Elementary Education Program

Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Lesson Plan

Name: Carrie Foster

Grade: 5th Grade
Topic/Concept: Voting/Bill of Rights/Government Branches/Civic Participation
Materials/Resources:
• Video
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEPd98CbbMk
• Book
o Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
• Notebooks
• Copy Paper
• Worksheets
o https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oGsU6B_HPNuoNEkRI3G5V-
3l5AEIYsAm26FW1M4w9Js/edit?usp=sharing
o https://docs.google.com/document/d/13Iv398p6K5iHeItqguIBrrYfHZbsWd1FJ_H
hRIgiR0w/edit?usp=sharing
• Exit Ticket
o https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w-
widdDB7tlXPmDepl0ijFdTawyHCD1iAn_poCNrJTQ/edit?usp=sharing

Teaching Behavior Focus:

• The behavior focus will be to “promote collaboration” amongst the students. We will
design a learning environment within our classroom that is engaging for students and
fosters collaboration. We will facilitate engaging discussion in which students are able to
share their ideas while also being respectful to their peers. We will utilize cooperative
learning groups during the activities to allow students to work with peers, developing
communication and teamwork skills.

Learning Objectives (measurable):

• Students will be able to create their own Bill of Rights.

• Students will be able to explain how democratic governments balance the rights of
individuals with the common good.
• Students will be able to explain the responsibilities and rights of a citizen.
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

• Students will be able to explain the role of each branch of government (legislative,
judicial, and executive).
• Students will be able to explain a democratic republic in reference to the United States.
• Students will be able to apply their understanding of civic participation to the democratic
process in the United States.

Standards:

• 5.C&G.2 Analyze life in a democratic republic through rights and responsibilities of

citizens.
o 5.C&G.2.1 Understand the values and principles of a democratic republic.
o 5.C&G.2.2 Analyze the rights and responsibilities of United States citizens in
relation to the concept of "common good" according to the United States
Constitution (Bill of Rights).
o 5.C&G.2.3 Exemplify ways in which the rights, responsibilities and privileges of
citizens are protected under the United States Constitution.
o 5.C&G.2.4 Explain why civic participation is important in the United States.
• 5.C&G.1.2 Summarize the organizational structures and powers of the United States
government (legislative, judicial and executive branches of government).

Assessment Plan (How will you know that your students met the objective?):

• There are group discussions within each of the mini-lessons that will serve as formative
assessments of students’ knowledge and understanding. Students will contribute their
understandings, thoughts, and wondering to the conversations. The teacher will be able to
use the student response to adjust teaching in order to better fit the needs of the students.

• The branches of government matching activity will display the students understanding of
the characteristics of each branch. This worksheet is a formative assessment of the
students’ knowledge regard the members and jobs of the three branches of government.

• To summarize the students understanding of voting, they will complete and exit ticket.
The exit ticket will be open-end and consist of three general questions. The students will
write about something they learned, something they still have a question about, and about
their thoughts on the voting activity. This exit ticket will serve as a formative assessment
of the students’ understanding of voting.
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

• Students will complete a graphic organizer based on information they find about their
government representatives. Students will have to research each of the listed positions to
learn the names of the elected official as well as their job description. This activity
assesses the students formatively on their knowledge of elected officials and the roles
they serve in relation to civic participation.

• Students will write a letter to the North Carolina congressional representative for the
Raleigh district on a current event of their choice. By writing a letter to a congressman,
students are being active members of the community and government as they make their
voice known. The students’ letters will serve as a formative assessment.

New Vocabulary:

• Constitution: The basic principles and laws of a nation or state that determine that
powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain rights to the people in it
• Bill of Rights: First 10 amendments to the Constitution
• Amendment: A formal change made to a law, contract, or constitution
• Right: The fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to
people according to a legal system
• Responsibility: The state of being responsible, such as a duty or obligation
• Democracy: A type of government where people have a say in how the government is
run
• “Common Good”: The benefit or interests of all people
• Propose: To suggest a new plan or method
• Vote: A formal expression of a choice in an election or other group decision
• Legislative Branch: Branch of government that creates laws
• Judicial Branch: Branch of government composed of a system of federal courts and
judges that interpret laws
• Executive Branch: Branch of government that enforces and carries out laws
• Laws: A set of rules
• Representative: A person chosen to act or speak for a larger group
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Lesson Development:

Day 1: Branches of the Government (20 minutes)

