Group Members: Felicia Clark, Kelsee Patrick, Stephanie Stewart

Thematic Unit Theme/Title/Grade Level: The Foundation and Structure of the United States Government- 3 Grade
Group Wiki space address: www.chooseabranch.weebly.com____
rd

Daily Lesson Plan Day/Title: The Constitution (Day 1)____

Lesson Length: _______90 minutes___________

Rationale for
Instruction
A rationale is an essential
part of thoughtful planning of
classroom instruction. This is
a brief written statement of
the purpose for instruction
and the connection of the
purpose to instruction that
has come before and will
follow.

Learning Objectives
What will students know and
be able to do at the end of
this lesson? Be sure to set
significant (related to NGSS
Themes, CCSS, and
NGSSS), challenging,
measurable and appropriate
learning goals!

Why this lesson is a necessary element of the curriculum? [An example from Broward County Schools Elementary
students should begin to understand that as citizens of the United States, they have both rights (privacy, speech,
religion, movement, assembly) and responsibilities (voting, obeying the law, helping in the community). Students should
be willing to exercise both their rights and responsibilities.]
The Constitution is the supreme law of the United States. Its first three articles contain the doctrine of the separation of
powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral
Congress; the executive, consisting of the President; and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal
courts. It is important for students to know how their government is constructed and how it was formed. Developing
knowledge of this information will help students to become informed participants in a democracy. Students will be made
aware of the men and women who make important decisions regarding their lives, their country, and the world.

Depending on the topic, grade level and length of time required for lesson, 3-5 objectives may be acceptable.
Remember a learning objective is a statement in specific and measurable terms that describes what the learner will
know or be able to do as a result of engaging in a learning activity as well as how that learning will be demonstrated. All
learning objectives should begin with:
The student will be able to compare and contrast the process of writing a constitution present day versus 1787.
The student will be able to identify the purpose of the United States Constitution.
The students will be able to define a constitution.
The students will apply their knowledge of a constitution to create their own Classroom Constitution.
The students will be able to recognize James Madisons contributions to the Constitution of the United States of
America.

NCSS Theme/Next
Generation Sunshine

Do you cross the curriculum? What other content fields (language arts, science, math, the arts, physical education,
technology) do you address in this lesson?

State
Standards/Common
Core Standards
(LAFS/MAFS)
List each standard that will be
addressed during the lesson.
Cutting and pasting from the
website is allowed. You must
have a minimum of 3
standards that represent
multiple content areas
identified in this portion of the
lesson plan.
These can be downloaded
from the Florida Dept of
Education
www.cpalms.org/homepage/i
ndex.aspx.

Student Activities &

Procedures
Design for Instruction
What best practice
strategies will be
implemented?
How will you communicate
student expectation?
What products will be
developed and created by
students?
Consider Contextual Factors
(learning
differences/learning
environment) that may be in
place in your classroom.

NGSS Theme: Power, Authority, and Governance

SS.3.C.1.1
Explain the purpose and need for government.
SS.3.C.1.3
Explain how government was established through a written Constitution.
SS.3.C.3.4
Recognize that the Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land.
LAFS.3.RI.1.3
Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical
procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
LAFS.3.SL.1.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners
on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other
information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care,
speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of
others.
Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
This is the heart of the lesson plan. Be specific. Describe lesson in a step-by-step, numbered sequence, including
teacher and student activities. Be sure to include key questions for discussion, collaborative structures, etc. (This
section includes EVERYTHING and should be highly detailed!)
Anticipatory Set: The teacher will divide class into two teams. Give Team A a simple math problem (grade level
appropriate). When the students answer it correctly, give Team A 30 points. Give Team B a similar math problem and
100 points when they answer it correctly. The object of the game is to score the team differently and unfairly. Students
should quickly understand that the game is unfair. At the end of the game, allow students time to discuss their reactions
and feelings.
Procedures:
1. After the students have done the activity, discuss the following questions with the students: (ESOL)
When do we use rules?
Why do we need rules at home, at school, in our community, in our country?
What would happen if we did not follow the rules at home, at school, in our

community, in our country?

