Government Lesson Plans
Students can learn how their government is organized through these engaging lesson plans.
By Debra Karr
We read about various political figures, watch presidential campaigns, and hear about elections all the time. What does this all really mean to our students? In a media-saturated society, political figures often get lumped into the daily gossip alongside rappers and reality stars. Do students really know what government means?
As our government not only affects the United States, but the entire world population, it is imperative that students learn how we are organized, and how these various organizational structures affect us as individuals. They not only need to know about the three branches of government, but how they themselves fit in the overall scheme of things. They can also benefit from comparing our democratic system to other types of governnments around the world.
These next few lessons give students a better understanding of how government works. Whether it's local or federal government, students can learn about these important bodies and political systems through group activities, vocabulary development, and current events which are embedded in these lesson plans.
Government Lesson Plans:
Going Government - There's More Than Just One
In this lesson students learn about various styles of government from the Western Hemisphere. Students have the opportunity to describe legislative, executive and judicial functions. Students read about government and then place the appropriate branch of government in a Brace Map and Tree Map. As a culminating task, students design a Hyperstudio presentation that reflects the information they learned during this lesson. The combination of technology with government knowledge is what makes this lesson educational and creative. I think that the lesson would need to be spread out over a few days, and assessments should be used to make sure that students fully grasp the concepts.
"What does the government do for its citizens?" This is the leading question that gets this lesson off the ground. Students compare state and local governments, and define "federalism". Students investigate the powers of government and define government-related vocabulary. Students respond to an essay question after participating in this lesson. This lesson incorporates a lot of information about how our government operates, and also allows students the opportunity to formulate their own opinions. I think the essay question at the end could also be used for a language arts essay writing lesson.
In groups of four, students divide a poster board into sections (outlining the government branches), and then affix cut-outs from magazines that illustrate what each branch does. They are then asked to list criticisms of the government and research that criticism. They are then asked to report on that research. This is a great hands-on lesson that helps visual learners. The investigation of criticisms also helps students tap into higher-level thinking skills. I would make sure that each group member has a specific, designated task during group work.
This lesson has several mini-lessons combined into one. Students use critical thinking skills to discuss and write their opinions based on areas they've studied throughout these lessons. The explore the word "power" and then learn about various types of ruling systems including monarchies, democracies and dictatorships. They are given a series of questions that ask things like, "How would you handle this situation in a democracy? In a dictatorship?" They also implement what they've learned in a role-playing game. This lesson is rich with content, and has loads of activities. Because it is so rich with information, I think it is essential to give periodic assessments, and check for understanding frequently so that students don't become overwhelmed.