• I do:
o The teacher will draw a chart on the white board (three columns labeled
legislative, judicial, and executive). The teacher will facilitate a whole group
discussion in order to fill in the chart. The teacher will prompt the students with
the following questions:
§ What do you know about the different branches of government?
• What is the responsibility of the legislative branch?
§ Who is part of this branch?
• What is the responsibility of the judicial branch?
§ Who is part of this branch?
• What is the responsibility executive branch?
§ Who is part of this branch?
§ Why is the government split into different branches?
o The teacher will make note of students’ responses in the corresponding column.
o Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEPd98CbbMk This is a
SchoolHouse Rock video on the three branches of the government.
• We do:
o After completing the table students will create a trifold in their notebook outlining
the characteristics of each of the three branches. The teacher will provide students
with a piece of copy paper that is folded in half and cut three times. Students will
label the three flaps as legislative branch, judicial branch, and executive branch.
The students will then write under each flap the information from the chart on the
board. Teacher should double check all of the information in the chart on the
board to ensure students are writing actuate information. Students may draw
pictures on the flaps to aid in their understanding if they choose.
• You do:
o Students will work individually to apply their understanding of the three branches
of government in order to complete a matching worksheet.
(https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oGsU6B_HPNuoNEkRI3G5V-
3l5AEIYsAm26FW1M4w9Js/edit?usp=sharing) This will be used as a formative
assessments of the students’ knowledge.
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Day 2: Voting (20 minutes)

• I do:
o The students will listen as the teacher reads Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration
of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The teacher will instruct students to listen
closely. During the reading stop and ask the following questions:
§ Why do you think they asked Grandpa Isaac all of those difficult “tests?”
§ Do you think they asked everyone those difficult questions when they
went to vote?
§ Do you think you could write a portion of the US Constitution word for
word like Lillian was asked to do?
§ Why do you think Lillian never stopped walking up that hill?
§ Why was Lillian finally able to vote at the end of the book?
o Allow students to ask any questions they may have about the book.
• We do:
o Create a voting simulation where students are prevented from voting due to
obscure reasons. Have students vote by raising their hands and keep a tally on the
board. Ask the question, “Should we get extra reading time or extra recess time
today?” Allow only the students wearing red to vote. Ask the question, “Should
the cafeteria serve pizza or tacos for lunch?” Allow only the students with brown
hair to vote. Ask the question, “Should we have home tonight or not?” Allow only
the students with blue eyes to vote.
o After posing a few of questions allowing only a select few students to vote have a
whole group discussion about the activity. Ask students the following question:
§ How did it make you feel when you couldn’t vote?
§ Do you think the reason that prevented you from voting was fair?
o Have students expand on their ideas by having them explain ‘why.’
• You do:
o Students will complete an exit ticket to summarize their understanding. Students
will write one think they learned, their thoughts on the voting activity, and one
question they still have. The teacher will use this as a formative assessment of the
students’ knowledge and understanding of voting.
o https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w-
widdDB7tlXPmDepl0ijFdTawyHCD1iAn_poCNrJTQ/edit?usp=sharing

Day 3: Bill of Rights (60 minutes)

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_JC9aR0DY9_Og1ixbTNyOFxUUGU3NPZQbU
mFFjdq6gA/edit?usp=sharing
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Day 4: Civic Participation (20 minutes)

• I do:
o The teacher will facilitate a whole group discussion about the responsibilities we
have as an United States citizen. The teacher will ask the following questions:
§ What is a right of a US citizen?
§ Where can we find a list of these rights?
§ What are the responsibilities of a US citizen?
§ What rights and responsibilities should you exercise/practice now (even
though you are 10 or 11)?
• Is there any rights or responsibilities you can’t exercise/practice
yet?
§ Why is it important that we exercise our rights and responsibilities as
citizens?
o Have students share out about each question, using talk moves to keep the
discussion moving and on topic.
• We do:
o Students will complete research to learn who their representatives are. They will
complete a graphic organizer making note of the Raleigh mayor, North Carolina
governor, North Carolina senators, and the Raleigh congressional representative.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13Iv398p6K5iHeItqguIBrrYfHZbsWd1FJ_H
hRIgiR0w/edit?usp=sharing
o Students will also research a current event that is of interest to them. They will
take notes on the current event in their notebook.
o Once the students have completed the graphic organizer, discuss their findings as
a class. The teacher will write the names of the representatives on the board.
Students can also share about the current events they researched.
• You do:
o Students will write a letter to Raleigh’s Congressional representative, David Price.
Students will work individually to select a topic based on current events that they
feel they should write their representative about. Students will use a proper letter
format beginning with “Dear Mr. Price,” and concluding with “Sincerely, ____.”
Once the students have written their letters, and the teacher has reviewed them,
the students will mail them to exercise their voice as a US citizen.
o David Price, 2108 Rayburn Building, Washington, DC 20515