5 DAY LESSON PLAN- FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT (2ND GRADE)

Resources:
Websites:
ConstitutionDayRulesGrade1.pdf
http://kids.clerk.house.gov
Videos:
Liberty Kids
School House Rock
Books:
Who Was Thomas Jefferson
Who was George Washington

Day 1: Who Was George Washington?

Overview: The objective of this activity is that students will use background knowledge to
comprehend text. Students monitor comprehension before, during, and after reading text using a
K-W-L chart. K - What I already know; W - What I want to know; L - What I Learned.
Standards: RL.K.1, RI.K.1, RL.K.1.10, RL.1.1, RI.1.1, RL.1.10.
Lesson plan day one:
1. Introduce the KWL chart work sheet to the students before introducing I am George
Washington the book. Students will work on this work sheet independently writing
down in each slot what they know and what they want to know.
2. After students are done filling out the KWL chart, students will then have a group
discussion sharing ideas, and start a group discussion of who George Washington is and
what they what to know about George Washington.
3. Then I will read the book, during the book students will pay attention and fill out the
what I learned slot and jot ideas down or they can wait until I finish the book to fill it
out as well.

Day 2: Who was Thomas Jefferson?

Overview: This lesson plan helps early primary teachers introduce students to the concept of the
presidency. It will explore the concepts of what a president does and who the president is.
 5 DAY LESSON PLAN- FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT (2ND GRADE)

Objectives: Students will know who Third United States president was
Understand what a president does
Understand what Thomas Jefferson did once elected
Understand the concept of his four-year term of office
Keywords:
president
government
executive
election
candidate

Materials needed:

Markers/chalk and writing surface such as chalkboard or whiteboard

Age-appropriate book about elections (see Education Worlds recommendations below)

Lesson plan

Start by assessing what your students already know. The knowledge level is certain to vary
between different children in the class -- from not having even heard the word president before
to knowing exactly who the current president is. Make sure everyone has a very basic
understanding by asking questions such as:

Has anyone heard the word president before?

Do you know who the third U.S. president was?
What do you think a president does?
What are some qualities a president should have?
Hint: When students are answering your questions, take notes on an interactive white board, a
chalkboard or other highly visible classroom surface. Start a list of presidential duties,
characteristics and qualities and continue to add to it throughout the lesson.
 5 DAY LESSON PLAN- FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT (2ND GRADE)

Share the facts

Now, bring the students up to speed with some fast presidential facts:

The president is the person in charge of our country, the United States. Its similar to how the
school principal is in charge of the school.
The president is hired by the American people for a four-year job. Once the four years are up, the
people can either re-hire him or choose someone else. No one can be hired more than twice.
Barack Obama is the current and 44th president of the United States. He was re-hired in
November 2012.
Today ee will be learning about the third President of the United states America
Book: Who was Thomas Jefferson?
By
Dennis Brindell Fradin

Extending the lesson:

After reading the book, ask the students to describe the president or presidential-hopeful in the
book. Make a list of these descriptive words on the same board that you used earlier to record
presidential duties, characteristics and qualities. Then, ask them to draw a picture of what they
think a president might look like. Use Design a presidential candidate to turn this into a full-
fledged art activity.

Assessment:

Assess students participation in class discussion and their grasp of facts about the current U.S.
president and the presidency in general.
 5 DAY LESSON PLAN- FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT (2ND GRADE)

Lesson plan source: Education World

Day 3:The Constitution: Our Countries Rules

Objectives: Students will develop an awareness of the Constitution by exploring what it is and
why it is important.
Terms to Know:
Citizens
Congress
Constitution
Framers
Judges
Laws
President
Rights
Rules
Materials:
1. Classroom rules poster
2. The Constitution Poem (page 12)
Images of the following. These can be taken from any magazine or newspaper or downloaded
and printed from the Internet.
U.S. Constitution (page 8)
President of the United States
A multicultural group of people
of different ages
Congress in session
Supreme Court or a judge
The signing of the U.S. Constitution
(pages 2 and 3)
After reading the poem, you may want to go back and add details.
 5 DAY LESSON PLAN- FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT (2ND GRADE)

Lesson plan day three:

Job of the presidentto enforce the laws

Job of Congressto make the laws
Job of the judgeto decide what the laws means when there are questions
Explain to students how these jobs represent the three branches of government described in the
Constitution. Tell students how important it is for all the branches to work together to create,
enforce, and follow the law of the United States.
4. Ask students: What are rights? Have students share what they think rights are. Tell
students that rights are what people have just because they are alive. Help students
identify the protection of rights as one of the most important ways that the Constitution
protects us, the citizens. Tell students that the Constitution protects important ideas. For
example, it lets you think for yourself, keeps you safe, and lets you gather with your
friends and talk. Identify some of the authors, or Framers, of the Constitution such as
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison (see pages 911).
5. Encourage students to read with you as you reread the poem. Sing or listen to one of
your favorite patriotic songs, or play the songs softly in the background as the students
draw the picture described in procedure 8.

