Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Group Members/Group Name: _Amber Alcock, Jaclyn Michel, Kathryn Dobring, Meridith Doerstling, Marielle Cox
Thematic Unit Theme/Title/Grade Level: __4th Grade__________________________________________________
Group Wiki space address: ___http://branchesofgovernmentucf.weebly.com/________________________________
Daily Lesson Plan Day/Title: __Day 2 The Legislative Branch___________________________________________
Lesson Length (ie. 30 minutes): __30 to 45 minutes____________________________________________________
Rationale for Instruction
A rationale is an essential part of
thoughtful planning of classroom
instruction. This is a brief written
statement of the purpose for instruction
and the connection of the purpose to
instruction that has come before and will
follow.

Learning Objectives
What will students know and be able to
do at the end of this lesson? Be sure to set
significant (related to NGSS Themes,
CCSS, and NGSSS), challenging,
measurable and appropriate learning
goals!

NCSS Theme/Next
Generation Sunshine State
Standards/Common Core
Standards (LAFS/MAFS)
List each standard that will be addressed
during the lesson. Cutting and pasting
from the website is allowed. You must
have a minimum of 3 standards that
represent multiple content areas identified
in this portion of the lesson plan.
These can be downloaded from the
Florida Dept of Education
www.cpalms.org/homepage/index.aspx.

Rationale:
-

Elementary students should have an accurate understanding of the division of American government that make the
United States. As U.S. citizen students should develop an understanding of each branch of government the roles and
responsibilities each branch and how they all work together.

Learning Objectives:
-

The student will be able to identify the responsibilities of the judicial branch.
The student will be able to describe th structure and purpose of the Supreme Court.
The student will be able to explain each citizens' role in the court jury.

Standards:
-

SS.4.C.3.1 Identify the three branches (Legislative, Judicial, Executive) of government in Florida and the powers
of each.
LAFS.4.RI.2.5 Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of
events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
VI. Power, Authority, & Governance
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change
structures of power, authority, and governance, so that the learner can:
b. explain the purpose of government
c. give examples of how government does or does not provide for the needs and wants of people, establish order
and security, and manage conflict

Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding

Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Student Activities &
Procedures
Design for Instruction
What best practice strategies will be
implemented?
How will you communicate student
expectation?
What products will be developed and
created by students?
Consider Contextual Factors (learning
differences/learning environment) that
may be in place in your classroom.

Resources/Materials

Assessment
How will student learning be assessed?
Authentic/Alternative assessments?

Lesson Procedures:
1. Introduction: Begin by asking students a thought provoking question. Start a class discussion by asking students
what they know about the Court System. Allow 5 minutes for table conversation.
2. Hit gavel on podium or desk and say Order! Order in the court!. Explain to students that this is much like how a
judge would restore order in a court room. Have a few students share what they know about the court system of the
United States. Create a list of classroom ideas on the whiteboard.
3. Proceed with class lecture. Using artifact pictures of a judicial gown, jury duty summons, judicial seal, and the
supreme court building, explain to students the meaning of each. Point to the three branches of government flow
chart and tell students that the job of the judicial branch is to interpret the laws. Explain the structure of state court
systems. Draw a flow chart on the whiteboard to show students the hierarchy of the court system with the Supreme
Court at the top and the state court at the bottom.
4. Read summary of the judicial branch article from trumanlibrary.org. Explain the difference between a civil trial and
a criminal trial.
5. Tell students that today they will have a chance to look at some popular court cases and record in their Social
Studies journal a three sentence description at each center.
6. Divide tables into six groups. Pass out a copy of one of six different trail summaries to each table. Use the trial
summaries from socialstudieshelp.com.
1. Tinker v Des Moines
2. Island Trees School District v. Pico
3. Bethel School District v. Fraser
4. Eisner v. Stamford Board of Education
5. Quarterman v. Byrd
7. Allow 5-7 minutes for student groups to read and discuss the court cases. Encourage students to determine whether
or not they agree with the case decisions based on what they have read. Have them record their thoughts in their
social studies journal.
8. Restore order in the court after all stations have been completed. Allow 5 minutes for class discussion on their
thoughts about the court cases.
9. Pass out post assessment questionnaire. After completing, have students cut and paste the questions into their social
studies journal.
Materials:
- Gavel
- Pictures of artifacts with magnets to show on the whiteboard
- Whiteboard and marker
- Court case summaries (printed and laminated)
- Article from trumanlibrary.org
- Post-assessment questionnaire
- Scissors and glue sticks
Resources:
- http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/teacher_lessons/3branches/23.htm
- http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/edlaw.htm
-

