UMF Unit-Wide Lesson Plan Template

Name:Marshall Maxsimic Program: SMED Course: Civics

Lesson Topic / Title: Executive Branch
Lesson Date: 3-6-2019 Lesson Length: 60 Minutes Grade/Age: Jr&Sr

Learning Objectives & Content Standard Alignment - Selects, creates, and sequences learning
experiences and performance tasks that support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum goals
based on content standards.
Learning Objective(s) Instructional Decisions / Reasoning
1. Students will compare the different powers of the These are the fundamental learning
Executive Branch. goals for the lesson on the Executive
2. Students will identify the powers of the Executive Branch. Because we are just starting
Branch. the lecture and did not break up into
3. Students will describe the functions of the any of the assessments besides the
Cabinet. pre-assessment I did not tell the
students which objective of the
different goals we would be working
on, because we were trying to get a
fundamental basis of all the goals
before moving on to the individual
objectives of each goal.

Content Standard(s) Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

Maine Learning Results ● I chose content standard label
Content:​ Social Studies “B” because it most accurately
Standard Label​: B1 reflects the content that is
Standard​:. Civics and Government: Students draw on taught during this lesson.
concepts from civics and government to understand ● I chose to specifically focus on
political systems, power, authority, governance, civic this standard because I believe
ideals and practices, and the role of citizens in the it emphasizes a clear
community, Maine, the United States, and world. connection between classroom
instruction of a civics concept
and the actual significance of
that concept to students as
people living in America.
Focusing directly on the
Executive Branch is a good
example of this because many
students have some familiarity
with the Presidential voting
process. Whether they have
heard parents/guardians
talking about who they voted
for or they themselves have
participated in a mock
election, or even an actual

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 election, students feel a
connection to the President of
the United States.

Assessment - Uses assessment flexibly to expand and deepen understanding of learner performance
and determines best supports for continued learner growth.
Assessment Instructional Decisions / Reasoning
Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down I used this informal formative
assessment to see if students were
understanding what we were
talking/learning about. I also like to do
a variation where I have students stand
up, and those who are unsure will sit
down and I “forget” to have the other
students stand down while we go over
a specific concept. It helps students get
on their feet and changes the pace a
little.
Instructional Materials and Resources - Stays current in content knowledge and expands expertise in
reviewing instructional materials from the perspectives of both the discipline and individual learner
needs.
Materials, Resources, and / or Technology Instructional Decisions / Reasoning
● Content Presentation ● I needed to have my content
● Projector presentation, or my lecture,
● Dongle ready to go for my students on
● Screen the Executive Branch.
● Pen ● I needed a projector in order
● Paper to present my content
● Laptops presentation.
● Guided Notes ● I needed a Dongle to connect
my laptop to the projector in
order to show the content
presentation.
● I needed a screen to project
my content presentation on to.
● Students, and myself, would
need pens in order to take the
quiz, fill out the feedback form,
and take notes. I would need a
pen in order to help students
with notes if need be.
● Some students prefer to take
notes on paper, so I need to
have some lined paper on
hand.
● Some students prefer to take
notes on their laptops, so
allowing them to take notes
that way is important to me as
it helps their learning and
understanding.

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 ● I create guided notes that help
some of my students gather
their notes better than just line
paper, and are less distracting
than laptops. This is optional
as not all students want/need
this format.
Instructional Methods: Selects, creates, and sequences learning experiences and performance tasks
by using a variety of instructional approaches, strategies, and technologies that make learning
accessible to all learners and support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum goals.
Teaching and Learning Sequence Instructional Decisions / Reasoning
Day 2- 60 Minutes ● Students usually enter the
● Attendance room at their own pace with
● Content Presentation some talking with friends,
● Wrap Up others getting out their work
and others going to the rest
Script Day 1 room or down to the office if
their name was called. I am not
Attendance able to use my laptop to take
I start every class the same way, by waiting for the attendance so I have to use my
students to enter the classroom and take their seats. I mentor teachers. This gives me
usually try to say “Hi” to as many students as possible as and the students some time to
they walk in and always have one or two students who settle in before class begins. I’ll
want to have a conversation, ask about the homework, or usually remind students to get
ask if they missed anything the previous class. I then wait out their previous nights work
for the bell to ring and take attendance through or get out their notes if we are
powerschool on Mr. McLaughlin’s laptop. continuing with a slideshow.
● I created a slideshow lecture
Content Presentation highlighting the various
I then started the content presentation which was a components of the Executive
slideshow lecture on the Executive Branch. We had Branch. I also made sure to
started the content presentation the day earlier and now I throw in some videos during
had to more time to stick with the actual presentation the slideshow to refocus
rather than focusing on questions as I had done the day student engagement, but it
prior. I then began discussing the various roles of the also helps some students focus
Presidency: Chief of State, Chief Executive, Chief Diplomat, on the subject a little more,
Commander in Chief, Chief Legislator, Party Chief, and instead of just listening to me
Chief Guardian of the Economy. These are the main talk, as the videos usually
functions of the Presidency. I focused on each role during contain infographics and have
the content presentation and brought in real world music and are just more
examples and showed brief videos to help connect the entertaining in general.
lesson to more than one example. I also allowed students
to ask any questions they might have and was able to help
answer those along with my mentor teacher. The lecture
took up the entire class and I informed students that the
next class would not be as lecture based.

Meeting students’ needs (differentiation, extensions, Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

modifications, accommodations) ● Many of my students struggle
Differentiation with the traditional lecture
I know that many of my students don’t like to learn from style, and so I have essentially
speaking lectures, and many of my students do not made an agreement with my
actually learn from them, so I try to make sure that I add students that when we do

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as much comedy and humor into the slideshow as lectures I will do my best to
possible. Part of this is through the use of videos, as the make them entertaining and
videos usually are entertaining and contain infographics, educational to make sure that
maps and other devices that show students the my students are paying
information. attention to them. I made sure
to include many videos within
this content presentation
Modifications because I know that I have
I make sure to allow different conversations to happen in many students who struggle
class that apply to what we are learning about. If students with reading comprehension,
are to have any questions we will be able to discuss them so videos allows them another
then and there. alternative.
● My students love to ask
questions and debate about
what we are talking about so I
usually try to make extra time
to allow for this to happen in
my class, as I believe that it is a
fundamental part of my
students learning.

Field Courses Only – Post lesson

Reflection
Overall this lesson went pretty well. It was mainly lecture and I could tell that many
students found this annoying and dull, and I can’t disagree with them. We usually
have an agreement that if I spend a day lecturing the next day we will do an activity
and again I made this agreement with them. We had very good discussion about the
various roles of the President and many students were able to talk about examples
that have been in the news lately. Students also seemed to enjoy the videos
throughout the slideshow.

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Revised 07/19/2018