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Lesson Plan

Basic Government for Primary Students (SMART Board Lesson) by ECSDM


Subject

English Language Arts (NYS P-12 Common Core)

Grade Levels

Elementary, 1st Grade


Duration of Lesson

One 30-45-minute lesson

Materials

SMART Board set-up (laptop, projector, and SMART Board)
SMART Board software
Student journals and pencils

  • Government for Primary Students.notebook

    • Description

    In this lesson, students will learn basic vocabulary about government and elections. A class T-chart will be created as to whether or not students would like to run for office. Students will then be asked to explain in their journals their personal response to the T-chart.

    Learning Objectives

    The students will list various elected officials from mayor to President and discuss vocabulary presented. The students will then write whether or not they would like to be an elected official and why.

    Assessment

    1. Teacher Observation
    2. Student responses to questioning during the lesson.
    3. Student answers to matching game on slide 12
    4. Student responses to T-chart activity on slide 14.
    5. Student writing response in journal to question on slide 15. (see rubric in Website section)

    Step-by-Step Procedure

    1. Bring up slide 1 and then 2 of the SMART Board lesson and read to students. Elicit students responses to the questions in slide 2.
    2. Read slide 3 and ask if students have ever heard of the word election or have seen the machine shown in the picture.
    3. Show slide 4. Read the question and encourage the students to answer. Slide the shade down and discuss what they see in the pictures. Ask if they have ever seen objects like these before.
    4. Show slide 5. Read the question and encourage the students to answer. Slide the shade down and discuss what the students see in the pictures.
    5. Show slide 6 and read the question. Discuss various activities that you have done with your students to show how they have voted previously (graphing/tallying activities etc). Slide the shade down and continue to read. Did they ever vote with the teacher they had last year?
    6. Show slide 7 and read. Explain to the students that to run for office does not mean that the person is putting on shorts and sneakers and participating in a race.
    7. For slides 8 and 9, read and explain that these are local officials. Only people from their city or county can vote for them, respectively. These people run our towns, villages, cities, and counties. They make sure the town, city, or county runs smoothly. They create budgets (how the money is spent) for the town, city, or county. They can approve or veto (vote down) all ordinances (rules/laws) passed by the city council or county legislature.
    8. Show slide 10 and explain that only people from your state can vote for governor. Explain that David Paterson was not voted governor of NY. He was voted Lieutenant Governor and for various reasons the governor had to step down. David Paterson then took over and became governor. A governor is the Chief Executive of a state (the person who leads the government of a state with duties similar to that of a county executive).
    9. Show slide 11 and explain that everyone across the USA that is 18 years old or older and a registered voter can vote for President. The President is the Chief Executive of our country. The President approves (or vetoes) laws Congress creates. He meets with leaders of other countries and is the Head of the US Military.
    10. Show slide 12, read the top of the slide, and have students come up and drag a map on the right to under the person who runs it. Slide 13 shows the correct answers. Be sure to delete the student responses before using the lesson again. Slide 12 can be used as many times as necessary during the lesson.
    11. Show slide 14 and read the question. Ask each student to come up and add a tally mark to the T-chart. If appropriate, ask each student to explain their choice in a complete sentence.
    12. Show slide 15 and read. Have the students write their responses in their journals and then read aloud to the class.

    Use the writing rubric website to access a rubric created for this lesson.

    Website(s)

    4Teachers.org

    Additional Materials

    The following books can be read after the lesson:
    1. The Class Election from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler and illustrated by Jared Lee
    2. Vote for Me- All About Civics by Kirsten Hall and illustrated by Bev Luedecke


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