POWERFUL SOCIAL STUDIES LESSON PLAN OUTLINE

JMU Elementary Education Program: ELED 434 ALL SECTIONS

The following information should be included in the header of the lesson plan:
Allie Shoaf
Miss Juart, Guy K. Stump Elementary School
4th Grade
October 28th, 2014
November 11th, 2014
(Plan must be initialed and dated by the teacher when it is reviewedat least one week in advance.)
A.

TITLE OF
LESSON: I Just Got Elected To Congress!

B. CONTEXT OF LESSON
I will do an oral pre-assessment to see where the students understanding of Election Day is, as well as their knowledge and
understanding of the three branches of government, specifically looking at Congress, as it is a midterm election. I know that the
students really enjoying writing and can always use extra practice in writing, therefore completing a prompt where they have to
envision themselves in Congress, is a great opportunity to practice that. This activity is appropriate because I am teaching this lesson a
week after the students have off for Election Day. My lesson fits into the curriculum sequence because it correlates directly with V.S.
10, which states that the student will demonstrate knowledge of government It also correlates with English SOL 4.7, which states
the student will write cohesively for a variety of purposes. According to Piagets concrete operational stage, which most children
in my classroom are at, students are able to take specific experiences and turn them into general principles. (Huitt, 2003). This is
perfect for my lesson because they can take a specific experience they have seen or heard about in their community and relate that to a
general law or principle they know about or a law that they think should be created.
C. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand what are the broad
generalizations the students should
begin to develop? (These can be
difficult to assess in one lesson.)

Students will understand

why voicing their opinions
and voting is an important
part of being a citizen of
the United States.
Students will understand

Know what are the facts, rules,

specific data the students will gain
through this lesson? (These knows
must be assessed in your lesson.)

Students will know what

two houses make up
Congress.
Students will know the
function of the two houses
in Congress.

Do what are the specific thinking

behaviors students will be able to do
or practice as a result of this lesson?
(These will also be assessed in your
lesson.)

Students will demonstrate

their knowledge of the
Congress, and the qualities
of what their candidates
are in their writing.
Students will demonstrate

that their voice can make a

difference.

Students will know the

characteristics Senators
and Congressmen.

their knowledge of local

and national matters
through their writing.
Students will demonstrate
fourth grade level (or
above) writing skills
through completing the
writing prompt.

D. ASSESSING LEARNING:

What will your students do or say, specifically, that indicate every student has achieved your objectives? Rememberevery
objective must be assessed for every student!
Task:
Diagnostic features:
Support:
1. Students will be

I will look for appropriate

If students are having
completing a writing
and accurate descriptions of
trouble thinking what to
prompt, where they are
the houses of Congresss duties
write about I can work one
envisioning that they are
and qualities of those
on one with them to
just elected into
candidates.
brainstorm some ideas.
Congress; they must

I will use a rubric for

If students are having
demonstrate their
assessment, looking at the
trouble writing or conveying
knowledge of each
students understanding of
their thoughts I will bring a
houses duty and the
Congress, understanding of
small group to the back
characteristics and
issues around them, ability to
table and help them more
qualities of someone
write what they would like to
directly with their thinking
who would be elected
see changed, etc.
and writing.
into Congress.

E. RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING (and NATIONAL STANDARDS if required)

VS.10 The student will demonstrate knowledge of government, geography, and economics by
a) Identifying the three branches of Virginia government and the function of each;
English SOL 4.7 The student will write cohesively for a variety of purposes.
d) Organize writing to convey a central idea.
k) Include supporting details that elaborate the main idea

F. MATERIALS NEEDED
Template for writing (me)
Sticky notes (Me)
G. PROCEDURE
Activity Element
& Time (in
minutes)

Procedures and management

Step-by step procedures
including questions and main
points visualize what you are
going to say to the students. It
might be helpful to script out
what you are going to say,
although during the lesson you
do not need to use this language
verbatim.

Students
Describe what the students will
be doing as a result of your
instructions

Introduction: I will
introduce the
activity by talking
about how Election
Day was last week. I
will then ask the
class if they know
what the three
branches of
government are and
what they do. I then
focus on Congress
because it was a
midterm election
and not a

I will first ask if anyone

knows what last Tuesday was.
If no one knows, I will say
does anyone know what
Election Day is?
I will then ask if anyone
knows what the three
branches of government are
and what they do.
After establishing what
Election Day and the three
branches of government are, I
will inform the students that
on this particular Election Day

The students will be

actively thinking about what
Congressmen and Senators
do, as well as what qualities
these candidates encompass.
The students will be
raising their hands and
sharing information.

