Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Name: Cassie Rowles

Central Focus/Big Idea of the Lesson:
Rights and Responsibilities of North
th
Grade Level/Subject: 4 grade/ Social Studies
Carolina citizens.
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:
4.C&G.2.2 Give examples of rights and responsibilities of
Date taught: 3/23/2015
citizens according to North Carolina Constitution.
Daily Lesson Objective:
Performance: Students will be able to identify rights and responsibilities of North Carolina
citizens. Students will draw a picture to illustrate what they have learned. Students will
complete a true or false worksheet for evaluation.
Conditions: Students will be able to use their social studies notebooks and Declaration of Rights
handout to complete picture and list. Students will not be able to use anything during the quiz.
Criteria: Students will have 10 minutes to complete true or false quiz. Each question will count
5 points each. There will be a bonus question that will count for 5 points extra credit that is an
option for students. Question: Can you tell me a responsibility that you have as a North Carolina
Citizen that we did not talk about today? Can you tell me a responsibility that you have as a
North Carolina Citizen that we did not talk about today?

A- 0-1
B- 2-3
C- 4-5
D- 6-7
F- 8-10
st
21 Century Skills: (Go to this link for more info
about these skills:
Civic Literacy
Environmental Literacy
Think Creatively

Academic Language Demand (Language

Function and Vocabulary):
1. Citizen
2. Rights
3. Responsibilities

Prior Knowledge: Students have been discussing The Constitution of the United States. Students
have also been introduced to the North Carolina Constitution.
Activity
1. Focus and Review

Description of Activities and Setting

Show school house rock video about the Preamble of

the United States Constitution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30OyU4O80i4
Say: That was The Preamble for the United States
Constitution. The Preamble for the North Carolina
Constitution states: We, the people of the State of North
Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of
Nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the
existence of our civil, political and religious liberties, and
acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance
of those blessings to us and our posterity, do, for the more

Time

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student
3. Teacher Input

certain security thereof and for the better government of this

State, ordain and establish this Constitution. We have been
learning about the Constitution of the United States. Today
we are going to be talking about the rights and responsibilities
of a North Carolina citizen according to the North Carolina
Constitution.
Students will be able to identify rights and responsibilities of a
North Carolina Citizen.
Say: A constitution is a written plan of government. It is the
basic beliefs and laws of a nation, state or social group. Each
state has its own unique Constitution based on its history and
needs. In the North Carolina Constitution we have rights and
responsibilities. Citizens have rights that are protected by
laws. They also have responsibilities and are expected to be
active members in their communities. Citizens are expected
to follow the laws of their city, state, and country. Some
rights of a citizen that are stated in the North Carolina
Constitution as well as the United States Constitution are:
1. Freedom of speech
2. Freedom of press
3. Freedom of religion
4. Right to vote
Write these down on the board.
Have students create a column in their notebooks and
label it Rights. Have students write all of these down in
their notebooks.
Say: We are going to discuss what each of these mean. The
Freedom of speech is the political right to communicate one's
opinions and ideas. As North Carolina citizens our voice
matters and our opinion matters so with this right we are able
to freely speak as we please. Freedom of the press the right
to publish newspapers, magazines, and other printed matter
without governmental restriction. Citizens have this right but
must be careful not to abuse it. Freedom of religion is the
right to choose a religion (or no religion) without interference
by the government. We as citizens can choose our religion or
choose no religion. The right to vote is a right that all citizens
should use any given time an election is going on in their
community and country. We are able to choose who our
leaders are in our local government as well as our leaders in
our country. Rights of citizens are guaranteed by the United
States Constitution as well as the North Carolina Constitution.
Have students create a column labeled responsibilities
in their notebooks.
Say: As citizens in the state of North Carolina we also have a
few responsibilities that are asked of us to do in our
communities.

1.
2.
3.
4.

4. Guided Practice

Going out to vote

Being an informed citizen
Obeying laws
Serving on a jury
Write these down on the board.
Have students write all of these down in their
notebooks.
Say: Going out to vote is a right and a responsibility. We need
to be responsible citizens and use our right to vote. There are
many places in the world where people dont have the
privilege to elect who runs their government. Being an
informed citizen is an active responsibility as a North Carolina
citizen. We need have knowledge on what is going on in our
communities and country. We need to be involved with our
communities. Obeying laws is an obvious responsibility. We
have to abide by the rules. We have rules in our classroom
and there are consequences if we break them correct? If we
break the laws that are established in our state and country
there are consequences for those as well. We have a
responsibility to obey laws. Serving on a jury is another
responsibility as a citizen. Have any of you heard one or both
of your parents talk about having jury duty? Sometimes
people are randomly selected to serve on a jury during a court
case. A lot of times people dont like doing this because it
may be boring or it may just be on a day they dont want to
go. As a citizen it is our responsibility to participate on a jury
if we are asked.
Say: Students I want you to take a piece of paper and draw
me a picture of what you think a citizen is. I want you to put
things in that picture that this citizen might be doing. They
could be holding something. They could be somewhere doing
a right or responsibility. I want you to label your picture so I
know that you know what a citizen is. After you are finished
with your drawing I want you to turn your paper over and with
your pencil I want you to list some rights and responsibilities
that you have as a North Carolina citizen. You can use your
notes to help you draw your picture and do your lists.
Have students do their drawing at their desk using
there markers. Only give students about 10 minutes
for this drawing.
After the 10 minutes is up start directing students to do
their list on the back of their paper.
Students should have about 5 to 7 minutes to complete
their list.
Teacher should be walking around looking at students
work and making sure they are on task.
Teacher should be asking questions to check for
understanding.

