Teacher: Wymore/ Martinez/ Chacon

Date: Feb. 9th/10th

Grade Level: 8

School: Blevins
Content Area: Social Studies
Title: 3 Branches of Government Chart
Lesson #:4 of 11

Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson:

Civics standard 4:2 The place of law in a constitutional system
Civics standard 4:1. Analyze elements of continuity and change in the United States
government and the role of citizens over time
History Standard 1:1. Formulate appropriate hypotheses about United States history based on a
variety of historical sources and perspectives
Inquiry Questions:
Why do people create governments and laws?
Concepts and skills students master:
Purposes of and limitations on the foundations, structures and functions of government

Evidence Outcomes: (Knowledge/ Skills, Lesson Objectives)

Every student will be able to:
1. Make inferences to build background knowledge of the 3 branches of government.
2. Give examples of how each branch checks and balances each other and why our
founders added this feature to the constitution.
Assessment of Evidence Outcomes:
Three Branches RAP #28
Three Branches Group Project

Planned Lesson Activities

Activity Name

Three Branches of the U.S. Government

Approx. Time

1 hour and 15 minutes

Anticipatory Set

Students will type in the learning targets (evidence outcomes)

We will then do our RAP which will introduce the three branches of
government

Teaching/
Presentation:
(Select the most
appropriate teaching
model.)
-direct instruction
-presentation model
-concept teaching
-cooperative learning
-inquiry

Includes: Input, Modeling and Checking for Understanding

1.
Input: RAP: 3 branches video, School House Rock:3 Ring
Circus, Crash Course checks and balances videos with note takers
2.
Modeling: After watching each video, we will go through the
worksheet together on the doc cam. When introducing the 3
branches group chart I will have an example to show while giving
directions
3.
Checking for Understanding: The video guide debriefs will
be checks for understanding on essential information about each
branch of government. As the groups piece together their 3
branches charts they will ask a teacher for corrections before gluing
down the charts this acts as several opportunities for understanding
check ins
4. Questioning Strategies: 1) Remembering: Name the 3 branches
of government 2) Understanding: Describe in your own words
what each branch of government is responsible for 3) Applying:
Using Schoolhouse Rocks circus analogy, ascribe circus characters
to each branch of government and explain why 4) Analyzing:
Explain why each branch of government needs checks and
balances on one another in a democracy? 5) Evaluating: How
does one branch of government check another branch of
government? Creating: Produce a chart using information about
the 3 branches to sort and record information learned about each
branch of the government

Teaching Strategy:
Guided Practice
&
Differentiation

Students will piece together a blank chart using numerous pieces of

information about the three branches of government. As students
sort the information into the branches they will ask for teachers to
periodically check their progress at which point we will remove the
wrongly sorted information and asked guiding questions to steer
their thinking in the right direction. Ex. Is NJ a small or big state?
Then would NJ support equal representation? So, does the NJ Plan
go under the Senate or House of Representatives section of the
chart?

Teaching Strategy:
(Independent Practice)

In the following class period the students will use their group charts
to fill in individual charts which they will use for study guides on an
exact replica of the chart on the unit assessment.

Closure

After filling in their individual charts during the next class period we
will reflect on our learning targets from this lesson

Materials

RAP Videos: Checks and Balances, Three Branches

Three Branches Group Chart
Answer Cut Outs
Glue
Scissors
Branch Word Chart

Accommodations

To modify: We will reduce the amount of information needed on the

&
Modifications

charts. We will have pictures in place of certain words/pieces of

information for visual learners
To extend: Smaller groups of higher level students will allow for a
larger share of the thinking required to complete the chart
Modified charts with less information required will be given to
specific students: Lexi, Collin. Picture charts will be given for Alaya
Groups were assigned with purpose. Higher level students were
paired with lower performing students to assist and keep the group
on track.
Answers were categorized by branch in order to uncomplicate the
task.

Assessment

RAP worksheet
Three Branches Chart activity

Post Lesson Reflection

1. To what extent were lesson objectives achieved? (Utilize assessment data to
justify your level of achievement) This lesson proved to be our most successful lesson
to date, as students were able to successfully activate their prior knowledge in order to
make inferences on the intricacies of our 3 branches of government. Without much to
go on, except a word bank, students were able to effectively categorize the job specifics
of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
2. What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would you make if you
were to teach again? If I were to reteach this lesson again, theres not much that I
would change as the lesson flowed smoothly and the students were able
successfully reach their learning targets. If I had to pick one thing, I would
shorten the number of videos we watched pre activity.
3. What do you envision for the next lesson? (Continued practice, reteach content,
etc.) The general 3 branches lesson went well, so it makes sense to now go into each
branch specifically to understand their job fully.
Purpose of
Lesson/
Standard
Addressed

Civics standard 4:2 The place of law in a constitutional system

Civics standard 4:1. Analyze
elements of continuity and change in the United States government and
the role of citizens over time
History Standard 1:1. Formulate appropriate hypotheses about United
States history based on a variety of historical sources and perspectives

Co-Teaching
Strategy and
Rationale

For this lesson we used the parallel teaching strategy as it created a

structured environment for us to divide our attention equally between a
number of small groups working on a project. Had we used any other
strategy, the students would have received a less than adequate amount
of attention in order to complete their branch project.

Would you use

this strategy
for this lesson
again? Why?

If I were to reteach this lesson, I would choose to use parallel teaching

every time if I had the option. This strategy allowed us to provide our full
attention to a number of small groups instead of splitting it between a
large numbers of groups. While it wouldn't be impossible to teach this
with another strategy, parallel teaching allowed us to give the students

the attention they needed to create a meaningful experience from this

lesson.

Were there any

other coteaching
strategies used
in this lesson.
If so, Why?

For the first half of the lesson we utilized the one teach one assist
method as it would have been inefficient to conduct the lesson through
parallel teaching from the get go, as we would be showing three separate
entities of the same video. The one teach one assist method allowed us
to check for understanding while the students were watching the initial
videos.