Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Group Members/Group Name: Janessa Carratala

Thematic Unit Theme/Title/Grade Level: Second Grade Government
Group Weebly space address: janessathreebranches.weebly.com
Daily Lesson Plan Day/Title: Day One: Introduction to Three Branches of Government
Lesson Length: 35 minutes

Rationale for Instruction Civics and government play one of the biggest roles in society. Everything we do is based on laws and regulations created
A rationale is an essential part of for specific reasons and we, as citizens, must abide by them all. It is imperative for students to understand the distinction
thoughtful planning of classroom between each branch and how they play a key role in our society.
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.
NCSS Theme/Next NCSS Themes:
Generation Sunshine State
Power, Authority, & Governance: Understanding the development of structures of power, authority, & governance & their
Standards/Common Core evolving functions is essential for the emergence of civic competence.
Standards (LAFS/MAFS)
List each standard that will be addressed - SS.2.C.1.In.a: Recognize the purpose of rules and laws (government) in the home, school, and community, such as
during the lesson. Cutting and pasting
to promote safety, order, and good citizenship.
from the website is allowed. You must
have a minimum of 3 standards that
represent multiple content areas identified - LAFS.3.RI.3.AP.7a: Use illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) in informational texts to answer questions.
in this portion of the lesson plan.

These can be downloaded from the

Florida Dept of Education
www.cpalms.org/homepage/index.aspx.
Learning Objectives When ask what government is, the student will be able to understand that government is groups of people who make and
What will students know and be able to enforce laws, the student will be able to identify the names of each branch and their purpose.
do at the end of this lesson? Be sure to set
significant (related to NGSS Themes, ESOL/ELL students will be able to, with photographic resource, point out what photo represents each branch. They will also
CCSS, and NGSSS), challenging, have an idea of what makes up a government.
measurable and appropriate learning
goals!
After listening to the School House Rock song, the students will have a better and more fun idea of what the branches are
and will be able to make the comparison to a three-ring circus.

Modified 2/18 – Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding


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.
Social Studies Lesson Plan Template
The students will arrive to the classroom, and all around the room are hung American Flags along with some golden stars, a
few gavels used by judges, and a few Bill of Rights. On the board at the front of the classroom will be the question: What is
Government?
They will sit down at their desks & class begins they will be asked the question on the board. From there, they will be
explained that the government are groups of people who make and enforce laws. There three parts to the government; The
Judicial Branch, The Legislative Branch, & the Executive Branch, and all three of them play a large role in our society. The
students will be asked what they know about the government and the branches, and from there we will dive right into the
lesson- starting with the class reading.
Activity: Read Aloud; The book that will be read is called “The Branches of Government”, by Michael Burgan (Scholastic
Library Publishing). This book describes the development of the United States government and discusses the responsibilities
of each branch, this will give the students the foundation base for this week’s lessons. The goal is so also get their brains
going for the day so that they are awake and ready to learn. (ESOL/ELL Students: The students will slowly be introduced to
the topic; they will be asked if they know what government is and using the picture book read to the class they will be asked
to identify what they believe represents government.)
After we have read the story and we have begun to get the thoughts of government into their minds, we will move forward
with a fun song that will better grasp their attention.
Activity: Listen and Learn; The song will be played for the whole class, and they will be able to watch the fun carton form
the School House Rock song about the Three Branches of Government, comparing them to the three rings in a circus. Song
can be found at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EISWIY9bG8 (ESOL/ELL Students: The students will be able
to listen to the music and words, but mostly they will be able to follow along with the cartoon imagery to help build their own
base on the subject. Utilizing the imagery and cartoon will help them better understand.)
Using the information given from the song and the book, the students will then be asked the following as a little review:
- What is government?
- What are the names of the three branches?
- Are they important? Why?
(ESOL/ELL Students: They will be asked once again what they think government is and being shown the book one by one
they will use it to name the three branches.)
The children have just come back from their lunchtime; during which time they have been able to focus on other things, think
about other things, and possibly may or may not have forgotten some of the new information given to them.
Activity: What Have We Learned; The students will return to their desks and will look at the board to see a new question:
What Have I learned about Government? They will then pull out their composition notebook, and turn to a blank page where
they will, in a complete sentence, write about they learned. They will be expected to write the definition of government, how
many branches there are, and name them correctly. Once they have finished, they will close their notebooks and slip it into
their desks to be graded. (ESOL/ELL Students: The students will be brought into the back of the classroom, where a group
table is placed for meetings and for mini lessons. They will sit in a circle around the desk and they will be reshown the
Modified 2/18 – Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding

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
Resources/Materials
Exceptionalities
What accommodations or modifications
do you make for ESOL, Gifted/Talented
students, Learning/Reading disabilities,
etc.
These accommodations and/or
Social Studies Lesson Plan Template
Scholastic book; then, will be shown a photo from each branch in the book and asked to identify which one it is. The photos
will be numbered, for example the judiciary will be number one, executive number two, and legislative number three; they
will number their pages and write the answer for each. Lastly, they will be asked to write down what they think government
is to the best of their ability.)
Unit Pre-Assessment:
- We will start the lesson by asking the students what information they may already know about the Branches Once
they have been given the lesson, hey will write a journal entry before they leave home about what they learned.
Unit Post-Assessment:
- The students, at the end of the day before they leave for dismissal, will write in their journal entries what they have
learned about the branches of government, and will give the definition of what government is. .
Daily Lesson Plan Assessment:
- Informal discussion prior to activities and throughout lesson.
- Use of imagery to help identify with Scholastic book.
- Using musical methods to assist in learning.
- Journal entries complete individually.
Books:
- Burgan, M. (2011). The Branches of U.S. Government (Cornerstones of Freedom: Third Series. Ney York City, NY:
Scholastic Corporation
Song:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EISWIY9bG8
ESOL; Students with Learning Differences:
ESOL Students: As the rest of the class complete their journal entries, the ESOL students will meet in the back of the class
room and they will be reintroduced to the Scholastic book. They will become with the topic by being able to identify the
photos in the book as best as they can.
Modified 2/18 – Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding

modifications should be listed within the
procedures section of the lesson plan as
well as in this section of the document.
Additional Comments and
Notes
Social Studies Lesson Plan Template
Gifted/Talented:
The gifted students will be able to analyze the information using context and vocabulary. They will be able to also gain more
access to higher level of understanding and will still be able to interact with the activities in the classroom especially the
voting activity. They will also ask higher level questions.
Tomorrow there will be a full breakdown of this week’s lesson on the class website for parents to access at any time. There
they will be given a detailed explanation of what the students will be learning, as well as their vocabulary terms & a list of
books that will be used in class.
Modified 2/18 – Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding