United States Government
Seanna Macy
Introduction
Standards
Objectives
Activities
Assessment
Results
Resources
Introduction
This is a unit designed to teach the constitution and three branches of government to fifth grade students.  The unit will address California State Standards in the areas of History/Social Science and Language Arts.  This unit highlights comprehension and speech writing skills.
Subject:  United States Government
Topics:  Constitution and Three Branches of Government
Grade Level:  5
Student Lesson:  We the People
top
Standards Addressed

Fifth Grade
History/Social Science:  United States Government
Constitution, Branches of Government, Speech Writing and Public Speaking

To see California State Standards, go to: http://www.cde.ca.gov/board/pdf/history.pdf

Students are responsible for. . .

a) Knowing the history leading up to the writing of the constitution, including the first and second constitutional conventions.
b) Knowing the first ten amendments to the constitution
c) Knowing the jobs and names of the three branches of government
d) Understandin the process by which bills and laws are created
top
Instructional Objectives
Insert your learning objectives here. For example. . . 
  • After collecting information through independent research, students will compare and contrast the documents produced by the first and second constitutional conventions with the document we finally adopted as our national constitution.
  • Students will have knowledge of and be able to explain the first ten amendments to our constitution.
  • Students will diagram the three branches of government, explaining the powers of each branch, as well as the system of checks and balances.
  • Students will learn about the jobs held by the members of the three branches of government, and then run for a classroom office.
  • Students will write and give campaign speeches for president, vice president, senate and congressional positions.
  • Students will participate in the process of government by performing tasks of the offices they've been elected to.  They'll show knowledge of these skills by participation in class meetings. 


                                                                                                                                        top
 

Student Activities
During this unit, students will be asked to present material to the group, create charts, venn diagrams, mobiles and give speeches to demonstrate their knowledge on the subject matter at hand.  The culminating activity will include a classroom election that will include filling the offices of president, vice president, senate, and house of representatives.

Introductory Activity

  • In this activity, students will engage in group research to learn the outcomes of the first and second constitutional conventions, and then compare those documents to the document that we adopted as our constitution.  The students will display their learnings on a venn diagram that they will show to and discuss with the class.


Enabling Activity(ies)

  • Students will be able to identify and discuss the first ten amendments to our constitution.  After learning about each of the amendments, the students will create mobiles that state each amendment and the freedoms associated with that amendment as part of a mobile they will create.  Finished products will be displayed in the classroom.  For this activity, each child will need a clothes hanger, a supply of yarn, and a supply of red, white and blue paper.
  • Students will create a diagram of the three branches of government.  In their diagram they will include the job of each branch of government and an explanations of the system of checks and balances.
  • Students will research the offices of our government and then write campaign speeches to be elected for office.  Speeches will be given in our classroom.


Culminating Activity

  • The students will write and give speeches to run for president, vice president, senator or congressman.  We will hold a class election to establish choices, and run future class meetings with our elected officials in place.
                                                                                               top


Assessment
Each product is an assessment.  The final assessment will be a test given in essay format.  The questions on the test are as follows:

  • How did the documents produced at the first and second constitutional conventions compare to the constitution of the United States?
  • Of the ten amendments, choose the three that you feel are the most important.  Explain why you feel this way.
  • Draw a diagram of the three branches of government.  Make sure your diagram includes the system of checks and balances.
  • Explain what you know about how our government runs.  Give examples from our class meetings.
  • What do you know about public speaking?
                                                                                                                        top
Results
After implementing your lesson (sometime between January & March), insert a chart of your pre-test, post-test, and culminating assessment data.
 
                                                                                                                         top
Web Resources & Supplementary Materials

Introductory Activity
List and link the web resources for this activity here. Also link supplementary materials such as PDF files and /or document files.

Enabling Activity
List and link the web resources for your learning activity(ies) here. Also link supplementary materials such as PDF files and /or document files.

Culminating Activity
List and link the web resources for this activity here. Also link supplementary materials such as PDF files and /or document files.

                                                                                                                                         top

 

 

Lincrest Elementary
Yuba City, CA
Seanna Macy  raging_z@yahoo.com
Last Revised: 07/25//2000 (insert and update last revision date every time you work on this page)