 Read.; 2 Match.; 3 Explain..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Define executive, head of state, head of government, cabinet, civil service | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Explain what executives do | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Compare presidential and parliamentary models | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Explain limits on executives | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “The executive makes all the laws.” The legislature makes laws.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make an executive chart.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child studies the executive branch with made-up examples. Please keep talk neutral. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Name public services.
- Discuss fairness.
- Avoid party talk.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: define executive, head of state, head of government, cabinet, civil service; explain what executives do; compare presidential and parliamentary models; explain limits on executives.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 6 ideas: purposes of government, forms of government, constitutions, separation of powers and legislatures.
Materials. Task cards. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare task cards.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the ministry of school buses story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the executive.
Guided activity (10 min). Who does what?
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What does the executive do and how is it limited?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “The executive makes all the laws.” The legislature makes laws.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Make an executive chart. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 6 Unit 5, topic 6; NCSS C3 Framework, civic and political institutions, processes, rules and laws; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, government and citizenship; IB Primary Years Programme, how we organise ourselves. These sources informed the lesson.