Elementary Education Program

Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Design Document for Lesson Plan

Name: Rachel Bland (& Katie Stokes)

Grade Level: 3rd grade
Concept/Topic: Local Government
Length of Lesson (in minutes): 30 minutes

Learning Objectives: What are your learning objectives? (What new understandings will the
students have as a result of this lesson? Make sure learning objectives are measurable.)

Students will be able to state the functions of the branches of the local government, the
positions within each branch, and the people who hold those positions in the local
Raleigh government.

Under which standards from North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NC-SCOS) do these
learning objectives fall?

3.C&G.1.2 Describe the structure of local government and how it functions to serve
citizens.

Key Tasks/Activities: What are the key activities or tasks that you plan to use?

 We will discuss as a class the three branches of government and their functions, and the
students will record the information in their social studies notebook.
 Students will use the graphic organizer provided to write down the positions and people
in them in the government of Raleigh, NC.

What is your rationale for why you have selected these particular tasks/activities to meet your
learning objectives?

 Students have already discussed the three branches of the government and the people
who serve in these positions. We will review this information as background knowledge
to expand students’ knowledge from the structure and function of federal government to
understand local government as well.
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Anticipating Students’ Responses: How do you anticipate that students will respond to your
planned activities/tasks? This does NOT mean their response affectively, but instead their
response academically (e.g., What prior knowledge or conceptions might they bring? How do
you think they will approach or solve the task(s)?). When necessary, please insert images of
your handwritten anticipated approaches/strategies. Be specific! Use your anticipated responses
to help you plan your questions in the lesson plan.

 Students may bring conceptions that the head of any form of government is a president.
 I think students will bring prior knowledge about the three branches of government and
the members who serve in each branch of the federal government.
 I think they will approach the task by conversing with their table partners what important
city figures they have heard of before (mayor, police officer, firefighter, etc.). They may
not have extensive background knowledge on every branch of government, but together
they will likely compile a list of city leaders.

Responding to Students’ Responses: Describe how you will provide scaffolding for students
who are stuck, and describe how you will extend the thinking of students who have a firm grasp
on the target content/objectives.

 Scaffolding
o We will provide scaffolding for students who are stuck by asking students about
their prior knowledge of the federal government. We will use students’ responses
and their understanding of federal leaders to contrast how their job serves. We
will then ask what students know about their local leaders. We will ask if students
see any similarities in the jobs of any of our local leaders and the jobs they
remember from the federal branches.
 Extension
o We will extend this thinking of those who have a firm grasp by asking them to
consider more political leaders than the ones we mentioned and discuss which
branch these leaders would fall under. We could also ask them to think of any
specific examples of leaders who serve in the various branches of government.

Development of Practices among Students: Which disciplinary practices does your lesson aim
to develop? (e.g., “construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others”, “develop
and use models”) How do the task(s) develop the target practice(s)?

 Construct viable and valid arguments from evidence and critique reasoning of others
o The tasks at hand develop this target practice by having students consider the
various roles in the branches of the government. Using their knowledge of these
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

roles, they will have to create their own argument based upon the facts they know
of the roles.

Assessment: Describe your assessment plan for the targeted learning objective(s). What
specific data/information will you use, and how will that data/information tell you that the
students have/have not met the objective?

 At the end of the lesson will we give each student a specific scenario giving them a local
government position and a description of something that has happened. The students will
explain what they would do as this government official in response to the scenario and
submit as an exit ticket.

Vocabulary/Language Function: Define vocabulary that students will need to know in order to
access the content and goals of your lesson. Be precise and careful with your language. Please
attend to three types of vocabulary:
● Content vocabulary (e.g., obtuse, molecule, civil rights)
o Local government
o Federal government
o Legislative branch
o Executive branch
o Judicial branch
o Mayor
o City Council
o Judge
o Courts

Classroom Management Plan: Describe your classroom management plan. Explain how you
will motivate students to engage in the lesson, how you will set and enforce expectations, and
how you will ensure that transitions are smooth and efficient.

We will be using the classroom management that our CT has already implemented in the
classroom. Students will respond to questions by raising their hand and remaining silent
until called on. We will be activating students' prior knowledge to get them engaged in
the lesson when talking about federal government. Students know the expectations that
are set for them by our CT, and we will be enforcing these expectations.