Day 4

Three Branches of Government Lesson Plan

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to explain how the jobs in a school work together to make the
school run efficiently.
 5 DAY LESSON PLAN- FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT (2ND GRADE)

2. Students will be able to identify the key people, groups, and jobs for each branch of
government.

3. Students will be able to identify the checks and balances for the three branches of
government.

Standard: NCSS Standard: VI. Power, Authority, & Government

Lesson plan day four:

1. Have students brainstorm a list of the different people in a school and their primary job
duties (ex. Teacher, Principal, Cafeteria Worker, Custodian)

2. Describe how the different jobs work together to make the school successful. Explain that
our government works the same way. The government is divided into three branches.
Each branch has a specific job.

Before the activity, create cards for the students to sort.

Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
Congress
Legislator
House of Representatives
Senate
President
Vice President
Cabinet
Supreme Court
Justice
Enforces Laws
Makes Laws
Interprets Laws

1. Put students in pairs or small groups. Instruct them to sort the cards. Match each branch
of government with the people who work for that branch. Then match the branch with its
primary responsibility.

2. Review the people and job for each branch. Ask students why it is beneficial to have each
branch of government have a different job?

3. Extension Activity: Teachers can create cards with additional job descriptions as outlined
in the Constitution.

Resources:
 5 DAY LESSON PLAN- FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT (2ND GRADE)

3 Branches of Government poster

Branches of Government - Ben's Guide

The Constitution - National Archives

Separation of Powers

Separation of Powers in Action - U.S. v. Alvarez - U.S. Courts

Teaching with Documents: Constitutional Issues: Separation of Powers - National

Archives

Day 5: From A Bill to a Law

Objectives:

1. Understand that bills become laws when voted on and approved by the Congress and
signed by the President.

2. Identify local Representative(s).

Lesson Plan:

1. To help introduce students to the upcoming activity, engage them in a brief discussion to
assess how much they already know about the legislative process:

a. What is a law?

b. Who makes laws?

c. What is a bill?

d. Where do bills come from?

2. Go over the content of How a Bill Becomes a Law on http://kids.clerk.house.gov with the
class this can be done as a group, individually, or in several small groups. Once the class has
read the content, allow a brief question and answer period.
 5 DAY LESSON PLAN- FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT (2ND GRADE)

3. Discuss your local Representative and his/her role in the process of making laws with the
class:

a. Who is our Representative in the House of Representatives?

b. How did he/she get his/her job?

c. What is his/her job?

4. Select one of the activities listed below.

1. Assign roles to students. You will need:

a. Citizens

b. Senators

c. Representatives

d. The President

2. Have the citizens brainstorm a law that will benefit them. That idea is then shared with the
Members of the House of Representatives. Optional: designate one student as the citizens
Representative and he/she can be contacted by a citizen and place the bill into a hopper in
the front of the room. You can also designate a bill clerk to assign the bill a number and read
the bill aloud.

3. The Members of the U.S. House of Representatives debate and discuss why or why not the
bill should be a law. After they have discussed for a few minutes, hold a vote on whether the
bill should become a law. The vote can be held verbally or on paper. If the bill passes it is
then sent to the U.S. Senate.

4. The Senators debate and discuss the bill in the same fashion as the Representatives. A vote
is held and the U.S. Senate decides if the bill is ready to go to the President for consideration.
If the bill passes, it is sent to the President where he/she can either sign it into law or veto it.

5. If the bill stalls at any point, lead the class in a discussion about why the bill failed. Some
questions to pose: a. why did this bill not become a law? b. Could there be changes made to
the law that would make it better?

6. Explain to the students that making changes to bills happens often and the discussion they
had would have likely occurred while the bill was in committee.

7. If the students agree that changes could be made to make the law better, and time permits,
start again by having the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives discuss and vote, the
U.S. Senate discuss and vote, and the President sign or veto it.
5 DAY LESSON PLAN- FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT (2ND GRADE)