Teacher(s) Name: Brittany Cleter, Andrew Muniz, Megan Trexler, Karolina Nieradka

Thematic Unit Theme/Title/Grade Level: Federal Government/ Branches of Government/

Grade 3
Weebly address: http://ucfgr3branchesoffederalgovtsp16.weebly.com/
Daily Lesson Plan Day/Title: Friday (Day 5)- The Federal Government Branches
Activity!
Learning
Learning Goal:
Goals/Objectives
Students will be able to identify and explain the Three
What will students
Branches of Government that make up the Federal Level of
accomplish be able to do at government.
the end of this lesson? Be
sure to set significant
Learning Objectives:
(related to SSS/CCSS),
1. The student will be able to understand that the
challenging and appropriate constitution states the federal government must have a
learning goals!
separation of powers.
2. The student will be able to explain the purpose and need
of the three branches of government.
3. The student will recognize who is involved with the
Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branch.
4. The student will create their own ideas for the type of
governement they want
5. Students will use both print and digital resources to
gather and write their ideas and why to share for their
classroom government
6. The students will understand the processes of bill
proposal, lawmaking and execution, veto, and the power of
judicial review.
7. The students will understand that above all, the
Constitution of the United States is the Supreme Law of the
Land and cannot be overridden
8. The students will understand the electoral processes and
how governmental power comes from the people
NCSS Themes
NCSS theme(s):
Florida Standards (FS)
Power, Authority and Governance
Next Generation
Sunshine State Standards Florida Standard(s):
(NGSSS) List each
standard. Cutting and
LAFS.3.W.1.2
pasting from the website is
allowed.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and
http://www.cpalms.org/Pu convey ideas and information clearly
blic/
a. Introduce a topic and group related information
together; include illustrations when useful to
aiding comprehension.

b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and

details.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also,
another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within
categories of information.
d. Provide a concluding statement or section.

Next Generation Sunshine State Standards:

SS.3.C.3.1- Identify the levels of government
(local, state, federal).
Note: This lesson only satisfies part of this
standard.
SS.3.C.3.4- Recognize that the Constitution of the
United States is the supreme law of the land.
Note: This lesson only satisfies part of the standard.
SS.3.C.1.1- Explain the purpose and need for
government.
SS.3.A.1.2 - Utilize technology resources to gather
information from primary and secondary resources
SS.3.A.1.3. - Define terms related to social science
SS.3.C.1.2 - Describe how government gains its
power from the people
Note: This lesson only describes the need for
government at the federal level.
Assessment

How will student

learning be assessed?
Authentic/Alternative
assessments?

Does your
assessment align with
your objectives,
standards and
procedures?

Informal
assessment (multiple
modes): participation
rubrics, journal entries,
collaborative
planning/presentation
notes, etc.

Unit Pre-Assessment:
A Kahoot! Quiz will be given two weeks before the
unit to assess what the students know about the
Three Branches of Government.
https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/5e3a2779-d32f-4e758352-89394d6e68e3
Unit Post-Assessment:
The same Kahoot! Quiz from Pre-Assessment will
be used as the post-assessment. This quiz will be
given on Friday, the last day of the unit.
https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/5e3a2779-d32f-4e758352-89394d6e68e3.
On-going daily (progress-monitoring) Assessment:
Teacher will observe students to ensure they are
participating and understanding the material.(ESOL
6)

Design for Instruction

Student Activities &
Procedures

What best practice

strategies will be
implemented?

How will you

communicate student
expectations?

What products will

be developed and
created by students?