Academic, physical,
social & linguistic
differentiation,
resources, and
support
How will you support
ALL students by
differentiating aspects
of your lesson based on
readiness and interest,
and according to
content, process, and
product? It isnt always
necessary to include
differentiation in
logistical aspects of the
lesson such as
transitions.
Since this is a
class discussion it
will be adapted to
meet every
childs needs and
everyone will
have a chance to
share.

presidential
election. (7
minutes)

Event 1
Brainstorming
Individually (3
minutes)

Transition
1 minute
Event 2
Writing as if they
were a member of
Congress
(17 minutes)

we elected new members for

Congress from our local
areas.
I will then ask if anyone
knows what his or her local
government does.
I will start a running list on
the board of the ideas of what
Congressmen and Senators
do, as well as what qualities
these people hold.
I will tell the children we
are going to be writing as if
they were just elected to
Congress, using the list of
qualities and what members
of Congress do, as a basis for
their writing.
I will then keep the list on
the board and ask the
students to brainstorm,
individually, three things that
they would want to write
about.

I will hand out a piece of

paper for each child to begin
writing on.
I will review the idea of
having a main idea and
supporting details.

Students will be working

individually thinking about
what they will write about.
Students will be recording
their brainstorming on a
sticky note at their desk.

Students will be silently

finishing their brainstorming.
Students will be paying
attention to my review at the
beginning.
Students will be writing
thoughtfully and accurately
about the prompt.

While I am
walking around
making sure
everyone is on
track, I will be
able to see if
anyone is having
trouble with the
activity and help
guide them in the
right direction
and maybe think
of who I may
need to have in a
small group when
we begin writing.

I will walk around

and help the
students as they
are writing to
ensure everyone
is doing okay, if
there are
problems, I will

spend more time

working with
students who
need me in a
small group in the
back of the room.
Conclusion:
Sharing and closing
our discussion (7
minute)

I will have a few students

share what they wrote about
with the class.

Students will have finished

their writing.
Students will share if they
would like too.

H. DIFFERENTIATION:
Since I will be teaching this lesson to three different classes, I have had to plan different variations and be prepared for multiple things
because I do not know all of the classes as well as my own. For the varied learning styles and abilities, I will allow each person to have a
chance to share when we are brainstorming as a class. When the students are brainstorming individually, I will pay special attention to the
students who seem to be having trouble coming up with ideas.
There are a few students with exceptionalities in the three classes, for these students, if they are unable to work individually I will pull
them to the back table and help them in a small group. Pulling these students into a small group is something I have seen my cooperating
teacher do many times, and something that really helps these students stay on task and complete things in a timely manner. For students who
find this activity minimally challenging, and complete it early, I will ask them to think about what their campaign poster would look like and
draw a quick sketch.
I.

RATIONALE:

My lesson of having children write a letter to their local government about an issue that they see in their community or something
that they wish to change about their community is vital to their citizenship education. It is also important because it will be taught
the week before Election Day, so if they have a better understanding of Election Day, maybe they can experience voting with a
parent or guardian and be involved in a greater process at such a young age. Although they are only in the fourth grade, they should
know that if you take a stand, you have the chance to make a positive difference in your community and the world. This is a handson activity that allows the children to see that their actions can directly make a difference, they are not just reading about a problem

in their community or the world and accepting it, they are voicing their opinions and demanding change. This lesson directly
correlates with teaching students civic efficacy, as it is the process of becoming a better citizen and making your community a
better place through direct action. Although they may not be mailing these letters to their local governments, they are still getting
the experience of opening their eyes and caring about the larger community. In order to deepen their understanding of civic
efficacy, I will have the students share their work aloud with their peers, if they would like. As well as sharing, if it is okay with my
cooperating teaching, I will have them hang their letters in the hallway so that everyone who passes by knows that if given even the
smallest opportunity, they can also make a difference in their community and potentially the world. This lesson goes outside of the
box of just telling students how their government works, it gives them a chance to take a deeper more hands on look and see what
effect they can make if they so wish

J. WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Think about this! It may help you avoid an embarrassing situation. Look over the choices youve made for teaching this lesson. What
extenuating circumstances (based on what you know if your students, their schedules, and the context in which you teach) could potentially
derail your otherwise excellent plan? Identify at least 4 potential problems and thoughtfully describe your plan for addressing them when they
arise? IN other words, what are your contingency plans?
The students could have no idea what the different types of government do. If this happens, I will have try and give them quick
words or ideas of what they might do, to try and lead them in the correct direction.
The students could write about qualities and things that they would do if elected, that are silly, such as how they do not want to
have homework. I will try and avoid this by keeping the brainstorming list on the board as well as walking around and ensuring
everyone is on task. If I see this occurring in a lot of students then I will stop the students and go over what Congress does.
The students could run out of time to write, if this happens I will tell them to keep track of their brainstorming ideas and they
will finish them the following day.
The students could be very distracted and not focus on their work. If this happens, I will use the tally mark for behavior
management in my classroom, if that does not work I will tell the students they need to do this completely individually and
they will be unable to share their ideas with their class.

References:
Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta
State University. Retrieved November 4th, 2014. Fromhttp://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/piaget.html

Lesson Implementation Reflection

I. How did your actual teaching of the lesson differ from your plans? Describe the changes and explain why you made them.
After completing the introduction portion of my lesson, I decided to continue brainstorming as a whole rather than having the
students brainstorm individually and record those ideas on an individual sticky note. I decided to do this because the students had a
hard time coming up with ideas of characteristics as a class at the beginning. Therefore we just continued our running list of
characteristics on the board as a whole group to keep our ideas flowing and keep us on track.
Another change I made was to not have the students share at the end of class. This change was made partially due to the students
requiring more time with their writing and working until they had to leave. It was also partially because I wanted to read over their
work before having them share once I had read a few of their prompts as they were writing, as some students were not as on track
as I would have liked them to be.
II. Based on the assessment you created, what can you conclude about your impact on student learning? Did they learn? Who learned?
What did they learn? What evidence can you offer that your conclusions are valid?
Based on their writing prompt, which was my form of assessment for this lesson, I can conclude that some students learned but
some did not. I was able to teach this lesson three times; therefore I had a lot of data. From the three classes, more than half of the
students were able to accurately follow the prompt and record their own characteristics that would be helpful if they were to be
running for an election. The other half of the students took the prompt elsewhere and talked only about what they would do if they
were elected, not their characteristics like I asked them to do.
The students who correctly answered the prompt used the following characteristics to describe themselves: responsible, caring,
faithful, hard working, smart, etc. They all also provided good examples for supporting their characteristics. There were however
student who stated that they were elected because they [were] good at yo mama jokesminecraft, and youtube. These students
accurately described themselves but did not understand the objectives of my lesson.
The students who talked about what they would do if they were elected, accurately named things that they could do if they had a
place in Congress, such as helping the poor, giving people food, etc. This was good evidence for me because it showed me that the
students understand what Congress is and what they do, even if they went of topic on the given writing prompt. There were also
children in this category that went crazy with this and said things such as cancelling school forever, or no homework and only
recess. These students demonstrated that they did understand the objectives of my lesson at all. There was also one student who
wrote about how she would allow women to vote, have desegregated schools, let all religions be together, etc. This child
demonstrated that she did not understand my objectives as well, and also thought we were writing in a different time period.

III. Describe at least one way you could incorporate developmentally appropriate practice in a better or more thorough way if you were to
teach this lesson again.
If I were to teach this lesson again I would take more time. I would have the students fill out a graphic organizer with a partner
comparing and contrasting the different characteristics of an elected official. This would allow the students to have a better feel for
what I am assessing. The students did not have very much time to brainstorm and complete a whole writing prompt, with the given
time I was asked to work with.
IV. Based on the assessment data you collected, what would you do/teach next if you were the classroom teacher?
Based on my data, I would teach a lesson about different politicians and elected leaders over time who have been great examples as
well some politicians who have been corrupt and not portrayed the characteristics that we look for when electing our government
officials. This would contribute to a deeper understanding of the ideal characteristics of people who make decisions for us, and
allow us to compare and contrast the traits we idolize in our officials and people whom we look up too. I would also include
different units on government, as a lot of students during the brainstorming portion did not know the answers to basic questions
about the government.
V. As a result of planning and teaching this lesson, what have you learned or had reinforced about young children as learners?
From planning and teaching this lesson, I have learned that young children, even in fourth grade, still need a lot of guidance in their
assignments. The students did not quite understand that they were writing as if they were elected into Congress, and students even
claimed, How could all of us be in Congress, we are only ten!
I also learned to be extremely explicit in what I am requiring from my students. I lot of students kept asking me how long their
writing had to be, therefore if I had been more explicit they would know that they had to write a full well thought out couple of
paragraphs and they did not have to fill up two whole pages of writing.
VI. As a result of planning and teaching this lesson, what have you learned or had reinforced about teaching?
From planning and teaching this lesson, I have learned that I need to explicitly state my expectations, no matter what. I had the
directions written out on the topic of their prompt and still had a lot of questions, therefore I did not think about thoroughly reading
them word for word when explaining the activity. If I had been clearer when explaining, I could have avoided answering the same
question multiple times, as well as had the students have more time to write rather than being confused.
I also learned the importance of having an activity for students who finish early. I did not think of this and in turn just had the
students read their good fit book if they finished early. I have also learned the importance of differentiation in my lessons. The
students were all able to complete my activity but some seemed to struggle more than others, these students may have benefitted
from more brainstorming or pre-writing strategies.

VII. As a result of planning and teaching this lesson, what have you learned or had reinforced about yourself?
From planning and teaching this lesson, I have learned that I need to work on my classroom management. The students were not
disrespectful during my lesson but were loud and noisy when they were supposed to be working individually on their prompts.