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MEGAN MCREYNOLDS

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Election Day Lesson Plan-Part 1

Megan McReynolds
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Last Updated: 11:08PM Today

About This Lesson

DESCRIPTION
The following lesson will be implemented at Milbrook Elementary School within the Baltimore County
Public School System. This school contains approximately 408 students. The population contains
about 59% African American students, 15% White students, 14% Hispanic students. There is a
smaller demographic of Asian and Two or More Races. In this third grade class there are 23 students.
There are 14 boys and 9 girls. These students are ages eight and nine.
There is a variety of technology available in the classroom specifically including individual devices for
the students and a Promethean board. This technology is available to all students within the
classroom.
This classroom has a diverse range of students.
One student has a low incidence disability of cerebral palsy. He uses a wheelchair for mobility. The
class and I appreciate his enthusiasm! He is very interested in military tanks and submarines. On his
home computer he has an extensive collection of photos, stories, and websites devoted to mobile
weapons. This student is particularly engaged in science and social studies. He enjoys using his
strong strategic skills in his classes. He speaks slowly and his speech is often unintelligible. He can
write and draw using a pen and paper but with much difficulty. He is successful when using his
computer with an expanded keyboard. Because of the increasing amounts of reading and writing
required in his education, he is barely keeping up in the mainstream classroom. Because of motor
difficulties he has to put in tremendous effort in to keep up with his classmates and the curriculum. He
can become discouraged because of this.
Another student has a high incidence disability of a learning disability in language arts. He performs
well in science and social studies involving discussions, lectures, test materials, and read alouds with
other students. He is very eager to engage in verbal responses in science and social studies. He is
reading at a second grade level. He is tested orally by an administrator. His writing is legible, but he is
not using mature sentence structure. He tries to write words phonetically, but becomes easily
frustrated in the process. He is able to respond verbally. There is a lot of concern around his transition
to sixth grade with increased independent reading and writing.
There is an English Language Learner in the classroom whose native language is Spanish. He excels
in social language, but struggles with academic language.
Finally, there is a Gifted and Talented student that was just recently determined eligible for pull out
services. He is currently reading on a sixth grade reading level. He is performing on grade level in
other academic areas such as math, social studies, science, etc.
This lesson has been adapted from Scholastic and is in alignment with Common Core State
Standards. It is an ongoing set of lessons over a week. This is the very first lesson in the series. It
covers the presidential election and the election process in general.

PREREQUISITES
This is a new topic for students so they will not be required to have much previous knowledge of the
election process and presidential candidates.
However, they are familiar with how to take notes on a text.
Students will have the understanding of discussion rules: respect each other's answer, one person
speaking at a time, make an equal contribution, actively listen, disagree constructively, encourage
others and support ideas with evidence.

ESTIMATED TIME
45 minutes

Potential Use
PURPOSE:
GRADES:

LOGOUT

Classroom Instruction
3

CONTENT AREAS:
COMMON CORE:

English/Language Arts, Social Studies

English Language Arts

Reading: Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1 (grade 3): Ask and
answer questions to demonstrate understanding of
a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for
the answers.

Goals
INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS
Students will be able to identify information from a text in order to answer questions.

OBJECTIVES
Students will determine the advantages and disadvantages of a job in a text.
Students will identify the qualities needed in order to be successful in a given job.

VARIABILITY
For the student with low incidence disability-cerebral palsy:
This student can take notes and contribute to the group discussion about the advantages,
disadvantages, and good qualities by finding pictures, videos, and websites that support his ideas. He
can also take notes using his expanded keyboard. His device can be displayed on the computer, and
he can describe at least one of his ideas since his speech is often almost unintelligible. The rest we
can try to determine from their depiction on the screen. He will have an opportunity to share the
pictures and resources he collected to express his knowledge with a peer turning a turn and talk. We
havea secret signal that if he winks at me, I know he desires to contribute to the class discussion. It is
helpful that he is already interested in social studies and will enjoy learning about this content area.
The Kahoot quiz is easily accessible for him since it does not require typing or writing anything, but
instead simply clicking a button. He can choose what area of the classroom he would like to sit during
the read aloud on the carpet. Having access to an electric wheelchair would also make his mobility
around the classroom easier and give him more independence.
For the student with high incidence disability-learning disability:
This particular student will benefit from having the text read aloud to him, and even following along
with the text on his device if needed. Taking notes however, will be an entirely different challenge. His
notes will probably not be very elaborate since he is using three to four words in his sentences,
however notes do not have to be long-winded. It might be beneficial to suggest a specific strategy for
him to use with note taking such as a graphic organizer. This way he does not have to worry about
organizing his thoughts, but instead writing as much as possible. He could even have access to a fill in
the blank outline so that he has time to process the concepts instead of worrying about the notes he is
writing. The Kahoot quix is easily accessible for him since it does not require typing or writing anything,
but instead just clicking a button. He will enjoy contributing verbally to the whole-group class
discussion.
For the ELL student:
This particular student might have much more difficulty with this lesson. Everything should be made
accessible to him in his native language including: the BrainPop video, KWL Chart (could have some
ideas already prepared and written on an acnchor chart), word wall words (already prepared; he could
have a personal collection of these words), So You Want to Be President? text (he could listen to it
read orally on his individual device), graphic organizer for group discussion (some ideas already
prepared in his native language), and the Kahoot quiz. He should be allowed to take notes in his
native language as well. He should be encouraged to participate in discussion as best as possible,
even if within his native language. It is important for him to feel welcome to contribute and that his
native language is appreciated and valued within the classroom.
For the GT student:
This particular student can be encouraged to write more detailed notes with more ideas such as: five
advantages, five disadvantages, and seven good qualities. He can also consider the concept question:
"Is there anything we can learn from our previous presidents?" He could also reflect on the question:
"What would you like to learn more about being the President?"
Options to support engagement:
Students will be able to decide how they would prefer to take notes on the text whether with sticky

