Trevor Hopwood

EDU 551
5 Connected Lessons
November 29, 2015

Government

Background: Throughout the first part of the school year we have been focusing on the founding

of the americas and the buildup to the American Revolution. By the time lead teach week

arrives we will be post revolution and the setting up of our current governmental system. This is

a perfect segway into the branches of government for my lead teach week lessons. My

assessment will go back to the founding fathers in the form a journal entry the students will write

in how the founding fathers wanted to set up the government and explain checks and balances.

Each branch will be given it’s own 30 minute mini-lesson. Day 4 will be a lesson on how a bill

becomes a law. Day 5 will be the assessment which wraps up the whole week.

Standard to be focused on: SS Graduation Standard 3 MLR B1 C-E B2 B Explain the structures

and processes of government, electing leaders and making laws as described in the United

States Constitution and Bill of Rights

Day 1- Learning Target- “I can identify what the President does in relation to bills becoming

laws.”


Executive Branch: (2 minutes)- I will hand out the empty executive branch flow chart and explain

to the students to fill it out as we go along with the lesson.

Literacy portion: (10 minutes)- That day we will have read “So you want to be President?” in our

anthology in reading class. I will pull out of the students everything they can remember from the

story in the anthology and put it on the board.

Slideshow: (15 Minutes)- I have a slideshow prepared that goes through the executive branch.

Who, What (in relation to laws), Where, How. It is important to me that they know who is the

President and Vice President and what their job is in relation to a law. I have a chart of the

cabinet in the slideshow as well and explain their jobs and who they are. I will touch on other

jobs of the executive branch as well. The How portion will be how they get elected and I will

have the Schoolhouse Rock Electoral College video embedded into the slide show.

Exit Ticket: (3 minutes)- Who is the President of the United States? Who is the Vice President of

the United States? What do they do with laws?

Students will complete the days lesson by gluing their Executive Branch flow chart into their

Social Studies notebooks.

Materials: Computer, Projector, Slideshow, Executive Branch Flowchart, Social Studies, Glue

Notebook

Reflection:

Day 2- Learning Target- “I can identify what congress does to make a bill a law.”

Legislative Branch (2 minutes)- I will hand out the empty Legislative Branch flow chart and

explain to students to fill it out as we go along.

Hook (8 minutes)- I will project a map of all the congressional districts in each state and see if

the students know what the map represents. I’ll ask them why some states only have one. I’ll

ask them why Maine has 2 and why the smaller district is in the south. This will lead to a

discussion about how population determines how many representatives each state gets and

how that can change over time. This will also lead into talking about how Representatives and

Senators are our direct link to Washington and it’s how we the people, have a say in our

government.
Slideshow (15 minutes)- The slideshow will go over the same things that the executive branch

slideshow went over: Who, what (in relation to laws), where, and how. The slideshow will show

who our senators are and who our representative is in the house. I will expand on the

congressional district map to explain what senators are and the difference between senators

and representatives. I will also have a graphic on how the House and Senate is broken down by

political party. I will explain that the senate is headed by the Vice President and that he only gets

a vote if there is a tie in a vote. I will also explain what Congress does in their role with bills

becoming laws.

Exit Ticket (5 minutes)- Who are our senators? Who is our representative? What does congress

do to make a bill a law?

Students will complete the lesson by gluing their flowcharts into their Social Studies Notebooks.

Materials: Computer, Projector, Slideshow, Legislative Flowchart, Social Studies Notebook, Glue

Reflection:

Day 3- Learning Target- “I can explain that the Judicial System interprets laws.”

Judicial Branch (2 minutes)- I will pass out the judicial branch flowchart and explain to the

students to fill this out as we go along.

Hook (8 minutes)- Schoolhouse Rock “3 Ring Circus”- This is a great bridge so that the students

can start to realize that all 3 parts of the government go together. I will go over checks and

balances in the slideshow portion of the lesson.

Slideshow (15 minutes)- The slideshow will go over the same things that the legislative and

executive slideshows went over: Who, what (in relation to laws), where, how. I think it is

important for the students to know that John Roberts is our Chief Justice. I will explain, how they

are selected to be on the Supreme Court, and that it is a life long term, unless they resign. Most

of the slideshow will go over checks and balances and that was the main reason for there to be
3 different branches of government. The important part of that is that no one branch has more

power than the others.

Exit Ticket (5 minutes)- Who is our chief justice? What does the Supreme Court do in relation to

laws?

After the lesson students will glue their judicial flow chart into their Social Studies Notebooks.

Materials: Computer, Projector, Slideshow, Judicial Branch Flowchart, Social Studies Notebook,

Glue

Reflection:

Day 4- Learning Target- “I can participate in a simulation about creating a bill, and vote on it so it

becomes a law.”

How a bill becomes a law (simulation)

Hook (8 minutes)- Schoolhouse Rock “I’m just a Bill”- Following the video we will have a

discussion about how a bill becomes a law and the processes that go on for that to happen.

There will be a refresher on what each branches job is in relation to a bill becoming a law, and

what happens when there are laws.

Simulation (22 minutes)- Students will now have the opportunity to act out a bill becoming a law.

I will act as the role of President. Students will count off by 4’s. Each group will get together and

discuss a a possible bill that could become a law in the classroom. (All theoretical of course)

The groups will get 5-7 minutes to come up with a bill and fill out a form that will have their idea

on it. Each group will have one person present their bill. After each presentation the groups will

vote on one bill to push forward to the presidents desk. Depending on time I will then veto or

approve the bill and sign it into law. If there is time I will veto it and send it back for rewording, or
if it needs vetoed and there is not much time left I will explain to them what happens in a veto

situation.