Consider
Contextual Factors
(learning
differences/learning
environment/learning
styles) that may be in
place in your future
classroom.
Exceptionalities
What accommodations or
modifications do you make
for ESOL
http://teachsocialstudies.wi
kispaces.com/file/view/ES
OLStrategiesComprehensib
leInstruction.pdf/42902857
/ESOLStrategiesComprehe
nsibleInstruction.pdf

At the end of Day 5 the students will write down on

a small sheet of paper their name, something they
learned about the branches, and circle where they
are at in regards to the information on a scale from
1-4. They will then fold the paper and place it in the
Special Learning Box where I will look at them
later in the day. (ESE 6.1, 6.4, 9.3)
o 1- I do not understand the branches of
government.
o 2- I understand a little bit of the information
from the branches of government.
o 3- I understand the material from the
branches of government.
o 4- I can tell you everything we learned from
the branches of government today and can
be your student helper for this topic.

1. After a classroom discussion of what we learned

previously (ESE 3.1, ESOL 4, 6, 13), the teacher will
introduce the lesson (ESE 6.1, 6.2, 6.3). Inform the
students that they will have the opportunity to create their
own classroom government, play the roles of
Congressmen, The President, and the Supreme Court
Justices, and be able to share their ideas on how to make
the best type of government (ESE 7.1). The students will
be in small groups between 3-5 students in each group,
evenly distributed. If there are a total number 25 students in
the classroom, then each group will have 5 students. Each
group may pick a state to represent should they choose to.
All students will participate during this activity (ESE 7.2).
During this activity, the students may also dress the roles of
each government official (judge gowns, white wigs, dress
up suits, etc.). If not, index card will be issued naming each
role.
2. A) Once the groups have been assigned, we will
then begin the electoral process. First, I will review
and explain that the job of a Congressman is to take
the ideas of his people and vote for them in
Congress. We will be doing this all while
researching some of our current congressmen using
the IWB. Within each group, the students elect 1
member from their group to represent them as their
Congressman. Once all groups have elected their
Congressman, we will then move on to the election
of the head of the Legislative Branch, the President

and ESE (Gifted/Talented

students, Learning/Reading
disabilities, SLD etc.)
http://www.udlcenter.org/a
boutudl/udlguidelines/udlg
uidelines_graphicorganizer

(ESOL 8, 14, 12).

B) The class as a whole will vote on who will
represent the President. The teacher may take this role to
ensure fairness amongst the rest students. Depending on the
teachers wishes, the students may elect another student to
represent the president Once the president is elected, we
then move on to the process of Supreme Court Justice
nominations.
C) As part of their authority, the President has the
power to pick 9 people to represent the head of the Judicial
Branch, the Supreme court Justices. If the teacher is the
president, this makes it much easier to select 9 students and
establish fairness and equality to all students, including
involving our ESE and EL students (ESE 8.1, 8.3, 9.1).
Once the 9 Supreme Court Justices have been nominated,
we then move on to the governmental law processes.
3. For this part, the remaining students who have not
been assigned a government role will represent the
population of the people. At this point, the teacher will
inform the class that the role of the people is just as
important as the roles of the governmental leaders. The
people elect people who support their ideas about how a
government should be and what they should do to work
together to improve any issues we may have. At this point,
as class, we discuss the different issues that are happening
in the world around us (ESE 2.4, ESOL 47) . The teacher
will ask all of students in the people groups to name
some ideas on how we can improve or fix some of these
issues. Some examples of ideas may include, but are not
limited to, a longer lunch period, a longer recess period,
changes in the food options of the cafeteria, new clubs or
sports at school, or even improving education in other
countries. The teacher will also remind all of the students
the Constitution of the United States is the Supreme Law
of the Land and cannot be overridden by anyone.
4. The students will then be given time to collaborate in
their groups or territories/states and discuss which issues
they wish to discuss and how we can improve them (ESOL
47, 16). The students will be using their iPads and any form
of print text (such as scholastic magazines) to gather
information to support their ideas and write them down.
Students may also refer to their social studies notes as well.

