Winthrop University

Richard W. Riley College of Education

Common Lesson Planning Sheet

Title of Lesson: Laws

Subject(s)/Content Area: Laws/ Power &Authority

Name: Tristan Langley

Grade level(s): 2

Lesson Duration: (one class period)

Date Lesson is Taught : October23, 2013

National/State Standards Objective(s) Assessment Tool Mastery or Performance

(as required by subject Level, Criteria
area)
National Standards:

1. NCSS: Power
Authority, and
Governance

2. Common Core State Assessment

Standard: tools:
The students will be
Speaking and Listening
standards K-5, grade 2 1. Students will be able to demonstrate
point 2: Recount or able to recall and their understanding of
Objective 1
describe key ideas from demonstrate their the three branches of
and 2: a check
a text read aloud or understanding of the local government
list.
information presented three branches of through a matching
orally or through other local government worksheet with 83%
media. through a matching accuracy (5/6 questions
activity. correct).
Point 3: Ask and answer
questions about what a 2. Students will be The students will be
speaker says in order to able to generate and able to express their
clarify comprehension, demonstrate their understanding of law
gather additional thoughts on laws by through oral questions
information or deepen answering questions and by creating their
understanding of a orally and by own classroom law
topic or issue. creating a classroom (rule) with 80%
law (rule). accuracy (4/5 on the
Writing standards K-5, checklist).
grade 2 point 3: Write
Plans to assist students
informative/explanatory
texts in which they who did not meet
recount a well- objectives:
elaborated event or
short sequence of Objective 1: I go over
events, include details the matching sheet
to describe actions, individually with the
thoughts, and feelings, student to help better
use temporal words to their understanding
signal an event and and I will provide a
provide a sense of book in their reading
closer. box that is at their
reading level about the
three branches of local
South Carolina Academic government.
Standards:
Objective 2: I will talk
Standard 2-2: The to the student
students will individually about
demonstrate an working with peers, I
understanding of the will place a student who
structure and function looks like they are
of local, state, and struggling next to a
national government. student who is not
having trouble and get
Indicator 2-2.2: Recognize the peer to explain how
different types of laws the group is making a
and those people who classroom law. I will
have the power and provide students with
authority to enforce multiple examples of
them. what an appropriate
law is and what isnt.
 Instructional Plan

Materials/Equipment
Per class:
-One PowerPoint on our local government (the three branches)
-The Three branches of our local (Rock Hill) Government tree on
chart paper so students are able to see it from their desks or the
carpet.

Per group:
-A sheet of paper
-A pencil

Per student:
-A matching worksheet on the three branches of local
government

Academic Vocabulary:

Local Government: The governing body of a town or district.

 Laws: Rules that a country puts in place to recognize or regulate
actions of its members.
Legislative Branch (for local government): The City
Council makes policies and laws for the City of Rock Hill.
Judicial Branch (for local government): The Municipal court
hears cases daily and decides if the law has been broken.
Executive Branch (for local government): The Mayor creates
organizations that benefit Rock Hill and ensures that laws
created by the City Council are followed.

Source: (n.d.). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from

http://dictionary.reference.com/

Glossary of Legislative Terms (n.d.). In South Carolina State

House. Retrieved October 14, 2013, from

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/studentpage/coolstuff/glossary.sht
ml

Instructional Procedure(s)

Introduction (10minutes)
I am going to start off by telling students what we will be learning
about; today we will be learning about the three branches of
local government and laws/ why we have laws.
I will read the first page of the book Making a Law by Barbara
Magalnick
I will ask students to share aloud what some of their classroom
rules are.
Also, ask them why they think they have classroom rules.
Do you think the rules are fair?
Should they be fair? Why?

Procedure (40minutes)
I will read the book It Is The Law by Barbara Magalnick. (this is a
very short novel only seven pages each with one or two
sentences on a page). Students will sit on the carpet in the front
of the classroom and listen to me read.
I will go over a short PowerPoint on Our Local Government
(attached to the back).
 I will display a tree one the three branches of local government
in the front of the class on chart paper and as a class we will go
over it; I will have the base of the tree drawn and student have
to stick cards up on the tree that represent each branch of local
government (There is a small copy of what the tree will look like
attached to the back).
I will give students a matching worksheet to see if they
understand the job of each branch of the local government.
(attached to the back). I will give students about 5 minutes to
complete this activity.
Students will hand in their matching activity and we will go over
the answers.
Activity: students, in their groups, will come up with a
classroom law (rule). They will have to work together and be
cooperative with one another; they could use the Think-Pair-
Share method (Social studies skill: Teach with Cooperative
Groups). They must write a complete sentence starting with a
capital and ending with a period. They will also state why they
think the classroom should use their law (rule). I will give them
about five to seven minutes to complete this. I will go around
monitoring that the classroom law is appropriate. Ex: we do not
want a law (rule) such as Mrs. Hegwoods class will not do
math.
*Students in their groups will have to come to consensus on the
law they are creating. What if they dont all agree? Students will
have to vote in their group and decide on the law that is in favor
among their group members.
Groups will share their law (rule) with the class and the class will
vote on the one they like the best.

Closure (3-5minutes)
Students will be given the opportunity to share what they
learned in todays lesson about government and laws.

Extension Activities for the lesson

Technology I could divide the class up into three different groups;
each group could be given local, state or national government. On the
computers students have to look for/research laws which these levels
of government are responsible for.
Literacy I will get students to write a journal response to why they
think the local government is important to their community.
 Game/Activity http://www.icivics.org/games/counties-work This is a
game which students name a county, have to learn responsibilities of
a local government and work/ play the game to make the citizens of
the county happy. Students have to go through a number of jobs
which the local government is responsible for doing.

References/Resources

Counties Work (n.d.). In iCivics. Retrieved October 14, 2013, from

http://www.icivics.org/games/counties-work/

Glossary of Legislative Terms (n.d.). In South Carolina State House.

Retrieved October 14, 2013, from

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/studentpage/coolstuff/glossary.shtml

Magalnick, B. (n.d.). It Is The Law. Glenview, IL: Pearsons Education.

Magalnick, B. (n.d.). Making a Law. Glenview, IL: Pearson.

Mayor's Office (n.d.). In Town of Fort Mill South Carolina. Retrieved

October 14, 2013, from
http://www.fortmillsc.org/Government_MayorsOffice.aspx

Source: (n.d.). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from

http://dictionary.reference.com/