UMF Unit-Wide Lesson Plan Template

Name:Marshall Maxsimic Program: SMED Course: EDU 460

Lesson Topic / Title: The Executive Branch

Lesson Date: 3-5-2019 Lesson Length: 60 mins Grade/Age: Juniors and Seniors

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

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 participated in a mock
election, or even an actual
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
Pre-Assessment- ​Students will complete a ● ​I used a ten question multiple
pre-assessment during the class time which will be online. choice pre-assessment that
It is a ten question multiple choice quiz and will focus on focused in on various
students prior knowledge about the Executive Branch and segments of the Executive
ties in with the overarching learning goals for this unit.
Branch. I designed a set of
Summative Assessment-​ Students had a quiz on the learning goals before giving
Legislative Branch which was a mixture of multiple choice out the pre-assessment as a
and fill in the blank. guideline but made
appropriate changes to the
learning goals based on
responses from the
pre-assessment. This was
given to the students before
our unit began and allowed me
ample time to analyze student
responses while keeping the
learning goals in mind. This
pre-assessment was not
graded and will be used at the
end of the unit as a
post-assessment and we will
compare the two to allow
students to see their growth.
● This class was a wrap up of
our previous unit, the
Legislative Branch, and the
beginning of our next unit, the
Executive Branch. This was
due to a snow day and a
modified day so that our
school could have our Student
of the Month assembly, which
pushed back our schedules.
This summative assessment
was a mixture of short answer
and multiple choice.
Previously our class had
mainly done short answer
style quizzes, but I realized
that many of my students

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 struggle with showing their
knowledge by writing. By
adding some multiple choice
elements into the quiz
students are able to
demonstrate their knowledge
in a way that may work better
for them.

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
● Legislative Branch Quiz ● Students were taking the
● FeedBack Form Legislative Branch Quiz during
● Content Presentation this class so I needed about 25
● Pre-Assessment quizzes, one for each student.
● Projector ● Because we were ending one
● Dongle unit and moving on to the next,
● Screen students had the ability to give
● Pen me feedback by filling out a
● Paper brief form and handing it in to
● Laptops me.
● Guided Notes ● I needed to have my content
presentation, or my lecture,
ready to go for my students on
the Executive Branch.
● I needed a projector in order
to present my content
presentation.
● 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

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 it helps their learning and
understanding.
● 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 1- 60 Minutes ● Students usually enter the
● Attendance room at their own pace with
● Last Minute Quiz Questions some talking with friends,
● Legislative Branch Quiz others getting out their work
● Feedback Time and others going to the rest
● “Transition Time” room or down to the office if
● Pre-Assessment their name was called. I am not
● Content Presentation able to use my laptop to take
attendance so I have to use my
Script Day 1 mentor teachers. This gives me
and the students some time to
Attendance settle in before class begins. I’ll
I start every class the same way, by waiting for the usually remind students to get
students to enter the classroom and take their seats. I out their previous nights work
usually try to say “Hi” to as many students as possible as or get out their notes if we are
they walk in and always have one or two students who continuing with a slideshow.
want to have a conversation, ask about the homework, or ● After attendance has been
ask if they missed anything the previous class. I then wait taken we usually move right
for the bell to ring and take attendance through into what we are doing for the
powerschool on Mr. McLaughlin’s laptop. day. This class was a little
different was we were having
Last Minute Quiz Questions a quiz so I gave about five
I gave the class about five minutes to ask any last minute minutes to answer any last
quiz questions. They were given a study guide and the minute emergency quiz
idea was that if they did the study guide they would be questions. We had two and I
ready for the quiz. There were a few questions, but they was able to answer them
were answered quickly. relatively quickly.
● During the quiz, I walked
Legislative Branch Quiz around the classroom to make
I then handed out the quiz and gave about 20-30 minutes sure that students weren’t
for the students to finish the quiz. It was a mix of multiple cheating or disturbing others.
choice and short answer so it took some students a little Before I handed out the quiz I
longer than others. remind the students that we
have a classroom policy of no
Feedback Time talking during the quiz and if
I then gave students a feedback form so that students there is talking I will take the
could give me feedback about the Legislative Branch and quiz away from students. They
what they thought of the different ways that I taught it. usually respond fairly quickly
to that announcement and

