4 SS3

LO 3

 

How Does Government Affect Me?

 

 

 

 

 

Formative Assessment:

 

·        Why do we have governments?

·        What kinds of things do governments do?

·        How do decisions made by governments affect us?

 

 

Instructional Strategies or Activities:

 

Ask students to brainstorm the different people within the school that help to make the school run efficiently (nurse, principal, teacher, bus driver, custodian, etc.)  Talk about the responsibilities of those workers at school and what would happen should these people fail to meet their responsibilities. 

 

Extend the idea of helpers to the town.  Students will brainstorm and name people that help the town run properly.  Explore the equivalents of the school principal, nurse, custodian, etc. found in a town. 

 

Using the following website:  www.pbs.org/democracy/kids/educators/index.html ,  direct students to the online game “How Does Government Affect Me?”  Tell students that they are going to learn more about how government—and government workers—affect the life of the community.

 

After students play the online game, they should have a good understanding of how government affects their everyday lives. Explain to students that one  way their parents, relatives, and neighbors contribute to the success of the community (and the country) is by voting.  Draw upon students’ newly-acquired knowledge:  why is voting so important?  Students will be told that they will be good and useful citizens by participating in a project to encourage voting.  Their newly-acquired information will prove useful to them because they will be creating motivational bookmarks that will provide adults with basic information about local elections and reasons for voting.

 

In order to create the bookmarks, student will find out what local elected offices exist in their area.  Students will use e-mail, letters, printed materials, field trips, guest speakers, Web pages, etc., to gather information about these positions, who occupies the position, and the duties of each job.  Students will also conduct research to find pertinent information about the local elections.  You may wish to brainstorm with students some reasons for voting.  Playing “How Does Government Affect Me?” will have prepared students for this discussion.

 

Students will create bookmarks that encourage and provide reasons for voting and/or bookmarks that give some local election information.  Bookmarks should be made from construction paper.  After students add illustrations and text, laminate the bookmarks.  Punch holes in the top, and tie each with a ribbon.  Bookmarks could possibly be in shapes of elephants, donkeys, or other government or voting symbols. 

 

Students should create two bookmarks each (one the student will keep and one that will be shared with the community)/

 

Students should distribute the finished bookmarks through local banks, dentist offices, the local Motor Vehicles bureau, public libraries, etc.

 

 

 Summative Assessment:

 

·        Students should have completed all assignments and actively participate in all discussions.

 

·        Students should have completed two satisfactory bookmarks encouraging adults to vote. 

 

·        Students’ bookmarks should be the evidence that indicates understanding of voting behaviors.