If students are having difficulties, answer questions as

needed.
Pay close attention to ESL students to make sure they
understand the task.
Collect papers.
Say: I am going to give you a true or false quiz. I want to see
how much you paid attention today during the lesson. This is
to be done independently. You may not use your notes. EYES
ON YOUR OWN PAPER! You have 10 minutes to complete this
5. Independent
quiz. Please turn them in once you are finished.
Practice
Pass out true or false quiz.
Teacher should be walking around the room making
sure students are on task and they are doing their own
work.
Students will be graded on the true or false quiz. Each question will be
worth 5 points.
A- 0-1
6. Assessment
B- 2-3
Methods of
all
C- 4-5
objectives/skills:
D- 6-7
F- 8-10
Students will receive a participation grade for drawing and list.
Students today we learned about some rights and
responsibilities of a North Carolina citizen. Can someone tell
7. Closure
me a right of a North Carolina citizen? Can someone tell me a
responsibility of a North Carolina citizen? We all need to
practice being a good citizen.
22 Students took the quiz.
A- 10 students
B- 8 students
8. Assessment
C- 4 students
Results of
All students attempted bonus question and 9 out of 22 got it
all
correct.
objectives/skills:
All students took officiant notes.
All students completed the drawing of what they thought a citizen
was.
Targeted Students
Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
Modifications/Accommodations:
ADHD Students will sit in front of
Have ESL students at the same table to
room.
make sure they understand they quiz.
ADHD Students will help pass out
papers.
Teacher will make sure these
students are focused and taking
notes.

Materials/Technology:
White board, NC Constitution, True/False Quiz, Blank paper, Extra markers

Reflection on lesson:

Social Studies Reflection

I was placed at Mallard Creek Elementary for my clinical experience. I taught 4th

grade in Mrs. Collins classroom. My clinical experience was very interesting. I learned a
lot and I also found it very challenging. Social studies is my minor so I was very excited
to teach this to my 4th grade class. I will say that my teacher did not help me plan my
lesson. I asked her what the students were learning in the 4th grade and she gave me a
worksheet. I then went through their social studies textbook to get an idea of what to
teach. My teacher told me to teach whatever I wanted to. The students were learning
about the United States Constitution and I decided that I should talk about the North
Carolina Constitution and expand on the rights and responsibilities of a North Carolina

citizen. I thought back to when I was in civics class in high school and I remembered the
school house rock videos. I thought that showing The Preamble video for the
Constitution would be a great start. I then talk to the students about the North Carolina
Constitution and the rights and responsibilities of a citizen in North Carolina. I taught
about the rights that I thought students may be familiar with. We touched base on
freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, and the right to vote. I didnt
want to overwhelm the students with all of the rights. The responsibilities I talked about
was going out to vote, being an informed citizen, obeying laws, and serving on a jury. I
was sure to write all of these in a t-chart on the board and asked the students to make a
copy of it in their notebooks. I wanted to make sure I asked questions throughout the
lesson to check for understanding and also to help them relate to the topic. I recalled
that in class we had to draw a picture of what we thought a citizen should look like. I

thought this activity would be great for 4th graders to show the teacher what they
thought a citizen should look like and also to get them excited about the topic. I chose
to do a true or false quiz for my assessment based on the information I taught. The
planning for this lesson was based around my knowledge that I gathered from the
students. I felt that this topic was something important for them to learn because I was
never taught this when I was their age. Students learning about being a good citizen at
a young age is important because they are the future of our country. I am so excited to
have my own classroom and to teach social studies.

Name: _____________________________

Date:______________________

Rights and Responsibilities Quiz

Please circle T or F for your answer. T stands for TRUE. F stands for FALSE.
1. T or F

Citizens have the right to choose their own religion.

2. T or F
Citizens should obey the laws that are placed in their
communities
and country.

3. T or F
Citizens should not have to do jury duty because it is not
important.
4. T or F
The freedom of speech is the right to communicate ones
opinion and ideas.
5. T or F

The right to vote is only a right not a responsibility.

6. T or F
To be a good citizen you should be active in your
community.
7. T or F
Freedom of the press the right to publish newspapers,
magazines, and other printed matter without governmental restriction.
8. T or F
A good citizen is someone who doesnt obey the law and
does whatever they want.
9. T or F
Voting in your local elections and government elections says
you are a good citizen.
10.
T or F
have.

Being an informed citizen is a responsibility that we

Bonus: Can you tell me a responsibility that you have as a North

Carolina Citizen that we did not talk about today? (+5)