Social Studies – Fourth Grade Guide Book First Nine

Weeks

Week 9 Overview
Students will understand what government is and what it does.
Students will describe what happens when people break laws.
Students will describe ways in which countries interact with one another.
Students will distinguish between services provided by local and state levels of
government.

Week 9, Day 41
Today’s Goal:

Students will understand what government is and what it does.

1. Getting Ready:
Government is a complex issue for students in fourth grade to grasp. The
student will be learning all about government today. There are various forms
of government, but it is important to explain to the student the differences
between a democracy and a communist society. Start by asking the student
a few questions:

“What is the government?”

“What does the government do?”

“Do you know what kind of government is working in the U.S.?”

Begin your discussion about democracy. Explain to the student that the
United States has a form of government called a “democracy.” In a
democracy, the people of the land either make the major decisions that
affect their country or they elect officials who will make decisions for them.
The United States has a “representative democracy” because the U.S.
citizens elect people to make choices for them. The people of the U.S. elect:

The President, Vice President, Judges, Representatives for the state,

Congressmen for the state

Visit this link for extensive information about democracy as a form of

government:
 Social Studies – Fourth Grade Guide Book First Nine
Weeks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy

Also mention to the student that there are many other kinds of forms of
government. A direct opposite of democracy is communism. Communism
can be explained to the student as a total sharing society. With communism,
everyone has the same amount. You can work much harder than your
neighbor, but in the end you both will have the same amount of income.
This type of society is not run by the people, but rather a dictator, or one
who imposes views and makes rules for all of the people of the country.

Visit this link for extensive information about communism as a form of

government:

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572241/communism.html

2. Today’s Vocabulary
Government The ruling body that creates laws, executes laws, and makes
decisions regarding the people

Legislative has the power to make laws

Executive makes sure that people obey the laws.

Judicial Courts make decisions on arguments, meaning of the laws, and

whether laws are constitutional.

Congress made up of two parts: the Senate and the House of

Representatives.

President the commander of the military and the leader of the country

Supreme Court made up of nine justices (judges) with one being the Chief
Justice.

3. Read the Text

Read the text with the student. This text is nonfiction and will require guided
reading and discussion.

4. Activity
ACTIVITY-Who’s Job Is It?
 Social Studies – Fourth Grade Guide Book First Nine
Weeks

Take a look at each job below and decide which branch of the government should
do this job.

1. Appoint Supreme Court Justices ____________________________(Executive)

2. Makes laws _____________________________________________(Legislative)

3. Decide if a law is constitutional______________________________(Judicial)

4. Enforce the laws__________________________________________(Executive)

5. Amend the Constitution____________________________________(Judicial)

6. Declare War_____________________________________________(Legislative)

7. Veto “bill”_______________________________________________(Executive)

8. Prints money_____________________________________________(Legislative)

9. Make a “ruling”___________________________________________(Judicial)

10.Has control of the military___________________________________(Executive)

Week 9, Day 42
Today’s Goal:

Students will describe what happens when people break laws.

1. Getting Ready:
Today’s lesson focuses on crime and breaking laws. There is an extensive
line of examples to share with the student about crimes. Here are a few
things you can share with the student dealing with breaking laws:

Stealing / Hurting someone / Fighting / kidnapping / vandalizing /lying /

threatening /

Start off the lesson by asking the student a few questions about crime:

“What happens to people when they commit crimes?”

 Social Studies – Fourth Grade Guide Book First Nine
Weeks

“When someone goes to jail, taxpayer dollars provide food and shelter for
them. What do you think about this?”

2. Today’s Vocabulary
Law a rule set up by the government on how people should behave in society

Enforcement making sure people are following laws

Consequences punishment you receive for breaking a rule or law.

3. Read the Text

Read the text with the student. This text is nonfiction and will require guided
reading and discussion.

4. Activity
For today’s activity, the student will follow the directions to comment on a
few different scenarios.

 ACTIVITY-Making Connections

Look at each scenario below and decide what the rule or law was, how the rule
or law was broken, and what the consequence is.

Scenario #1

On Saturday mornings, Billy is supposed to clean his room before he goes

outside. Billy loves to clean his room. NOT! This Saturday he decided not to
clean his room, and went to the park instead. Later on when Billy came home,
his mother told him “No allowance.”

