Content Area:

Social Studies
GRADE/LEVEL
Level:
Grade: Third

TAG Theme:
Problem Solving
UNIT TITLE
Democracy

COURSE NUMBER

COURSE LENGTH
9-10 weeks

UNIT DESCRIPTION: In this unit, students will be able to explain the political
roots of our democracy in America. The students will learn about
democracy through engaging lessons on the American Revolution,
Branches of Government, and historical figures. Throughout the unit, the
students will use their critical thinking, decision making, and problem
solving skills to fully understand our modern democracy.
PREREQUISITE(S):
Eligibility in the Fulton County School System Talented and Gifted Program
SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS:
SS3H1 The student will explain the political roots of our modern democracy in the United
States of America.
SS3H2 The student will discuss the lives of Americans who expanded peoples rights and
freedoms in a democracy.
SS3CG2 a. Describe how the different historical figures in SS3H2a display positive
character traits of cooperation, diligence, courage, and leadership
SS3CG2 b. Explain how the historical figures in SS3H2a used positive character traits to
support their beliefs in liberty, justice, tolerance, and freedom of conscience and
expression.
TAG STANDARDS
Advanced Communication Skills
Advanced Research Skills
Creative Thinking and Problem Solving Skills
Higher Order Critical Thinking Skills
SUMMARY/ REVIEW
The focus of this unit is to ensure that students understand the political roots of our
democracy. Students will do this through critical thinking, decision making, and problem
solving skills.

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING

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At the end of this unit the student will know and understand that
a. The origin and history of a democracy.
b. The origin and history of a monarchy.
c. The political roots of the democracy in the United States.
d. A democracy was created to improve on the idea of a monarchy government.
e. The end of the American Revolution is the beginning of our democratic
government.
f. Our democracy has three branches of government that have a separation of
powers.
g. Certain American heroes played a role in shaping our democracy.
EVIDENCE OF LEARNING
What students should know
a. Democracy means the rule of the people.
b. There are similarities in a democracy and monarchy because not all citizens are
included in the process of making decisions for their government.
c. There are differences in that democracy means rule of the people and a
monarchy means one person rules.
d. The American Revolution was a war between the Patriots and the British.
e. The Patriots won the American Revolution, which was a start to our freedom.
f. The separation of powers is what keeps one level of government from becoming
too powerful over another.
g. Paul Revere fought for our freedom over the British to start our democratic
government.
h. Frederick Douglass fought for equal rights for all in America.
i. Susan B. Anthony fought for equal rights for African Americans and women under
a democratic system.
What students should be able to do
a. Examines origin and history of our modern democracy.
b. Identify the importance of the American Revolution.
c. Explain the difference between each branch of government and how each one
is an important part of our democracy.
d. Explain the impact that Paul Revere, Frederick Douglass, and Susan B. Anthony
made on our democracy.
UNIT VOCABULARY
Ancient Greece
Monarchy
Democracy
Government
American Revolution
Patriot
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
Legislative Branch
Separation of Powers
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 Paul Revere
Frederick Douglass
Susan B. Anthony
Freedom
Equal rights
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

How did the history of America influence our democracy today?

SUGGESTED PACING: 9-10 weeks
SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES (including interdisciplinary connections):
Day One: Inductive Lesson/Democracy
*Essential Question: How could you categorize these vocabulary words using your prior
knowledge?
*Activities:
-TTW ask: How would you explain a democracy?
-The teacher will provide students with unit vocabulary in a baggy for the students to put
into categories based off of prior knowledge and similarities within the words.
-Students will work with their group to put the words into categories and glue them onto
a piece of construction paper.
-After the words are grouped, the students will choose a speaker to explain their
thinking, and the students will take a museum walk around the room to look at how
each group decided to categorize the words.
-Then, the students will watch this video as a closing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIf7uFAKkJc
-The teacher will ask: What do you understand now that you did not understand before?
The students will answer on a sticky note.
Day Two: Democracy vs. Monarchy (Compare and Contrast)
*Essential Question: How did the negative aspects of a monarchy help spark the idea
of a democratic government?
*Activities:
-Hook: Pretend you are on a ship with your classmates and you all find a piece of
unknown land that has never been claimed. How would you all decide who is in
charge of your land? Activate prior knowledge by showing students pictures of the
Royal family and First family. Why do you think I am showing you these pictures? Who
are these people? Why are they important?
- The students will be put in two groups and receive either the Democracy article or
Monarchy article.
-Students will read assigned piece and complete the criteria organizer and get with a
pair from the same group to discuss.
-Then, the same pair students will pair with another pair of students from who
completed the opposite reading. Each student will complete the other sides section
on the Criteria Organizer. Groups of four will work together to complete a comparison
organizer.

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-The teacher will play the School House Rock video: No More Kings. Closing discussion
questions: Why did our government fall from a Monarchy to a Democracy?
-Summary: Based on your analysis, how do you think the negative aspects of a
monarchy helped spark the idea of a democratic government? Why do you think there
are more democratic governments than monarchies today?
-Independent Practice: Each student will select and complete three of the activities.
*Full lesson attached.
Day Three: British Rule Mess (Creative Problem Solving)
*Essential Questions: How did Britains rule over the colonies led to a new way of life?
*Activities:
- Hook: The students will participate in the Guided Imaginary exercise and jot down their
thoughts and feelings.
- Distribute the British Rule Mess Packet. Students will read the mess individually.
- Students will work in small group to list all the facts and opinions obtained from the
reading. Each group will generate a list of unanswered questions to research for
homework or in the media center.
- Review the Rules of Brainstorming. Each group will brainstorm the problems seen as a
result of the mess.
- Each group will brainstorm solutions to the problem statement.
- Each group will develop criteria to evaluate the five solutions and use a decisionmaking grid to determine the best solution.
- Each group will develop an action plan for implementing the solution.
-Synthesis: Each group will develop a product (e.g., persuasive letter, flow chart, speech,
etc.) for sharing its solution for the British Rule mess.
- Summary: The students will complete a shapely debrief.
*Full Lesson Plan Attached
Day Four: American Revolution (Circle of Knowledge)
*Essential Questions: How did the American Revolution lead to a democracy?
*Activities:
- Hook: How would you feel if you had NO choices? What is your Principal told you that
school lunch would know be 10 dollars just because she wants it that way?
-The teacher will pose the question: Why do you think there was an American
Revolution?
-The students will watch the BrainPop on the American Revolution and jot down 3 facts.
- Then, the students will get in groups of 4 to take notes on the importance of the
American Revolution and read an article called, Colonization and Revolutionary War:
Paul Reveres Ride and the Shot Heard Around the World.
-To wrap up, the students will watch the video,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjfrexe61XI to jot down some final notes.
-Then students will use their notes to discuss these questions: Why is freedom important?
What would our life be like today without the American Revolution? How did the
American Revolution lead to a democracy?
-Synthesis Activity: If you were alive during the American Revolution, what appropriate,
effective strategies could you carry out when fighting the British?
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Day Five: Reading for Meaning Strategy (Paul Revere)

*Essential Question: What impact did Paul Revere have on our democracy today?
*Activities:
-Hook: Paul Revere biography https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH12l5NdJlY
-Before reading the article, the students are given around 6 statements where they will
predict if they agree or disagree with the statements based off of their background
knowledge of the information, and then they will have a discussion about their
predictions with their peers.
-The students will receive an article about Paul Revere and the reading for meaning
organizer.
-During reading, the students are searching deeply through the text to find evidence
that will support or contradict their predictions about the statements. If they find proof for
or against a statement, then they would include that evidence on the organizer.
-After reading, the students will reflect on their predictions they made at the beginning
of the lesson. Did the evidence confirm or contradict your predictions?
-Exit ticket- Answer essential question on a sticky note.
Day Six: Democracy (Metaphorical Expression) How is Democracy like an ecosystem?
*Essential Question: How is democracy like an ecosystem?
*Activities:
-Review Carousal Brainstorming so students understand the three types of metaphors.
-To gather some information, the students will watch the BrainPop Democracy video and
fill out a content organizer to take notes.
-Direct Analogy: How is a democracy like ecosystem?
-Personal Analogy: What are your freedoms? What do you get to do freely every day?
Students will compare themselves to a democracy.
-Compressed Conflict: Students will come up with 3 synonyms for a democracy and 3
antonyms for a democracy. Then, they will answer: How is a democracy free, yet
restricting?
-Synthesis Activity: The students will create another direct analogy by completing this
sentence: Democracy is like ___________. Give at least 5 reasons why a democracy is
like what is in the blank.
-Exit Ticket- 3-2-1 on Democracy.
Day Seven: Branches of Government (Circle of Knowledge)
*Essential Questions: Why are the branches of government an important part of our
democracy?
*Activities:
- Hook: Why do people work together? What would happen if our class did not work
together as a team?
-The teacher will pose the question: Why do you think we have the three branches of
government?
-The students will watch the BrainPop on the Branches of Government and take notes on
each branch.

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- Then, the students will get in groups of 4 to take notes on the purpose of each branch
of government and read an article called, American Branches of Government: A Closer
Look.
-To wrap up, the students will watch the rap video on the Branches of Government to jot
down some more notes.
-Then students will use their notes to discuss these questions: What would happen without
the three branches of government? What is the importance of having three branches?
Do you think one branch of government is more important than another branch? How
do these branches work with our democracy?
-Synthesis Activity: Pretend you are one of the branches of government (Executive,
Judicial, or Legislative Branch) and write a paragraph explaining why you have an
important part in our democracy.
Day Eight: Read-Talk-Write with the Separation of Powers
*Essential Question: How do the separation of powers help our democracy work today?
*Activities:
-Hook: What are the separation of powers?
-The students will receive an article called, Separation of Powers, divided into 3 sections.
-The students will be paired up and one will be A and the other will be B.
-The students will read section 1 silently. Then, Partner A will cover the text and talk first
about what they read while Partner B will listens silently. Then, vice versa.
-The students will write silently for 2 minutes about what they read/discussed.
-The students will repeat this for the next two sections.
-Ticket out the door: Answer EQ.
Day Nine: Decision Making Lesson (Which hero had the greatest impact on our
democracy?)
Essential Question: Which hero had the greatest impact in shaping our democracy to
how it works today: Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, or Paul Revere?
*Activities:
-Hook: Students will complete the Decision-Making Style Inventory with teacher support.
The teacher will do this whole group while students individually record their answers to
help them understand what each question is asking them. Then, the teacher will help
the students use a Physical Barometer to discuss their styles.
-Examine the Content: Distribute the Hero Hall of Fame letter. Read the letter to the
class and generate a list of steps for completing the task. Each student will develop a
Priority Pyramid of criteria.
-The students will review the Research sheet from the Hero Hall of Fame.
-Students will be divided into three groups based off of whom they think should go in
the democracy hall of fame: Paul Revere, Susan B. Anthony, and Frederick Douglass.
- Each group will discuss their Priority Pyramid.
-Re-group students so that each group has a representative from each hero. Each
group will complete a Notes Organizer to synthesize accomplishments the heroes had
that impacted our Democracy positively (+) and the accomplishments the heroes had

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that did not affect our Democracy (-) for each American hero below. The students can
use the Research sheet they previously read to help them with the organizer.
- The teacher will post consensus rules. When analyzing the data gathered in small
groups, students will see which hero had more accomplishments towards positively
impacting our democracy.
-Students will use a decision making matrix to determine which of its proposed options is
the best option.
-Synthesis Activity- Communicate the Decision: Students will compose an email to
Justen B. Bur including the name of hero they choose and with an explanation for the
choice.
-Summarizing Activity: 3-2-1 Exit Ticket
*Full lesson attached
Day Ten: Democracy Performance Task-The Democracy Times Newspaper
You are a journalist who needs to research and share information about our
democracy with immigrants new to the United States. You need to explain all about the
democracy seen here in the United States. Create a newspaper with columns that
explain the roots of our democracy, how we became free from the British, the
importance of democracy in the United States, and describe the Branches of
Government and the role each one plays in our democracy. Make sure to include
illustrations to help the immigrants make visual connections to what they are learning!
G (Goal)- To research and share information about our democracy with new
immigrants
R (Roll)- To take on a roll of a Journalist
A (Audience)- People from other Countries interested in learning about our government
P (Product)- Democracy Newspaper explaining democracy in the United States
E (Expectations)- Rubric attached

Instructional Resources:
Lesson 1:
-We the People Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIf7uFAKkJc
Lesson 2:
-Democracy and Monarchy Full Lesson Plan and Attachments
-No More Kings video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-9pDZMRCpQ
Lesson 3:
-Creative Problem Solving (British Rule Mess) Full Lesson Plan and Attachments
Lesson 4:
-American Revolution video
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/americanrevolution/
-American Revolution in 5 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjfrexe61XI
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Lesson 5:
- Paul Revere biography https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH12l5NdJlY
Lesson 6:
-Democracy BrainPop
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/democracy/preview.weml
Lesson 7:
-Branches of Government BrainPop
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/usgovernmentandlaw/branchesofgovernmen
t/
-Branches of Government Rap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCB8EOY5d48
Lesson 9:
-Decision Making Full Lesson plan and attachments
Lesson 10:
-Performance Task and Rubric attached

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