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“Transition Time” begin working and I have not
This was the time period that I used in order to get my had a problem with talking
laptop ready and pass out the guided notes for students. during quizzes.
This time also serves as a quick break for students ● I then allowed for my students
because they had just been working on a quiz and a to give me feedback on how
feedback form so they had been processing a lot of they thought the last unit
information. went. I had students fill out a
feedback form and gave them
Pre-Assessment another five or so minutes to
I then had students fill out a pre-assessment that was fill it out.
located on our google classroom and was focused on the ● I then gave my students a
Executive Branch. The point of this was to gain a sense of pre-assessment about the
students prior knowledge on the Executive Branch so that Executive Branch. It was a
I could modify lessons as needed in the future. I told multiple choice online
students that it was very important that they took the assessment through google
pre-assessment seriously so that I can make sure to forms.
arrange my lessons throughout the unit accordingly. ● 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. I started with Branch. I also made sure to
questions from the pre-assessment that students could throw in some videos during
answer. This allows for students to be able to get at least the slideshow to refocus
some direct feedback and if students feel confident with student engagement, but it
their pre assessment then they will be more willing to also helps some students focus
answer these questions. This also starts conversation as I on the subject a little more,
was able to bring in modern examples from President instead of just listening to me
Trump and talk about the things that President Trump has talk, as the videos usually
been doing in reference to our Pre-Assessment. We mainly contain infographics and have
had a class discussion for the rest of class and then I music and are just more
informed students that we would be lecturing again the entertaining in general.
next day.

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

modifications, accommodations)
Accommodations ● I gave the student a word bank
Due to one of my students IEP demands I made sure to because it is required in his
include a word bank when giving the quiz to that student. IEP, but also because he
This allows the student to have more options during the struggles with memorization,
quiz and, again, meets the needs of the IEP. so he may know the answer
but may not be able to
Differentiation remember the answer when
I know that many of my students don’t like to learn from called upon to demonstrate
speaking lectures, and many of my students do not the knowledge. By adding a
actually learn from them, so I try to make sure that I add word bank the student is able
as much comedy and humor into the slideshow as to recognize the correct
possible. Part of this is through the use of videos, as the answer, helping him do better
videos usually are entertaining and contain infographics, on the class.
maps and other devices that show students the ● Many of my students struggle
information. with the traditional lecture
style, and so I have essentially
Modifications made an agreement with my
I make sure to allow different conversations to happen in students that when we do
class that apply to what we are learning about. If students lectures I will do my best to

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are to have any questions we will be able to discuss them make them entertaining and
then and there. educational to make sure that
my students are paying
attention to them.
● 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
I think overall this lesson went well. There was really not a lot to it as we had a quiz,
a feedback form, pre-assessment and then a lecture. One issue I could have been
worried about was transition time, but I feel that I allowed a time period where
students could essentially take a break, stretch their bodies and minds for a minute,
and then regroup. The students responded well to my guided notes and I will have
to keep referring to those so that students who may struggle with note taking are
able to gain a better understanding of the note taking process and of the lecture
material.

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Name: ED Date: March 5 Per: 2

1. The job of the Executive Branch is to:

a) Make laws b) Enforce laws c) Interpret laws
d) Change laws

2. In which article of the Constitution would you find information about the powers
of the president?
a) One b) Two​ c) Four d) Twelve

3. How can the President pass a law without the consent of Congress?
a) Make an executive order​ b) Make a presidential decree
c) Follow the merit system d) Only Congress can make laws

4. ​ T
​ he difference between an executive agreement and a treaty is that:

a) ​ ​Executive agreements do not have the force of law

b) ​ ​Treaties do not have the force of law
c) ​ ​Treaties require the consent of the Senate
d) Executive agreements require the consent of the Senate

5. ​ T
​ he responsibility for sending United States troops into battle belongs to:

a) ​ ​Congress b) The president c) The military

d) Both the military and Congress

6. The Senate approving all Presidential appointments is an example of:

a) ​ ​Federalism b) Sovereignty c) Limited Government d)
Checks and Balances

7. Who is the only president who was not a Protestant?

a) Calvin Coolidge b) John F. Kennedy

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 c) George Washington d) Franklin D. Roosevelt

8. The power to grant forgiveness from punishment to an individual is a:

a) ​ ​Reprieve b) Pardon c) Amnesty d)
Diplomacy

9. According to the Constitution, a candidate for President must have lived in the
United States for:
a) ​ ​All of his/her life b) 9 years ​c) 7 years ​ d) 14 years

10. When a President vetoes a bill:

a)​ ​It cannot be passed
b)​ ​It can be passed if a majority of one house overrides a veto
c)​ ​It can be passed if two-thirds of the members of both houses vote to
override
d)​ ​It can be passed if three-quarters of the majority party vote to override

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