Lesson Plan #3: Integrating Language Arts &

Social Studies

Grade: 4
th
grade
Social Studies Strand: Civics
Submitted By: Shelbie Rodgers

EDEL 453: Teaching Elementary School Social Science
Nevada State College Spring 2014
Instructor: Karen Powell

Lesson Plan #3 -Civics submitted by: Shelbie Rodgers

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 2
B. Summary of the Lesson Plan:
Students will research democracy that involves voting, majority rule and setting rules. Students
will be given if they are for or against democracy and form an opinion so they are prepared
to do a debate with another student and back up their views. -
Basic Information:
Grade Level: 4
th
grade
Time to Complete this Lesson: 40-50 minutes
Groupings:
Whole group to teach and model democracy
Small group research democracy
Independently write a small paragraph of what democracy involves.
Materials:
For the teacher. Strategy # 15 From Integrating Language Arts and Social studies.
Melber and Hunter. Pg 104-110
Computer
Textbook Houghton Mifflin about democracy chapter 11 pg 306-311
Paper
Pencil
C. Objectives:
o NV State Social Studies Standards
o C13.4.2 Explain that democracy involves voting, majority rule, and setting rules.
o Student-Friendly Standards
I can explain that democracy involves voting, majority rule, and setting
rules.
I can debate with a classmate about whether democracy is good to
have or not.
D. Vocabulary
Democracy: a system in which the people hold the power of government
Voting: cast votes to choose the people they want to represent them.
Majority rule: is a decision rule that have a majority, that is, more than half the votes
Rules: a statement that tells you what is or is not allowed.
E. Procedure:
Lesson Plan #3 -Civics submitted by: Shelbie Rodgers

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 3
1. Discuss with the class the vocab and see what they think the words are. Write in vocab
journal the vocab and definitions
2. Read page 306-311 in textbook with class.
3. Explain what democracy is with class.
4. Discussion with class of textbook and democracy.
5. Discuss with students how they may feel about democracy and if we should have a
democracy.
6. Model how to research about democracy.
7. Divide students up into small groups of whether they think we should have a
democracy or not to go research.
8. Students will write a small paragraph explaining what democracy involves.
9. Students will come back together and be put into two big groups of whether they
want a democracy or dont want one.
10. Debate will start with students and go back and forth about each side and go for 5-10
minutes.

F. Assessment:
What will you use to measure student understanding?
o C13.4.2 Explain that democracy involves voting, majority rule, and setting
rules.
I will use the standard to measure students understand and their explanation of
democracy and their debate with classmates.
Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson.
I will know if the student understands when writing down what a democracy is and
explaining it and how they are with the debate. When the students are debating they
will have to discuss what democracy is and what it involves and then their opinion. So
they will have to show they know what it is.
G. Closure:
Ticket out the door.
Students will be asked to explain what democracy involves, if they would switch to
view on democracy from the debate and if they liked the activity and how it helped
their learning democracy.
H. Reflection:
1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach?
I think the easiest part to teach is how to do the research and debate.
Lesson Plan #3 -Civics submitted by: Shelbie Rodgers

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 4
2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach?
The most challenging is if there isnt any students who dont want to be against
democracy
3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson?
I could extend this lesson by having students go home and research more into one
of the parts of democracy and cone back to school with a written paragraph,
technology projects or anything creative to share with the class.
4. What can you do for students who dont grasp the concepts?
Students who dont grasp the concept I will work with them in a small group and
have a peer who will help students too.
5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change?
I might have to change not reading from the text book and having other
information about democracy.
6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part?
The most difficult part was deciding how to assess students individually
7. Explain the strategy from Integrating Language Arts & Social Studies that you
included in this lesson plan.
The strategy I used is strategy 15 establishing a pluralist approach to content.
Students research a topic that the teacher assigns and does a debate about their
view point as a group.