Baker College Teacher Prep Lesson Plan Form

Unit: Balance of Power Lesson Title: Legislative Branch Grade/Period: 4th

CCSS or State Standards:

4 C3.0.3 Describe the

organizational structure of the
federal government in the United
States (legislative, executive, and
judicial branches).
4 C3.0.4 Describe how the
powers of the federal government
are separated among the branches.
4 C3.0.5 Give examples of how
the system of checks and balances
limits the power of the federal
government (e.g., presidential veto
of legislation, courts declaring a
law unconstitutional,
congressional approval of judicial
appointments).
4 C3.0.6 Describe how the
President, members of the
Congress, and justices of the
Supreme Court come to power
(e.g., elections versus
appointments).

Resources and Materials:

Reading worksheets
from ICivics
https://cdn.icivics.org/si
tes/default/files/upload
s/Congress%20in%20a
%20Flash_2.pdf?_ga=2.1
90895338.1933742020.
1496261342-
2062371751.149607884
4
Primary document and
review worksheets from
ICivics
https://cdn.icivics.org/s
ites/default/files/uploa
ds/Congress%20in%20
a%20Flash_2.pdf?_ga=2
.190895338.193374202
0.1496261342-
 Baker College Teacher Prep Lesson Plan Form

2062371751.14960788
44
Hacky Sack
Learning module from
http://corg.indiana.edu/
e-learning-module-how-
member-decides-vote
E-module follow-along
worksheet
Objective:
What students will know and be able to do I can explain the structure and powers of the legislative
stated in student friendly language (use
Blooms and DOK levels for higher level branch of the U.S. federal government.
thinking objectives)

I can describe the legislative process in U.S. Congress

I can recognize the influence individuals and the public have

on members of Congress.

Essential Question(s):
Over-arching questions of the lesson that will What is the function of the Legislative Branch of government?
indicate student understanding of
concepts/skills What is it you want the
students to learn/know? Why? How does a member of Congress decide to vote on a bill?

Inclusion Activity:
Describe an activity that will ensure that all
students and their voices are included at the
beginning of the lesson.
The E-module activity can showcase students understanding of how
people try to sway members of Congress to support or oppose a bill.
Students make their own choices for whether each persons
argument sways them.

Sequence of Activities:
Provide an overview of the flow of the lesson.
Should also include estimates of
pacing/timing.
Discuss with students what they think a member of Congress does
throughout a week. Anticipate they may suggest business meeting
and ask if they have any thoughts about what occurs at business
meetings. (5 mins)

Pass out the reading worksheets from ICivics and have students read
the worksheet and take turns by passing a hacky sack to the person
who wants to read next. Taking a pause at the table at the bottom of
the worksheet and having students read the table individually. (10
min)

Discuss with students the differences between the House of

Representatives and the Senate. (5 min)

Tell students how the class will be working through a learning

module as a group that showcases a member of the House of
Representatives goes through in a little more than a week leading up
to the voting on a bill. It will be detailing the steps 3 through 4 from
 Baker College Teacher Prep Lesson Plan Form
Instructional Strategies:
Research-based strategies to help students
think critically about the concept/skill
Assessment:
List both formative and summative
assessments that you will use to assess student
understanding. Formative assessments are
given during instruction (check for
understanding), summative are after
completion of instruction (how will you grade
quiz, test, project, paper, presentation,
demonstration, etc.).
Differentiation:
Describe who will need additional or different
support during this lesson, and how you will
support them. Differentiated instruction could
include testing accommodations, preferential
seating, segmented assignments, a copy of the
the reading worksheet. Pass out the worksheet that follows with the
E-module. (5 min)
While going through the module discuss with students how each
meeting or call from different people influence a member of
Congress to support or oppose a bill. With each person on the
module when students have decided if a person is trying to sway you
to support or oppose the bill adjust the slider to that point. Have
students mark their own level on the worksheets for how each
person swayed their own decision. At different points in the module
look at which way the member of Congress would be leaning. (30
min)
Have students vote Nay or Yay individually and count the votes to
see if the law would pass. Then press the answer on the module.
Discuss why the amendment did not pass and how a Nay vote was
a more difficult choice for a member of Congress. (10 minutes)
Have students write on the piece of paper which of the individuals in
the module made them decide one way or the other and why. Have
them hand in the worksheet and paper for their exit ticket. (5 min)
The exit ticket showcases the reasoning behind their decision and
their understanding of the subject.
The e-module helps the class work together while the worksheet
allows students to record their own understandings.
Formative:
There are enough viewpoints during the module that each
student can be called upon to decide if the argument is in
support or opposition to the bill. The review worksheet can be
gone over the next day to check if students recall from the lesson
Summative:
The Summative assessment will be done on the last day as
students are divided into three groups to represent the three
branches of government. Students will showcase how the
legislative branch is balanced by the executive branch and
judicial branch as well as how the legislative branch checks the
other two branches.
Provide the Primary document and review worksheets from ICivics
for an unhomework assignment for extra credit.
 Baker College Teacher Prep Lesson Plan Form
teachers notes, assignment notebook, peer
tutors, etc.
Summary, Integration and
Reflection:
List the way that you will bring students
together to integrate and reflect on their
learning from this lesson
The worksheets can be translated into the native language of English
Language Learners.
The use of the E-module showcases how some bills that seem like
they have a simple answer do not and members of Congress are
influenced on a daily basis. I want students to find other ideas of
laws that seem to have an easy answer but then they realize the
solution is more complicated then they first thought.