ED 345 Calvin College Lesson Planning Form

Teacher:
Ms. Dean
Date: 4/26/16
Subject/ Topic/ Theme: Who is in Our Local
Government?
I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson?
Students learn about the people who work in our local government
How does this lesson tie in to a unit plan? (If applicable.)
Fifth lesson in civics unit- How do citizens live together in a community?
What are your objectives for this lesson? (As many as needed.) Indicate connections to
applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to only certain students write the
name(s) of the student(s) to whom it applies.
*I can statement: I can research government officials and discover their purpose
Students will be able to:
Identify people who work in our local government
Choose one government official who we need to contact
2-C3.0.2 Use examples to describe how local government affects the lives of its citizens
2-C3.0.3 Identify services commonly provided by local governments (e.g. police, fire departments,
schools, libraries, parks)
2-C5.0.2 Distinguish between personal and civic responsibilities and explain why they are important in
community life.
2-C5.0.1 Identify ways citizens participate in community decisions.
2-C3.0.1 Give examples of how local governments make, enforce, and interpret laws (ordinances) in the
local community.
II. Before you start
Prerequisite knowledge
and skills.
Assessment
(formative and
summative)

Students understand what a law is, the importance of their local

government, and
Student identify who they need to contact in order to make the change,
request a service

Universal Design for Learning Networks/Domains (see UDL Guidelines)

RECOGNITION
Multiple Means of Representation
Options for Perception
Students see a picture and read a
passage to answer questions about the
government employee.

Options for Language/Symbols

Students see a picture and read a
passage to answer questions about the
government employee.

STRATEGIC
Multiple Means of Expression
(Action)
Options for action/interaction
Students read and answer
questions on a graphic
organizer.

AFFECTIVE
Multiple Means of
Engagement
Options for recruiting interest
Students read with the
purpose of finding someone
who can help us get a rec
center in Grand Rapids.

Options for Expression

Students read and answer
questions on a graphic
organizer and share results
with the class.

Options for Sustaining Effort &

Persistence
Students read with the
purpose of finding someone
who can help us get a rec
center in Grand Rapids.

Options for Comprehension

Students see a picture and read a
passage to answer questions about the
government employee.

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and do you have them?
Do you need to set up
your classroom in any
special way for this
lesson? If so, describe it.
III. The Plan
Tim
Parts
e
5
Motivatio
min
n
(Opening/
Introducti
on/
Engageme
nt)
Developm
ent

Options for Executive Function

Students make a decision
about which person they need
to contact.

Options for Self Regulation

Students make a decision
about which person they need
to contact.

Government workers sheet

Informational texts on employees of the city

Typical classroom set-up (may need to move some desks for a larger space)

The description of (script for) the lesson, wherein you describe teacher
activities and student activities
Yesterday, we were thinking of ways that we can make a difference in our local
community!
We discussed that we wanted to get a rec center in our community (show picture)
We need to figure out who we should talk to so that we can make that happen!
Each of you has some information on a person in our local government, as well as a
picture. I need you to read about this person and fill out this worksheet on what they
do in our government.
Students work independently or in groups depending on skill level.

10
min
.
10
min

Closure

Put the pictures of the local government workers on the board, and have one person
give a small review on each of them.
Lets decide, who do we think we should contact about creating a rec center?

Your reflection on the lesson including ideas for improvement for next time:
The students worked hard to read the passage and find the information about each person! Although for
some of them it was quite a struggle to figure out what to do with the information, they persevered
because the goal was so important to them. The students needed to be reminded that the people they
were reading about were real people who worked in their city, and therefore need to be respectful about
the pictures they were seeing and the information they were reading. After this knowledge, the students
were careful to talk about each person as though they were the most important person in our
government! Many students were unable to finish due to a time constraint, but we did a quick overview of
each person and their jobs. The students chose someone to talk to after we took a vote!