Materials: Computer, Projector, Bill worksheet

Reflection:

Day 5- Learning Target- “I can identify the three branches of government and what they do to

make bills into laws.”

Assessment day

Assessment (30 minutes)- Students will have the entire period to complete one of the following

assignments: 1. Write a journal entry based on the perspective of a founding father. The journal

entry will talk about how the government will be divided (3 parts), and what the process will be

to pass bills into laws, and who has final say on those laws and what they mean.

2. Create a poster with the flowchart included. Students should have good visuals and

information on their poster. I’d like a picture of each building and a picture of someone from

each branch. The information included should be who is in each branch, length of term, their

duties, and what they do in relation to bills and laws.

Materials: Social Studies Notebook, Posterboard, Computers, Markers, Colored Pencils.

Reflection:

UDL and Technology: For technology, I will integrate it everyday except the day of the

assessment. It will consist of projecting my computer and a slideshow to help explain my lesson

to the students. Within these slideshows there are videos and visual graphics that help explain

the topics. These slideshows go hand in hand with my UDL integration which consist of videos,

visuals, a simulation, and a graphic organizer flowchart for each branch of the government.
Students will also be given choice in their final assessment for this mini-unit. They can either

create a poster, or they can write a journal entry.

Category 4 3 2 1

Executive Branch Assignment Assignment is Assignment is not Assignment is

accurately and mostly accurate thorough and or missing most
completely and complete in completely information or
describes describing accurate in information is
responsibilities and responsibilities and describing required inaccurate.
members of this members of this information.
branch. branch.

Legislative Assignment Assignment is Assignment is not Assignment is

Branch accurately and mostly accurate thorough and or missing most
completely and complete in completely information or
describes describing accurate in information is
responsibilities and responsibilities and describing required inaccurate.
members of this members of this information.
branch. branch.

Judicial Branch Assignment Assignment is Assignment is not Assignment is

accurately and mostly accurate thorough and or missing most
completely and complete in completely information or
describes describing accurate in information is
responsibilities and responsibilities and describing required inaccurate.
members of this members of this information.
branch. branch.

Knowledge of My representation My representation My representation

Laws of laws is accurate of laws is mostly of laws is
and thorough accurate inaccurate.

Checks and My description of My description of My description of My description of

Balances checks and checks and checks and checks and
balances is balances is mostly balances is not balances is
completely accurate. thorough or missing or
accurate. completely inaccurate.
accurate.
SS Graduation Standard 3- Explain the structures and processes of government, electing
leaders and making laws as described in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights
MLR B1 C-E: B2 B
The Executive Branch
 Who?
The President-Barack Obama
Vice President-Joe Biden
Cabinet
Joe Biden
Vice President
 The Cabinet
A.K.A. The Presidents Advisors

Vice President Secretary of Labor

Secretary of State Secretary of Health and Human Services

Secretary of Treasury Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Secretary of Defense Secretary of Transportation

Attorney General Secretary of Energy

Secretary of Interior Secretary of Education

Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Secretary of Commerce Secretary of Homeland Security

 Jobs of the President

Chief Executive- Like the boss of a company. Signs bills

into laws, proposes the budget, appoints federal officials

Commander in Chief- He is in charge of the armed

forces. It’s his job to keep the country safe.

Foreign Policy Director- Appoint ambassadors, make

treaties, meet with foreign leaders.

Legislative leader- Influences laws, can veto laws.

How does the President get elected?
Electoral College
 Electoral College

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyIFqf3XH24
Where does the President do his business?

The White House

 Executive

President
Executive
White House
Branch

4 Years

Signs bills into laws

The Legislative Branch
What is this?
House of Representatives
 House of Representatives
435 Members

2 year term

Meet at U.S. Capital Building

Amount per state based on

population

Writes bills

Speaker of the House is the

head of the House.
 Chellie Pingree

1st Congressional District of

Maine

Elected in 2008

Democrat

North Haven, ME
Senate
 Senate
100 Members

6 year term

Meet at U.S. Capital Building

2 per state fixed

Writes Bills

Vice President is the

President of the Senate.
Votes in case of tie.
 Susan Collins

Senior Senator from Maine

Elected 1996

Republican

From Caribou, ME
 Angus King

Junior Senator from Maine

Elected 2012

Governor of Maine
1995-2003

Independant

Brunswick, ME
How Congress creates a Bill

Bill introduced- House or Senate can do this.

Given a name.

Committee Action- They word it, vote, and send

to floor.

Floor Action- The bill is discussed in both House

and Senate.
How Congress creates a Bill
If not satisfactory it goes to conference committee for
rewording.

Voted on. If majority it goes to President to be

signed.

President can sign into law or VETO. If vetoed it

returns to congress with Presidents reasons.

Congress can override the Veto with a 2/3 vote.

 Congress
House of
Representatives and
Senate
Judicial System
 Who?
The Supreme Court
 Where?
The Supreme Court
• John Roberts-Chief Justice

• Antonin Scalia

• Anthony Kennedy

• Clarence Thomas

• Ruth Bader Ginsberg

• Stephen Breyer

• Samuel Alito

• Sonia Sotomayor

• Elena Kagan
 About Justices

• Nominated by President

• Voted on by Congress

• Serve for Life

 What?
Interpret Laws
 Landmark Court Cases

• Miranda vs. Arizona- 1966 “Miranda Rights”

• Plessy vs. Ferguson-1896 “Separate but Equal”

• Brown vs. Board of Education- 1954 Segregation of

schools

• And others….
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=YMY6lOVjQgs
 Checks and Balances
• Designed by the Constitution so that no one has too
much power.

• Balance of power

• Each branch checks on the other.

• Executive- Enforces Laws

• Legislative- Write Laws

• Judicial- Interprets Laws

Judicial Branch
Flowchart