Who enforces rules at home, at school, in our community, in our country?
Turn the discussion towards the Constitution. Introduce the Constitution by playing the clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEy4sg2-kp4. At the end of the video there are a few questions. Together as a class
the teacher will read the questions aloud and then converse the answers whole group. The teacher may want to pause
the video at each question to allow ample time for discussion. After the video the teacher will provide the students with
background information as to why and how the Constitution was written. Hang the poster of the Constitution on the
board so students are able to see what it looks like during the discussion. Points that should be included are:
The American Revolution was a political battle that took place between 1765 and 1783 during which colonists in the
Thirteen American Colonies rejected the British strict control. American colonists eventually overthrew the authority of
Great Britain, and founded the United States of America. Show students the map of the first 13 colonies (ESOL).
Have students analyze the map to determine where most of the colonies were located. How does their location increase
the importance for a constitution? (Gifted students)
After the American Revolution the United States were free from Britain, but a great challenge faced the leaders of this
new nation. While the United States was free to set its own course, the challenge of creating a set of rules and laws that
would unite a diverse set of people tested the leaders of this fragile new nation. At first, the Articles of Confederation
(1781) provided the law of the land, but it quickly became clear that a project like the United States demanded a strong
central government.
In the United States, leaders now known as the Founding Fathers believed that it was necessary to write down in one
document the most important rules for governing the new nation. These rules were so important that the Founding
Fathers made sure they couldnt be changed easily.
Two key words are helpful in understanding how the United States arrived at a Constitution: balance and compromise.
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention decided to establish one federal government with three main branches:
legislative, executive, and judicial (the Congress, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court). The power of individual
states would be preserved by Congress, which was split between the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each
state would be allowed two senators and representatives to the House based on the size of the states population. This
later became known as the Great Compromise. The three branches of government were created so that there was not
one branch with all the power, Separation of Powers. Each branch has a specific duty and each branch looks after one
another. This is known as checks and balances. During this discussion the teacher will create a visual on the
board using this template (ESOL)
https://kids.usa.gov/sites/all/themes/kids/images/Three_Branches_Govt.png.
Write Separation of Powers as the title of the illustration.
On September 17, 1787, the United States Constitution was signed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia by 39 of the
55 delegates attending the Constitutional Convention. Their actions paved the way for a historic document that has

defined our nations framework and protected our democratic form of government for more than two centuries.
After the Constitution was ratified (approved), worries about the protection of individual freedoms were answered by the
Bill of Rights, a set of ten Constitutional amendments passed in 1791. These additions to the Constitution promised that
the federal government would protect the rights of individual citizens.
2. After provided the students these information allow students time to record their responses to these three important
questions in their journals and then discuss in a group of three to four:
1. What is a constitution?
2. Why do you think the Founding Fathers believed that rules about
government should be written down?
3. Do you agree or disagree with this? Why or Why not?
After the students have had time to discuss bring back students whole group. Reveal that a constitution is a plan or set
of rules that helps people live together peacefully and happily. Ask students what they recorded in their journals and
compare/contrast it to the definition above. Have students then discuss their answers to questions two and three.
3. Next the teacher will introduce the Father of the Constitution to the students. The teacher will explain to the students
that James Madison was a founding father from the state of Virginia (ESOL: point out Virginia on the map). James
Madisons ideas about how the government should run laid the foundation for the Constitution. The teacher will play a
read-aloud about composing the Constitution from James Madisons point of view (Gifted). Click here to listen to the
read aloud:
http://v7.k12.com/constitutionday/lessons/2-3/lesson_holder.htm?preloader.swf?Title=Preview%20%20CH_02_03_01&userType=1000&lessonFile=content_lesson_37036.txt&previewMode=1&subjectID=4&uiType=33&
targetType=1&stateAbbrev=PA&envID=1%27
During the read aloud have students write down information that they found interesting in the story. For ESOL students
print out a transcription of the story and they may highlight the information they found important. After the reading have
students take turns sharing the points they captured from the story.
4. The teacher will tell the students that they are going to write a classroom Constitution. Explain to the students that a
law has just been passed that requires every third grade classroom in the country to create its own constitution. Inform
students that the class is going to work together to create a constitution. Like the United States Constitution this
document will be created by the people for the people. The teacher will brainstorm with the class to discuss rules they
think they need enforced in their classroom this school year to maintain order and fairness. Write their responses
underneath the heading on the board or chart paper. Then place students in groups of 3-4. Instruct them to choose 3
rules from the list they brainstormed and generate 3 Classroom Standards. Each standard should be stated in the
positive. For example, if one of their rules was "Don't yell in the classroom," then a positively stated Classroom

Standard would be: "We will use our inside voices in the classroom." Have the students share their standards and
record their responses on charts paper. Review the process of brainstorming, editing, and revising the Classroom
Standards. Discuss the following questions with the class:

Will the posted Standards help us work together?

Will the Standards help each student do his/her best work?

Are the Standards stated in the positive?

Are the standards realistic?

