United States Department of Defense

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/united-states-department-of-defense

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Arlington County, Virginia, United States
2. What is the headquarters?The Pentagon
3. What is the Department of Defense?The Department of Defense is the U.S. government agency that protects the country. It plans and manages the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. It works to keep the nation safe and prevent war.
4. Where is the Pentagon located?The Pentagon is in Arlington, Virginia. It is a five‑sided building that serves as the headquarters for the DoD. It is a famous landmark near Washington, D.C.

Executive Department: A major administrative unit of the U.S. federal government responsible for a specific area of policy.
Civilian Control of the Military: The principle that the military should be subordinate to elected civilian leaders.
Unified Combatant Command: A joint military command composed of forces from at least two military services, organized by geographic area or functional mission.
Deterrence: The act of discouraging an action or event through instilling doubt or fear of the consequences.