What is the rule/law?_____ clean his room before he goes outside

__________________________

How was it broken?______ Billy didn’t clean his room

_______________________________

What is the consequence?_____ no allowance

________________________________________

Scenario #2

Marco is sixteen years old. He drives to the store one day for his father
 Social Studies – Fourth Grade Guide Book First Nine
Weeks

and gets pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt. The police officer gives him a
ticket with a fine of $100. Marco gets home from the store and tells his father
about the ticket. He says Marco will have to pay the fine out of his own money.

What is the rule/law?_____ wear a seatbelt

_________________________________________

How was it broken?________ Marco didn’t wear a seatbelt

_____________________________

What is the consequence?______ pay $100 fine

_____________________________________

Scenario #3

Alicia loves to play with her brother’s guitar. Her brother on the other
hand, doesn’t like her to play with his things when he isn’t home. Today, Alicia’s
brother is gone. She decides to play with his guitar anyway, and breaks a string
on the guitar. Alicia’s mother comes in and says that Alicia will have to tell her
brother what happened and pay for the new string out of her allowance.

What is the rule/law?_________ Alicia shouldn’t play with her brother’s guitar
_________________

How was it broken?__________ Alicia plays with his guitar

____________________________

What is the consequence?______ Alicia has to tell her brother and pay for a new
string.___

Week 9, Day 43
Today’s Goal:

Students will describe ways in which countries interact with one

another.

1. Getting Ready:
 Social Studies – Fourth Grade Guide Book First Nine
Weeks

The three main ways countries interact with each other are: Security, Aid, and
Trade. Today’s focus is how countries import and export goods to and from other
countries. The student will be viewing examples of imports and exports today. He
will also learn about a world organization focusing on peace called the United
Nations.

View this site with the student before the lesson. It shows each country and the
amount of imports certain countries make each year. The figure amount is shown in
millions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_imports

2. Today’s Vocabulary
Import Goods brought into the country

Export goods taken out of the country

United Nations UN, is a global organization with over 190 nations as

members.

3. Read the Text

Read the text with the student. This text is nonfiction and will require guided
reading and discussion.

4. Activity
ACTIVITY-My Nation

In this activity, we are going to research your nation. You can use the
internet or any other research materials available to answer these questions about
your country. You can ask your teacher or family members to help if you need to.

1. What country were you born in?_______________________________________

2. Is the country a member of the United

Nations?_______________________________

3. What is the population of your

country?_________________________________

4. What type of goods does your country

 Social Studies – Fourth Grade Guide Book First Nine
Weeks

export?___________________________________________________________

5. What type of goods does your country

import?___________________________________________________________

6. What is your national anthem?_________________________________________

7. What does your nation’s flag look like? Draw it below.

8. What do you love the most about your

country?___________________________

9. What do like the least about your

country?________________________________

10.What is the currency(money) your country uses? (dollar, euro, lire,

etc.)_______________________________________________________________

Week 9, Day 44
Today’s Goal:

Students will distinguish between services provided by local and

state levels of government.

1. Getting Ready:
When understanding government, one must understand that there are
different levels of government. The student should understand that there
are many forms of government within the United States form of government,
democracy. The highest form of government is the federal government,
moving then to the state government, then to the local government.

Federal Government: The Federal Government makes laws that are general
to the entire country.

State Government: Each state has its own form of government which makes
specific laws or rules for the state. One state’s laws can vary from another
state’s laws.
 Social Studies – Fourth Grade Guide Book First Nine
Weeks

Local Government: There are many local governments in each state. The
laws from the local government are specific to that small region, county or
area.

2. Today’s Vocabulary
State government A governing power that makes laws for the state

Federalism When governments share power, under one central authority (our
U.S. Constitution),

State capital Location of the state’s government

Services Things that one can provide to people – not products, but actions.

3. Read the Text

Read the text with the student. This text is nonfiction and will require guided
reading and discussion.

4. Activity
Day 44: ACTIVITY TIME-STATE CAPITALS Here is a list of the states and capitals
for the activity in the student text.