Some of their ideas may be basic and simple which is

alright. The teacher may decide whether to keep the ideas
on a local or global scale. All appropriate ideas must be
welcome. The students will then discuss the issue with their
Congressman (ESE 7.1, 7.2, 8.3).
5. After collaborating with the their people, the
Congressmen will gather together and begin discussing the
issue at hand (ESOL 47). The ideas of the groups will later
become bills. Every groups topic will be addressed one at
a time. After Congressmen meet with their group and listen
to the ideas of the people, 1 congressman will propose a
bill about what the issue is and how to fix or improve it.
Starting with the first issue, Congressmen will meet and
discuss how they do or do not support an issue and will cast
their vote on the topic. Congressmen will then use a large
sheet of plain paper (or may use the ActiveInspire program)
and draw up a bill of their idea. The bill will state the topic
of the issue along with a solution. Then, the congressmen
will sign their names as to whether or not they support the
bill. Once Congress casts their vote, if their is a majority of
support on the bill from the students representing congress,
the bill then moves to the President for approval.
6. The teacher will then review the powers of the
President, specifically the power to veto. Once a bill has
made it through congress, it is then presented to the
President and he/she either signs it into law, or vetos it and
rejects it. The class government president (which will be
the teacher) will then read over the bill to the entire class.
The teacher will then listen for feedback on the bill from
the entire class (ESOL 36). This represents how the
president draws his/her power from the people. The
teacher, as the president, will then sign it into law or veto
it. After the President signs the bill into law, it then passes
on to the Judicial Branch Supreme Court Justices for
review.
7. At this point, the teacher will then explain the power of
the 9 Supreme Court Justices, specifically, the power of
Judicial Review and the definition of unconstitutional. The
9 Justices have the power to review any law currently in
effect. They are responsible for interpreting the
Constitution and if they believe that a law is
unconstitutional, they may take away that law through
the power of Judicial Review. Using the IWB, we will

bring up a large copy of the Constitution that is legible to

all (ESOL 20, 15, 43; ESE 2.1, 2.2, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 4.2) and
we will let our 9 Supreme Court Justices listen to the voice
of the people about what they believe. After hearing the
voice of the people, they will then cast their vote as to
whether they believe the law is supported by the
constitution, or if the law is unconstitutional (meaning
does the new law support the best interests of the people)
and needs to be removed.
unconstitutional - not according to or agreeing with the
constitution of a state or society
8. To gauge the students understanding of this lesson, the
students will be instructed to complete an exit slip. The
students will write their name, write or draw something
they learned, and circle where they feel they are on a scale
from 1-4 on a small sheet of paper. (ESOL 6, ESE 9.3)
They will then fold the paper and place it in the Special
Learning Box.
Lesson Notes: At this point, the class as a whole may
choose to have a reelection and elect new members, or
we can continue through addressing the topics of each
group keeping the same members. It is also important to
remember that the teacher must include other what if
situations related to the lesson by using real-world scenario
topics. Some may include what if Congress and the
President approve a bill but the people do not agree? This
allows the students to collaborate amongst each other to
resolve these real issues. This entire lesson teaches how
government draws its power from its people and how each
branch overseas the other. All terms and definitions will be
displayed on the IWB in large font for all to see and read.
Also, for each new term, the students will verbally express
that term as they execute that power. For example, when
the Congressman is presenting his/her bill to the rest of
Congress, they will state I (insert name) propose this bill. I
support this because (insert own reason and supporting
evidence found). When the president uses the veto power,
the president must say I veto this bill. This will allow the
student to begin practicing these high tier vocabulary words
that they will be exposed to in adulthood when they begin
voting or running for office in the future.

Resources/Materials

Large and regular sized sheets of plain paper (Chart

Paper or ActivInspire program on IWB)
Markers
Students Social Studies Notes
Scholastic Magazines
Crayons
Pencils
Interactive Whiteboard (IWB)
Index Cards for Role Descriptions
https://kids.usa.gov/government/how-a-billbecomes-a-law/index.shtml HOW A BILL
BECOMES A LAW
https://kids.usa.gov/three-branches-ofgovernment/index.shtml THREE BRANCHES OF
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
https://lessons4now.wordpress.com/free-2/ CLASS
CONSTITUTION
Exit Slip Sheet