Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Name: Katie Green Central Focus/Big Idea of the

Lesson:
Grade Level/Subject: Social Studies People help make government
function.

Essential Standard/Common Core Objective: 4.C &G.1

Understand the development, structure and function of Date taught: 3/20/17
North Carolina's government.
Daily Lesson Objective: Students will discuss the roles and responsibilities of state elected
officials by answering eight out of ten blanks correctly.

21 Century Skills:
st
Academic Language Demand
Learning and Innovation Skills- (Language Function and
Vocabulary):
Students will use critical thinking skills when having to
come up with background information from the ipad, Language Function: Analyze
the video and class discussion.
Vocabulary: officials,
Life and Career Skills- social skills government, judicial, legislative -
Throughout the lesson students will work together in Senate, executive
groups to discuss facts and present therefore utilizing
Syntax: The Tree Branch
their social skills.
Graphic organizer, skit creation

Discourse: turn and talk, small

group discussion
Prior Knowledge: Students will need to identify how to comprehend and connect all the
different activities to comprehend the structure of the state government.

Activity Description of Activities and Setting Time

The teacher will engage the students in a turn and talk
inquiry about the following question:

What do you remember about the key principles and

revisions of the NC Constitution?

The teacher will then lead a discussion and students

will respond back by what they remember. Asking
1. Focus and Review questions such as do you remember what were some of 5 min
the revisions that were made to the constitution? One
of the main components that will help students
understand the concept better by remembering the
background information on the constitution and then
begin talking about what each branch of government is
responsible for.

2. Statement of Today I am going to teach you the roles and 1 min

Objective responsibilities of state elected officials.
 for Student
Students will sit on the carpet and watch a video
(include the link to the video: ) on the three branches of
government.

Before watching the video the teacher will draw a tree

on the board and pass out the graphic organizer. Then
tell the class that they will have to answer who holds
the branch and the power of each branch. On the smart
board after the video she will draw the graphic
organizer and label the branches judicial, executive,
and legislative.

3. Teacher Input The teacher will then start the video and play it all the 10 min
way through once then go back and stop it after it talks
about each branch and they will have a teacher led
discussion about each branch and key details from the
video. What did you learn about the executive branch?
Whos branch is it? What is the branch responsible for?
What did you learn about the judicial branch? Whos
branch is it? What is the branch responsible for? What
did you learn about the legislative branch? Whos
branch is it? What is the branch responsible for? I will
write the things the students say when I pause the
video on the smartboard.

Students will go back to their tables and talk about the

key points written on the board. Then each table will
get one ipad and I will pick a random student to type
into Google the three branches of government using
these links:

https://kids.usa.gov/three-branches-of-
4. Guided Practice 15 minutes
government/index.shtml

https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government

The students will explore these websites and write

down facts about each branch to add onto the facts the
teacher wrote on the board from the video.
For the independent practice students will review their
facts and act out the responsibilities of the branch of
5. Independent
government including what each branch is responsible 20 min.
Practice
for in the state as a group.

For the assessment students will fill out a worksheet on the three
6. Assessment branches of government with background knowledge from what they
Methods of wrote down in their daybooks and saw as people acted out the
all objectives/skills: responsibilities of each branch of government. Students must answer
9 out of the 12 questions correctly to meet todays daily objective.
 Exit Ticket: Now that the lesson and assessment is over
the teacher will ask students what they thought about
7. Closure 5 min
the lesson and ask if the tree map was helpful in
collecting facts.
8. Assessment
Results of
all objectives/skills:

Targeted Students Student/Small Group

Modifications/Accommodations: Modifications/Accommodations:

Students with learning disabilities such as
dyslexia or ADHD will be sat at the front. This
will allow them to have a better concentration and
focus on the teacher. The teacher can also have a
more watchful eye over them. Gifted learners can
read silently on their grade level when done.
Materials/Technology:
20 copies of the worksheet, white board marker
If students are having a hard time during
the independent practice the teacher can
add more examples for practice from their
government branch. If multiple students
are having a hard time learning the
teacher may need to look to other ways to
help students learn this objective. If some
students still really struggle the teacher
can go over the tree chart with the whole
table.
References: Pintrest, youtube, chart for additional resource if internet doesn't work
Reflection on lesson: (Write several paragraphs about what you learned from this lesson.
What were the strengths? What were the weaknesses? What did you learn about teaching and
student learning? How would you teach this lesson differently in the future?

Video:http://www.bing.com/videos/search?
q=The+State+of+the+Branches+of+Government+Video+YouTube&&view=detail&mid=A518B
B1AD94C94EFF587A518BB1AD94C94EFF587&FORM=VRDGAR