Grade 5 SIOP Unit Plan

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners
Fall 2013
Professor Shaeley Santiago
Caroline Davidson
SIOP Instructional Unit Plan

Topic: 5th Grade Social Studies
Focused Topic: Political Science/Civic Literacy
Essential Concepts and/or Skills:
Understand the purpose and function of each of the three branches of government established by the Constitution
o Understand that the legislative branch passes laws to protect individual right.
o Understand that the executive branch carries out and enforces laws to protect individual rights.
o Understand that the judicial branch, headed by the Supreme Court, makes decisions concerning the law that aim to
protect individual rights.
Understand the differences among local, state, and national governments (with a focus on the national scale)
o Understand the roles of local, state, and national government and the roles of the representative leaders at these levels
such as mayor, governor, and President.
From: www.educateiowa.gov/pk-12/standards-and-curriculum/iowa+core/social-studies/social-studies-grades-3-5
Day One: Introduction to the Three Branches

of Government and the Executive Branch
Grade/Class/Subject: 5th Grade Social Studies
Thematic Topic: Political Science/Civic Literacy
Standards:
o Understand that the executive branch carries out and enforces laws to protect individual rights.
Key Vocabulary:
Content-Specific: President, Commander in Chief, Vice President, Cabinet, Executive, Legislative, Judicial, Diplomacy,
Executive Office of the President
Academic: jigsaw, KWL, Think-Pair-Share
HOTS:
Canned Questions Strategy (used in conjunction with the Think-Pair-Share during the Wrap-Up/Closure section)
Interpretation Questions (guided questions used during the jigsaw to help focus students learning and understanding)

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Knowledge Questions (guided questions used during the jigsaw to help provide a format for students to use when teaching the
information they learned to their second group)
Comprehension Questions (guided questions used during the jigsaw to help provide a format for students to use when teaching
the information they learned to their second group)
Synthesis Questions (used during the Wrap-Up/Closure section when students combine information of all aspects of the
executive branch to better understand it)
Visuals/Resources/Supplementary Materials:
Chart paper
Large Branches of Government Graphic Organizer
Branches of Government Graphic Organizer for students
Classroom Word Study Book
Word Study Books for students
White board and markers
Information in paragraph form for each of the following sections of the executive branch: President, Vice President, Cabinet,
and the Executive Office of the President
Executive Branch Note Taking Guide for students
Connections to Prior Knowledge/Building Background:
1. (Link) Begin Class with a KWL (Know, Want to know, and Learned) chart. Explain that we will be studying the three branches of
our government. Ask students what they know about the government and write it on the Know part of the chart. Complete this in a
whole group setting and discuss the ideas brought up by students. If a student suggests an idea to be investigated during this unit,
write it down and inform the class we will be studying that concept later. If a student suggests an idea that includes unknown or
difficult vocabulary words, either define and write them in the classroom word study book or incorporate them into specific wordstudy time during other parts of the school day. This provides a link to students background knowledge because as the teacher, I ask
them what they personally know and understand about our government.
2. (Bridge) Ask students to think back to their 4th grade classroom where they learned about the role of the government in their state.
Ask them to share with a partner one thing they remembered learning about the government last year. Bring them back to whole
group setting and add any other information to the Know section of the KWL chart. Next, complete the Want section of the

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Caroline Davidson
KWL. Ask students to share anything they want to know about the government, specifically thinking about how it works at the
national level. Add student comments to the KWL chart. Ask them to think about what they wanted to know about the government
last year that was never answered for them. This provides a bridge, connecting last years learning about the government at the state
level to what will be learned during this unit about the government from a national standpoint.
Content Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to correctly list
all three branches of the United States
government after a presentation on how
the powers and duties of the government
are divided.
This content objective will be met
during steps one, four, and five of
the Meaningful Activities/Lesson
Sequence of this lesson plan.
This content objective will be
assessed according to steps one,
four, and five of the
Review/Assessment section of this
lesson plan.
2. Students will be able to identify
individuals that work in the executive
branch of the government as well as the
responsibilities of those individuals.
This content objective will be met
during steps three, four, and five of
Meaningful Activities/Lesson Sequence:

