COREs ELA Lesson Planning and Preparation Form

Lesson Title: The Capable County

Standards:
Social Studies Standard 4. Civics
Describe how the decisions of the state government affect local government and interact with federal law

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from
the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic
or subject area.
Research and Reasoning Standard 4. Comprehending new information for research is a process
undertaken with discipline both alone and within groups
a. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects
of a topic. (CCSS: W.4.7)
i. Identify a topic and formulate open-ended research questions for further inquiry
and learning
ii. Present a brief report of the research findings to an audience
b. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and
digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. (CCSS:
W.4.8
i. Identify relevant sources for locating information
ii. Gather information using a variety of resources (reference materials, trade books,
online resources, library databases, print and media resources)
iii. Read for key ideas, take notes, and organize information read (using graphic
organizer)
iv. Interpret and communicate the information learned by developing a brief
summary with supporting details

WIDA
Discuss by Asking clarifying questions to demonstrate engagement Using examples to clarify
statements Answering questions to contribute to a top

Learning Objective(s): Materials:

Students will be able to:
Identify counties as an extension of state
government.
Define Dillons Rule and Home Rule.
Student Worksheets-Readings, Review Worksheet, Information
Sheet, Brochure Activity, Map Activity
County Website: http://montezumacounty.org/web/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montezuma_County,_Colorado
Projector

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 COREs ELA Lesson Planning and Preparation Form

Identify the organizational structures and

duties of county government, including the
ELL Support:
names and functions of county officials.
Describe the types of services counties PowerPoint Visuals
provide. Visuals Printable
Compare counties revenue sources.
Explain the effect of unfunded mandates on
counties.

Language Objective for ELs:

Key Vocabulary:
Students will be able to identify the facts of their
county government. county
county seat
Students are able to explain their answers and how
property taxes
they found that specific answer with peers.
sales tax
fees
unfunded mandates
Dillons Rule
Home Rule
commission

Lesson Source (program, page, etc.):

Adapted from iCivics

Key Background Knowledge: CCSS Instructional Shifts Addressed:

Students have previous understanding of the three Balance of Informational & Literary Text Text-Based Answers
X
branches of the government from previous lessons. Knowledge in the Disciplines Writing from Sources

Students participated in a lunch menu activity to Staircase of Complexity

X Academic Vocabulary
X
create personal background knowledge of the
different levels of government.

Students understand the purpose of counties.

Depth of Knowledge Levels Addressed:

Level 1: Recall & Reproduction
X Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Reasoning

X Level 2: Skills &Concepts Level 4: Extended Thinking

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 COREs ELA Lesson Planning and Preparation Form

Formative Assessment How will you and your students know if they have met the objectives of the lesson?
The student will be able to show their understanding of the topic by researching information on our county
Students will be able to complete the My County fact sheet, using the internet and our counties website page. They will
find a variety of facts and information on our county.
Summative Assessment
The student will be able to create a brochure describing the different aspects of our county.
The students will have final draft of brochure giving information such as how large, population, description of population,
government structure, county departments, county services, and fun facts.

Teacher actions Student actions

Intro (__5_ minutes) Brief preview/explanation of objective and expectations. Students have three branches of
Today, we are going to learn some new information about our government infographic on their
county. tables.
Lets review what we learned on our last lesson. What did we Students are remembering the
learn? purpose of a past activity focusing on
o Assist in students covering main points of previous the branches of the government and
lesson. previous knowledge of counties.
Why is it important to know more about our county? Students will brainstorm the
Why do we need our county? importance of knowing information
What strategies do we use when we are researching on our county.
information? Students will brainstorm strategies to
use while researching.

Model/Demonstration (_20__ minutes) Explicit explanations, think-alouds, visual Students will use their help sheet to
or worked models, small steps working toward mastery, etc. find correct answers on their
Pass out My County Help Sheet to students worksheet.
As a class, we will locate the correct information to find the Students will assist in locating
first four blanks on the top of the worksheet. Montezuma County, Colorado.
I will project the four corners states. The students will point our Students will assist in finding the
Colorado, and then Montezuma County. They will then do the correct Montezuma County seal.
same on their worksheets.
I will project four county seals and have the students pick the
one they think it is. Choose correct seal. Copy onto their
worksheets.

Guided Practice (_10__ minutes) Checks for understanding/misconceptions, Students will discuss as partners and
strategies for engagement, and feedback for extending, confirming, and/or correcting groups what they think these
student responses. vocabulary words are.
We need to define a few words before we can complete the Students will independently solve the
middle section of this worksheet. middle section
o As a class, define the 5 terms on the help sheet. o Scaffolded as necessary
Friends, it is now time to answer the middle section of this
worksheet with your partner. Please work together using the
help sheet I have given you to fill in the correct answers.

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Monitor Checks for understanding/formative assessment.

I will walk around the room observing what each partnership is accomplishing. Making sure that the students are using
the resources (help sheet and visuals) to assist them in accomplishing this task.

Adjust Instruction/Re-teaching Support for students who are not mastering the Students will be grouped up differently, if need
concept or skill and/or English language learners or students needing intensification. be, and the process of the activity will be
I will go through this middle section together as a class finding any talked back through. Making sure that they
errors that need to be corrected. understand the activity completely and
understanding what their findings are.
I can clarify words that may not have been understood/mastered the
first time around.
Go through bottom section as a class, scaffolding each step.

Repeat Guided Practice/Monitor/Adjust as Needed Repeat above step as necessary

Depending on where the class is after partner work and having a better
understanding from repeat exposure of information, I would repeat the
process with the more questions from the text and resources given.

Independent Practice/Extension/Connections/Tutoring Practice, extensions, or applications of the skills/concepts learned. Tutoring for
students requiring additional support.

I will then have the students complete the bottom of the worksheet with a partner, making sure they use all of their
resources given to them.
They will independently navigate through our county website finding the answers for the bottom portion.
I will be monitoring the room, making sure that students are at ease with the assignment. I will interject when necessary
or guide to correct place on website.

Closure (_5__ minutes) Explicitly connect ideas, concepts, and skills together, and clearly connect to the lesson objective(s).
What was the most difficult information to find on our county?
What helped you find information on our county?
If you did not have the help sheet, where could you have found the information?
What did you find most interesting about our county?
What makes our county different than a urban county?

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