Unit Pre-Assessment: Students will be taking a pre-assessment test to see how much they know about the three
branches of government before the unit begins. Assessment is found at the end of this document, as well as this
Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding

Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Does your assessment align with your
objectives, standards and procedures?
Informal assessment (multiple modes):
participation rubrics, journal entries,
collaborative planning/presentation
notes

Exceptionalities
What accommodations or modifications
do you make for ESOL, Gifted/Talented
students, Learning/Reading disabilities,
etc.
These accommodations and/or
modifications should be listed within the
procedures section of the lesson plan as
well as in this section of the document.

Additional Comments and

Notes

webpage http://branchesofgovernmentucf.weebly.com/ under the assessment tab.

-

Unit Post-Assessment: Students will be taking a post-assessment test to see what they have learned about the three
branches of government at the end of the unit. Assessment is found at the end of this document, as well as this
webpage http://branchesofgovernmentucf.weebly.com/ under the assessment tab.

Daily Lesson Plan Assessment: Students will be completing the Judical Branch questionnaire after the centers and
cutting and pasting these questions into their Social Studies journal.
1.

The federal district court nearest to my home is located at ______________________. (use your phone book to
find the answer)

2.

The ______________ Branch of the federal government interprets and reviews the laws of the nation.

3.

The __________________ is the highest court in the U.S.A.

4.

The __________________ provides for a system of federal courts in the Judicial Branch of the government.

5.

If someone loses a case in the federal district court, he can go to the _____________ of ___________. If he
loses there, he may be able to get his case tried in the __________ __________.

ESOL:
- Use a flow diagram of the hierarchy of court systems
- Visual of gavel used for class discussion
- Group reading and discussion of law cases
- Have and actual, physical jury court summons with you in class
- Pictures of artifacts posted on whiteboard
Students with Learning Differences:
- Allow for extra time
- Repeated instruction
Gifted/Talented:
- Add more questions to their Judicial Branch questionnaire.
- Give student additional assignments, like the extension below.
- Allow student to supplement their post-assessment questionnaire with a paragraph about the role of the judicial
branch in our government.
Extension/Ideas for Homework:

Students can create a 2-3 minute skit acting out an actual court room trial. Provide silly and harmless example cases, such as one
student filing suit for why the school lunch was green eggs and ham that day.

Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding

Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

The Three Branches of Government Pre/Post Test

Executive Branch:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

______________ is the head of the Executive Branch.

The Executive Branch ___________ laws.
A term is ______ years for the president.
The president has a limit of _____ terms allowed to serve.
To run for president you must at least be ____ years old.
List the three things the president can do when they receive a bill:
1.
2.
3.

Legislative Branch:

7. The legislative branch is in charge of _________ laws.

8. ____________ is the head of the legislative branch.
9. Congress is made up of _________________ and _____________.
10.The number of House of Representatives are based on each states ______________.
11.There are ___ House of Representatives in Florida.
12.There are ___ senators per state for a total of ____ senators in all 50 states.

Judicial Branch:

13.The Judicial Branches job is to __________ laws and make sure they are ____________.
14.The Judicial Branch is made up of ____________ and ___________.
15.____________ is the head of the judicial branch.

Short Answer Responses:

After learning about the three branches of government explain why we have the three branches of government. Why
do you think the founding fathers put this system in place? What do you think would happen if one of the branches
had more power than the other two?
Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding

Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Think about something that you would like to become a law either something in schools or outside of schools. Now,
create your own bill and describe the process it would take to get it to become a law.

Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding