Teacher: Wymore/ Martinez/ Chacon

Date: Feb 15th/16th/17th/18th

Grade Level: 8

School: Blevins Middle School

Content Area: History
Title: Executive Branch
Lesson #:6 of 11

Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson:

Civics Standard 4.1. Analyze elements of continuity and change in the United States
government and the role of citizens over time
Civics Standard 4.2.The place of law in a constitutional system
History Standard 1.2. The historical eras, individuals, groups, ideas and themes from the origins
of the American Revolution through Reconstruction and their relationships with one another
Inquiry Questions:
Why do we create government and laws?
How does our executive branch differ from a
monarchy?
Concepts and skills students master: (Understandings, Big Ideas, Unit objectives)
Developing and activating background knowledge on the intricacies of the executive branch.
Understanding how the executive branch has evolved since the first presidency.

Evidence Outcomes: (Knowledge/ Skills, Lesson Objectives)

Every student will be able to:
Understand the roles of the executive branch and how it functions.
Assessment of Evidence Outcomes:
Executive Branch Skeleton Notes + Essential question paragraph.

Planned Lesson Activities

Activity Name

Executive Branch

Approx. Time

2 hours and 30 minutes

Anticipatory Set

Teaching/
Presentation:

3 Branches Crash course: YouTube video that goes into detail on

the powers of each branch. Students will finish a video guide they
started from the 3 Branches chart activity.
Includes: Input, Modeling and Checking for Understanding
1.
Input: RAP 3 Branches Video and Individual 3 Branches

(Select the most

appropriate teaching
model.)
-direct instruction
-presentation model
-concept teaching
-cooperative learning
-inquiry

Chart
2.
Modeling: The majority of the lesson is modeling as we
present the executive branch PowerPoint while the students fill in
and complete their executive branch skeleton notes.
3.
Checking for Understanding: While the students are
modeling for the majority of the lesson, they will have a chance to
display their understanding through their essential question
responses and their learning target reflections. Both the response
and reflection will pull on background information they have learned
either before this lesson or during the direct instruction aspect.
4.
Questioning Strategies: Remembering: Who was our 16th
president? Understanding: What is the primary job of the executive
branch? Applying: How does the president fulfill the primary job of
the executive branch, and how does his cabinet assist him?
Analyzing: Why is it the presidential cabinet has grown to 15
positions over time?

Teaching Strategy:
Guided Practice
&
Differentiation

Over the two days that we will be presenting the executive branch
PowerPoint, the students will be filling out the notes as we progress
through the slides. The majority of the lesson relies on direct
instruction, as we explain in detail the roles of the president, vice
president, and cabinet members. Apart from their roles, students will
receive background information on the people inhabiting the roles
and how they function in the constitutional system.

Teaching Strategy:
(Independent Practice)

While the majority of this lesson focuses on direct instruction,

students will receive independent practice time to fill out their 3
branches chart and to complete their executive branch essential
question response. For the EQ response, students will need to pull
information from their background knowledge or the direct
instruction they will have just received.

Closure

To close the lesson, we will have students finish up their EQ

responses and reflect on their learning targets to see if they met
their success criteria. If there is any remaining time during the class,
students will have the opportunity to work silently on Sheppard
software to study for their upcoming map tests.

Materials

Accommodations
&
Modifications
Assessment

3 Branches individual chart

Executive Branch PowerPoint
Executive Branch skeleton notes
3 branches crash course video
For lower level kids we offered them hardcopy and filled out
skeletons that they would need to highlight. Their executive branch
eq response would also be limited based on the subjective skill of
the student.
Executive branch skeleton notes (either highlighted or filled out)

Executive branch essential question response

LT reflection + RAP video guide

Post Lesson Reflection

1. To what extent were lesson objectives achieved? (Utilize assessment data to
justify your level of achievement) As we saw that one day of this lesson would not
adequately cover the information, we extended the lesson and added to the
presentation in order to give the students a full understanding of the executive branch.
The two day lesson seemed to provide better results, as the reflection essays they
turned in showed considerable comfortability with the subject matter.
2. What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would you make if you
were to teach again? As we changed the lesson after the first day we taught it, the
lesson had already greatly improved. One change I may make if I teach this
lesson again, is Id narrow down what I want the students to reflect on for the
essay.
3. What do you envision for the next lesson? (Continued practice, reteach content,
etc.)Since we extended the lesson to two days and the students showed considerable
achievements, well forgo continued practice and continue to the legislative branch.
Purpose of Lesson/
Standard Addressed

Civics Standard 4.1. Analyze elements of continuity and change

in the United States government and the role of citizens over time
Civics Standard 4.2.The place of law in a constitutional system
History Standard 1.2. The historical eras, individuals, groups,
ideas and themes from the origins of the American Revolution
through Reconstruction and their relationships with one another

Co-Teaching Strategy
and Rationale

For the executive branch lesson we used the team teaching

strategy. We decided on team teaching because it allowed each
one of the instructors to utilize their expertise where it was
needed. We were able to jump in and out of instruction in order to
inform the entire class to the best of our collective ability.

Would you use this

strategy for this
lesson again? Why?

If I were to teach this lesson again, I would use team teaching, as

it not only lessened the burden of instruction placed on each
teacher, but allowed each teacher to express their unique
experience and expertise in a fashion that did not feel like it
disruptive to the flow learning.

Were there any other

co-teaching
strategies used in
this lesson. If so,
Why?

For the initial quarter of the lesson, we utilized the one teach one
assist strategy as the students completed their RAP and branch
charts independently. We chose to use this strategy in this
instance because it made more sense for use to assist where we
were needed while one instructor guided the classroom.