The second supporting question, “what is the structure of county and local governments?” helps students find and use sources to unwrap the context of the time and topic being examined. To be able to fully answer this question, students must also know the hierarchy of local government.
- Does everyone in the class live under the same units of government?
- What county do they live in?
- Do they live on a reservation?
- What is the smallest unit of governmental authority they live in? A township, city, or town?
- Is the town they live in incorporated or unincorporated? What's the difference?
Complete the following task using the sources provided to build a context of the time period and topic being examined.
Formative Performance Task 2
Working individually or in groups, students will research the hierarchy of governmental authority they live under, and the process for creating policies and laws in their community. Students will log their research in an outline that requires them to cite their work and use valid sources. Write a brief summary to answer the following questions about the sources they used:
- What types of sources are they (letters, photos, maps, diaries, etc.)?
- What is going on in these sources (what kind of information do they contain?
- Who created each of these sources?
- Who was the intended audience for each source?
- Why were these sources created?
- When were the sources created?
- What do the sources tell us about different types of government entities and how they function?
How do we know? What else can you find?
Students will develop their outline into an infographic or flow chart that depicts the process.
Featured Sources 2
For this section, students should spend some time on the nd.gov website (focus on the Government tab). They might also want to study the North Dakota Blue Book, which provides a summary of state statistics, issues, trends, and other information. Students will also be required to find additional sources themselves.
Learn more about local governments in North Dakota by visiting the Association of Counties, League of Cities, and Township Officers Association websites.