Capital
 Social Studies – Fourth Grade Guide Book First Nine
Weeks

State
Alabama Montgomery
Alaska Juneau New York Albany
Arizona Phoenix
Arkansas Little Rock North Carolina Raleigh
California Sacramento North Dakota Bismarck
Colorado Denver Ohio Columbus
Connecticut Hartford Oklahoma Oklahoma City
Delaware Dover Oregon Salem
Florida Tallahassee Pennsylvania Harrisburg
Georgia Atlanta Rhode Island Providence
Hawaii Honolulu South Carolina Columbia
Idaho Boise South Dakota Pierre
Illinois Springfield Tennessee Nashville
Indiana Indianapolis Texas Austin
Iowa Des Moines Utah Salt Lake City
Kansas Topeka Vermont Montpelier
Kentucky Frankfort Virginia Richmond
Louisiana Baton Rouge Washington Olympia
Maine Augusta West Virginia Charleston
Maryland Annapolis Wisconsin Madison
Massachusetts Boston
Michigan Lansing Wyoming Cheyenne
Minnesota St. Paul
Mississippi Jackson
Missouri Jefferson City
Montana Helena
Nebraska Lincoln
Nevada Carson City
New Hampshire Concord
New Jersey Trenton
New Mexico Santa Fe
(symbol for reteaching / extensions) RETEACHING / EXTENSIONS:

Student needs/ wants more information on state location:

Here is an interactive game site where the student will practice the
geographic state locations:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/USA_Geography/USA_GL_1280_800.html

The student can click on each state to hear and see the capital:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/USA_Geography/USA_GL_Caps_1280_800.
html

Week 9, Day 45
Today’s Goal:

Students will distinguish between services provided by local and

state levels of government.

1. Getting Ready:
The student will learn more about local governments today. The local
government is the small, centralized government found in a town or city of
which someone lives. Some states have more of a county-wide government,
while others have a small governing body in each township within each
county. The local government needs to abide by specific laws from the state
government, but may have changes in laws that are specific to their
localized area.

2. Today’s Vocabulary
Local government Refers to a smaller form of government in a small,
localized area

County smaller sections of a state

Municipalities Another name for a city or town

3. Read the Text

Read the text with the student. This text is nonfiction and will require guided
reading and discussion.

4. Activity
 ACTIVITY TIME- Is it State or Local government

Below, you will see a list of different services. Next to each service, write whether it
is a part of the state government or local government.

1. Set up local governments _____state_

2. Provide Fire departments _____local__

3. Build hospitals ____________local____

4. Issue licenses _______________state_____

5. Has a governor______________state______

6. Builds libraries______________local_______

7. Has a city-council____________local_______

8. Has a county seat____________local_______

9. Has a constitution___________state________

10.Provides utilities_____________local________

WEEKLY REVIEW

Section 1:

Name the three branches of government.

1)__executive________________________ 2)__legislative___________________________
3)__judicial_____________________

Section 2:

Below is a list of different types of trading between the United States and other
countries. Please label whether each trade is an import or an export.
Example: Oil shipped from Saudi Arabia _______import________________________

1. Wheat shipped to Peru____export__________________________________

2. Ipods shipped to Ireland___export__________________________________

3. Clothing shipped from Italy__import________________________________

4. Ford Trucks shipped to France_export_______________________________

5. Gaming consoles shipped from Japan__import_________________________

Section 3:

Name the capital cities of all the states in the Northeast Region of the United States.
You will find the states listed below.

ACTIVITY TIME-STATE CAPITALS

http://www.homeworkspot.com/ask/statecapitals.html

Louisiana Baton Rouge

Capital
State
Maine Augusta
Alabama Montgomery
Maryland Annapolis
Alaska Juneau
Massachusetts Boston
Arizona Phoenix
Michigan Lansing
Arkansas Little Rock
Minnesota St. Paul
California Sacramento
Mississippi Jackson
Colorado Denver
Missouri Jefferson City
Connecticut Hartford
Montana Helena
Delaware Dover
Nebraska Lincoln
Florida Tallahassee
Nevada Carson City
Georgia Atlanta
New Hampshire Concord
Hawaii Honolulu
New Jersey Trenton
Idaho Boise
New Mexico Santa Fe
Illinois Springfield
Indiana Indianapolis
New York Albany
Iowa Des Moines
Kansas Topeka
North Carolina Raleigh
Kentucky Frankfort
North Dakota Bismarck
Ohio Columbus
Oklahoma Oklahoma City
Oregon Salem
Pennsylvania Harrisburg
Rhode Island Providence
South Carolina Columbia
South Dakota Pierre
Tennessee Nashville
Texas Austin
Utah Salt Lake City
Vermont Montpelier
Virginia Richmond
Washington Olympia
West Virginia Charleston
Wisconsin Madison

Wyoming Cheyenne