History 5/6 links - 3 Branches of Federal Government; State & Federal Governments

Here's a diagram showing the three branches.  Important phrases to understand are "separation of powers" and "checks and balances."

Ben's guide has an explanation of this, starting here.

Wanna rap about it? You can!

Compare: state & federal powers

Limitations of state & federal powers

I've only skimmed a couple of the articles linked here, but About.com's quick study guides look helpful.