notes, highlighting text, creating an outline, filling out a graphic organizer, taking notes on their device,
or writing bullet points. Students will decide their goal for the amount of notes they will take and
contribute to the group.
Options to support representation:
Students can follow along with the story by viewing the text on the Promethean board screen, their
devices, or having a copy of the text for them individually. Students will learn about the presidential
election in a BRAINPOP video. They will view key words and their associated pictures used for the
social studies word wall. Students will see information displayed in a graphic organizer as well as
spoken out loud. They will be able to comprehend the text by using highlighters, sticky notes, and
graphic organizers.
Options to support action and expression:
Students can choose where they would like to be seated and listen to the story, whether at their
individual seat, the carpet, wiggle seats, etc. Students can choose how they would like to access the
text, whether on their devices, the Promethean board, hard copy, etc. Students will have different
options for taking notes to help their level of learning. They can fill in a graphic organizer with notes or
take their own notes. Students will set their own personal goals before beginning reading the text.

Assessments
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
Students will determine the advantages and disadvantages of a job in a text.
Students will demonstrate their ability to do this by taking notes independently while we read the text.
They can choose how they wish to take the notes, for whichever method fits their learning style best.
Then they will share their ideas during a whole group discussion. I will be completing a checklist on
which students contribute ideas during the whole group discussion after taking notes.
Students will identify the qualities needed in order to be successful in a given job.
Students will also demonstrate their ability to do this by taking notes independently while we read the
text. They can choose how they wish to take the notes, for whichever method fits their learning style
best.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
Students will identify information from the text So You Want to Be President? and answer the
questions:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being the President?
What are good qualities that the President needs to have?
I will be completing a checklist of which students contribute ideas during the whole group discussion after
taking notes, demonstrating their understanding of the answers to these questions. Students can fall into one
of three categories on the checlist: 1. Student is eagerly engaged and participating in the group discussion by
offering atleast one idea. 2. Student is engaged and attentive during thre group discussion. 3. Student is not
engaged in the group discussion or offering an idea.

Instructional Methods
OPENING
Hook
Students will start learning about elections by watching an engaging BRAINPOP video:
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/elections/presidentialelection/
Introduction
As a whole class, we will complete a KWL Chart on the Promethean Board. Students will explore what they
Know, Want to Know, and Learn about the presidential election. This chart will continue to be updated
throughout the unit as students explore and learn more.

DURING
Introduce New Knowledge
Students will review and add the words campaign, policy, platform, nominate, and political party to
their social studies word wall.
The cards will define the words saying:
campaign-an organized course of action to achieve a particular goal

policy-a course or principle of action proposed by a government, party, or individual

platform-the declared policy of a politcal party or group
nominate-propose or formally enter as a candidate for election
political party-an organized group of people with similar political aims and opinions
Introduce New Knowledge
Students will learn new knowledge about the presidential election by reading as a whole group the
book So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George.
Students will take notes in order to answer the following questions:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being the President?
What are good qualities that the President needs to have?

Students can choose which way they would like to record their notes from the text: sticky notes,
outline, bullet points, highlighter, etc. Students will be expected to have three advantages, three
disadvanatges, and five good qualities.
Model New Skills and Knowledge
As a whole group, students will discuss the notes they took during the story. Students will share their
notes and compile a complete graphic organizer of everyone's notes as a whole group. The graphic
organizer will be divided into three sections for advantages, disadvantages, and good qualities.

CLOSING
Review
Students will review the words campaign, platform, nominate, and political party by completing a
Kahoot quiz using their devices. Students will be given the definitions of words and they will decide
which word matches that definition.

Materials
MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES
Promethean board
Individual devices
BrainPop video: https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/elections/presidentialelection/
KWL Chart graphic organizer
Word wall cards for campaign, policy, platform, nominate, political party
The book So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George
Sticky notes
Blank outline
Highlighter
Pencils
Graphic organizer with three sections

RESOURCES INCLUDED

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