Remind the students that a Classroom Standard is stated positively for all to follow. Referring to the process of the
Constitutional Convention, the teacher will ask the students to decide as class on whether these should be in their
Classroom Standards for the school year by voting "yea" or "nay." Create a final copy of the Classroom Constitution and
have it displayed at all times in the classroom.
5. The student will write his or her experience while writing their Classroom Constitution. The students will then create a
Venn diagram to compare/contrast their process of creating a constitution to the one our Founding Fathers went through
during 1787 while creating the United States Constitution. Students may work in small groups to complete the task.
Once all students have agreed upon the Classroom Standards, each student will copy the current list of Standards to be
shared at home with their parents or guardians.
6. The teacher will then pass out the attached 1,2,3 progress monitoring rubric scale to each student after the lesson.
Read aloud the descriptors for each number. The teacher will reassure the students that no one else will see these
scores.
7. Next the teacher will turn the students attention on the Preamble. Distribute a copy of the Preamble or write it on the
board and lead a discussion of the phrase We the people of the United States, and a basic definition of democracy.
Explain that in 1787, when the Constitution was written, primarily white men were included in the idea of We the
people. Today, that notion has changed to include women and people of all races and ethnicities. Following this
discussion, ask students to create a painting or drawing which represents their vision of who We the people of the
United States are, and what the phrase means to them. You can also have students write poems to explore this topic,
with the guideline that their poems must start with the words, We the People. Have students explain their creations to
the larger class or group and display them on your class bulletin boards or in the hallway.

Resources/Materials

ALL resources including but not limited too; internet sites, professional resources- books, journals (titles and authors),
childrens literature, etc. should be noted here. Citations should be in APA format.
Materials
Computer (internet access), map of the original thirteen colonies, constitution poster, markers, paint, colored pencils,
computer paper, white board, poster board, dry erase markers, composition notebooks, pencils, transcription of the
James Madison read-aloud, and progress monitoring rubric.

Websites
Studebaker, D. (2012, November 11). The Constitution and Constitution Day A Beginners Guide. Retrieved June 12,
2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEy4sg2-kp4.
Kids.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2015, from
https://kids.usa.gov/sites/all/themes/kids/images/Three_Branches_Govt.png
Reading Room-James Madison Remembers. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2015, from
http://v7.k12.com/constitutionday/lessons/2-3/lesson_holder.htm?preloader.swf?Title=Preview%20%20CH_02_03_01&userType=1000&lessonFile=content_lesson_37036.txt&previewMode=1&subjectID=4&uiType=33&
targetType=1&stateAbbrev=PA&envID=1%2527

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

Be sure to include Pre/Post assessment for your entire unit plan and progress monitoring/ alternative assessment for
individual, daily lesson plans!
Unit Pre-Assessment:
Students will answer a 20 question multiple choice- true/false test.
Unit Post-Assessment: Students will be required to choose two of the following activities:
Create a timeline leading up to the Constitution, at least 15 events.
Research a past president and create a Who Am I.

Create a law you would like to see enforced in school.

Create a song to help your classmates remember each branch of
government and their respective functions.
Write journal entries from the perspective of a judge, legislator, and the
President.
Draw an advertisement for one of the branches of government. This illustration
must include drawings that indicate its purpose.
Interview someone in the community who uses the Constitution in some way in
their job. These people include lawyers, public advocate or some other civic
official. Write down how they use the Constitution every day in their career
and how it relates to their everyday lives.

Daily Lesson Plan Assessment:

Journal Entry
Participation in group and whole class discussion
Involvement in creating the classroom constitution

Venn Diagram
Drawing/painting of We the People
Student self-evaluation on the 1,2,3 Progress monitoring rubric

***Materials that will be used for assessment and examples of completed tasks and projects must be included with the
lesson plan.

Exceptionalities
What accommodations or
modifications do you make for
ESOL, Gifted/Talented
students, Learning/Reading
disabilities, etc.
These accommodations
and/or modifications should
be listed within the
procedures section of the
lesson plan as well as in this
section of the document.

ESOL/ Students with Learning Differences: Students are given additional visuals to increase comprehension,
opportunity to work in cooperative groups, ability to draw pictures instead of writing complex sentences, teacher
modeling, and the use of scaffolding.
Gifted/Talented: Interactive natures of the lesson, opportunity to think critically, analyze and interpret materials, work
independently, and gain information through different points of views.

Make comments here related to ideas for homework, parent involvement, extension to the lesson plan, etc.

Additional
Comments and
Notes

Teacher will recommend students read the following bibliography about James Madison to further their understanding of
the Father of the Constitution:
Mulhall, J. (2005). James Madison. Huntington Beach, Calif.: Teacher Created
Materials.
Students will share the classroom constitution with their families.

1,2,3 Progress Monitoring Rubric

Name:____________________________________________________________________
Directions: Circle the number that best describes how you feel about your understanding on the
Constitution from todays lesson.

I did not understand the lesson

at all. I have no idea what the
Constitution is or why it was
written.
I need additional
support on this topic.

I partially understand todays

lesson. However I am still unsure
about
the
purpose
of
the
Constitution.

I fully understood todays lesson.

I know what the Constitution is
and why it was written. I would
be able to teach someone else
about it.