Your Name: Chloe Corley

Grade Level: 4th Grade

School: Academy of the Americas
Date: 3/14/16
Overall lesson topic/title: Government Unit: Jury Duty
Objectives for todays lesson: Students will be able to continue practice their rights as citizens
through the role play of jury duty.
MI GLCEs: 4 C5.0.1 Explain responsibilities of citizenship (e.g., initiating changes in laws or
policy, holding public office, respecting the law, being informed and attentiv
Materials & supplies needed:
Jury Duty PowerPoint
Jury Duty Worksheet
Pencil
Class Dojo
Pg 121 in Our Country and Its Regions
LAUNCH (BEFORE) 10 minutes
Whole Group:
In just a second, I want you to think about what it means
to be a citizen of the United States.
Think back to the roles weve practiced in class and
brainstorm your ideas with your group.
Small Group:
Students can use previous worksheets, books, and build
off one another to review the duties of being a citizen.
Whole Group:
Using random on Class Dojo, a student is called to
share.
Students will discuss some of the roles learned so far in
the unit
-Paying Taxes- Practiced through a review game
-Voting-Voting for classmates to solve different issues
Today we are going to practice another role of being a
citizen; serving on a jury.
EXPLORE (DURING)
Whole Group Discussion: (10 mins)
Students read Being a Responsible Citizen on page
121
Discuss aspects of a jury: 9 jurors, unanimous decision,

Academic, Social and

Linguistic Support during
each event for my focus
students:
Launch:
Students get into small groups
in hopes that group
collaboration gives ideas and
reminders to students who
need this. This creates a
comfortable space for students
to answer when brought back
to whole group.
Explore:
Students read through
individual books as discussion
happens with the teacher.
Scaffolding occurs to help
guide discussion and keep
students on topic. The teacher
will look for students use of
terms to check for

choosing process, defendant, judge, etc.

Guiding Questions:
What do you think it would feel like to be on a jury?
Do you think it is always easy to reach a decision?
(Discuss verdict).
What kind of things do you think jurors have to pay
attention to?

Activity: Guilty or Innocent (30 minutes)

Whole Group
Today we are going to practice serving on jury duty.
Your group members at your table will be your jury.
I will read a case with pictures and your group will have
to decide if the suspect is guilty or innocent
On your worksheet, I want you to take important notes
of what is happening as I read the scenario.
The more detailed your notes are; the more evidence
you have to discuss with your jury.
Students will be read the scenario, purposely adding the
picture of the biker-looking defendant at the end.
Small Group
Students discuss with their group members about the
case.
Teacher scaffolding occurs
After 15-20 minutes, students must move away from
talking and individually write if the defendant is guilty
or innocent WITH evidence written in the space
provided.
SUMMARIZE (AFTER)
Whole Group Presentation
To organize the classroom, students will side themselves
on the guilty side of the room or the innocent side
of the room to gain an idea of general student census.
In these groups, students will discuss why they arrived
at their decision.
The teacher will listen for reasoning and select a few
students from each group to share.
During a discussion, students will discuss thoughts on
the looks of the defendant and talk about the effects of
judging a person based on ones appearance.
Students will discuss what it was like to work in a group
where people disagree and what evidence they used to

understanding.
Working in a group during
jury duty helps students think
and re-think their decisions.
Debating is allowed in a
friendly and respectful
manner.
Informal Assessment:
During a whole group
discussion, I will look
for discussion of:
Term use verdict,
defendant, citizen,
rights.
Tying in of other
governmental topics
learned throughout the
unit so far.

back up their decision.

The teacher will read the verdict to the class.

Assessment (How will I gauge the students learning as I Academic, Social, and
implement the lesson plan and once the lesson is completed? Linguistic Support during
Specifically, what will I look for? How will I use what I am assessment
learning to inform my next steps?
Informal Assessment:
During a whole group discussion, I will look for
discussion of:
Term use verdict, defendant, citizen, rights.
Tying in of other governmental topics learned
throughout the unit so far.
Formal Assessment
Jury Duty Worksheet
Students included at least 4 relevant details from hearing
the story
Students chose guilty or innocent with at least 3
reasons.