Teacher: Miss Kuhn

Date: Monday, August 26, 2015

Grade: 3
Title of Activity: Together lets govern our classroom!
Ohio Department of Education Social Studies Standard:
Topic-rules and laws
Government strand-Laws are rules which apply to all people in a community and
describe ways people are expected to behave. Laws promote order and security, provide
public services and protect the rights of individuals in the local community.
Student Learning Objective:
Students will learn that laws are rules that apply to all people in a community
through whole and small group instruction of creating a class constitution that will
govern our third grade classroom.
Anticipatory Set:
I called everyone to the carpet because we have a very important task to work on
together. We will be learning together all year so we need to create rules for our
classroom. On your white board write down ways you would like to be treated in
school. [Students work] Great work! I saw many great examples. Can someone
tell me something they wrote on their board? [Students give examples] Next, we
are going to break into small groups. On the board I have listed specific
classmates you will be working with.
Instructional Strategies:
Whole group instruction
Small group instruction
Speaking and listening
Vocabulary Terms:
Symbols
Living space
Rules
Constitution
Classroom community
Materials, resources, technology:
White boards
Chart paper
Markers

Activities:
Activity 1: Small group work and presentations
Students will be divided into groups to draw a living space, any place where
people can be, of their choosing.
Students will brainstorm behaviors and attitudes they would like to see in their
living space and actions they do not want to see. Next, students will make picture
symbols for each behavior. For instance, students may create a smiley face
because they want to show positive and friendly behaviors in their living space.
Students will then draw positive symbols within their living space and negative
symbols on the outside of their living space.
Students will present their living space to the class.
Activity 2: Classroom environment
Teacher will engage students to decide on behaviors that all students would like
and not like.
A second living space will be drawn. This will represent the classroom. Students
will help direct the teacher in creating picture symbols.
Teacher will start a student-led discussion about values that will be seen within
the classroom. Students will give examples about how they can carry out these
actions.
Teacher will create a written contract with the students. All students will sign the
contract. This will be hung up within the classroom and referred to often. Students
will keep other classmates accountable by following the classroom constitution.
Closure:
Thanks for helping me create our classroom constitution. How will we keep this
alive during the school year? [Students respond with examples] Great! If we stray
from our rules I will make sure to refer to our constitution.
Accommodations for Special Learners:
Visual learners: Students will see the classroom living space and symbols.
Auditory learners: Students will hear presentations about each living space.
Tactile learners: Students will physically draw a living space, symbols and sign
the contract.
Students who do not stay on task: Students will sit near the teacher so additional
positive reinforcement can be given.
English Language Learners: Symbols, gestures, and picture cards will be
implemented to increase understanding.
Assessment:
Informal: Through teacher observation I will monitor whole group instruction to
check student progress. I will actively check to see: Do students understand that
we must create a list of rules to govern our classroom? Yes or No. Do students

understand that we must implement the constitution within our classroom? Yes or
No.