1. Introduce the three branches of the
United States government by using a large
classroom tree (cut out of paper and
contains three branches, one for each
branch of government). Students will
write down the name of each government
branch on their own copy of the tree (see
attached Branches of Government Graphic
Organizer). This will provide them with a
conceptual framework to use as a reference
throughout the entire unit. It can also be
used at the end of the unit to help students
review the key concepts learned.
Review/Assessment:
1. There will be no formal assessment for
the introduction of the three branches of
the United States government, however, at
the conclusion of the lesson, the teacher
will collect the students Branches of
Government Graphic Organizers to ensure
students are completing them by adding
new information.
2. Preview Key Vocabulary have

students add new terms to Word Study
Notebooks. Differentiation option: All
students will have a word study notebook
so everyone has the option to write down
the words. Some students (ELLs who
need extra support, or others as identified
by the teacher) will be required to add the
words to their notebooks. Others will be
given the option to write the words but
must remain on task and paying attention
2. Students Word Study Notebooks will be

collected at the end of each day and
reviewed by the teacher. Students required
to add the new terms to their Word Study
notebook must have all words and
definitions written. Word Study
Notebooks will be graded on completion having all of the words and definitions.
Corrections will be made as needed. If
students need extra support, the teacher
will meet with them the next day to discuss

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assessed according to steps three,

lesson plan.
Caroline Davidson
to the presentation. Use a PowerPoint with and clarify key vocabulary terms.
each word, definition, and picture to
describe each.
3. Introduce the Daily Focus of the
Executive Branch by writing the names of
those who work within it (the President,
the Vice President, the Cabinet members,
and the Executive Office of the President)
on the board. Briefly describe the main
duties of the Executive Branch as
determining what will become law,
conducting diplomacy with other nations,
and making a report about the general
happenings of the nation.

the introduction to the Executive Branch of
the United States Government. Students
must have a basic understanding of the
information presented in order to succeed
during the next part of the lesson.
4. Exploration of the Daily Focus: students

will complete a jigsaw to learn about those
who work within the Executive Branch.
4.1 Students will be split evenly into four
groups: President, Vice President, Cabinet,
and the Executive Office of the President.
4.2 Each group will work together to
complete a short reading and fill in their
information on the Executive Branch Note
Taking Guide. This will feature guiding
questions about the specific duties of the
position, how an individual can get a job in
the position, how long the position lasts,
4.2 There will not be a formal assessment

for this section of Activity 4, however,
during the activity, the teacher will walk
around the classroom and monitor student
involvement. Students will be held
accountable because each will not only
need to fill out and turn in a Executive

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and the different departments within the

Cabinet.
Branch Note Taking Guide but each

student will be responsible for teaching the
information on their assigned section to
their new group (section 4.4).
4.3 Once the Note Taking Guide is

complete, students will form new groups,
each of four members. Each group will
include one expect from each of the
original groups of President, Vice
President, Cabinet, and the Executive
Office of the President.
4.4 Students will share the information
they learned with their new group. While
listening to the other group members,
students will complete their Note Taking
Guide so that at the end of the jigsaw
activity, each student will have all of the
information about each position under the
Executive Branch.
4.4 Again, there will not be a formal

assessment for this section of Activity 4,
however, during the activity, the teacher
will walk around the classroom and
monitor student involvement. Students
will be held accountable for completing
the entire Executive Branch Note Taking
Guide and teaching the information
specific to their section to the new group.
Note Taking Guides will be collected and
graded at the end of the lesson.
5. Once students completely fill in their

Note Taking Guide, the teacher will gather
the whole group to complete a review
activity. This activity and the
review/assessment associated with it are
described in depth in the Wrap-Up/Closure
5. This activity and the review/assessment

associated with it are described in depth in
the Wrap-Up/Closure section of this unit
plan.

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Language Objective(s):
1. Write information about the executive
branch of the government on a note taking
guide to enhance understanding.
Caroline Davidson
section of this unit plan.

1. Students meet this objective during step
four of the activity section listed above.
During the activity, students will
write information specific to the
following four groups: President,
Vice President, Cabinet, and the
Executive Office of the President
on a note taking guide. This is
described in depth above.
Review/Assessment:
1. Students will be responsible for filling
out and turning in a completed Executive
Branch Note Taking Guide. In order to
complete it, they must write down the new
information learned.
2. Describe verbally to a peer

information about an individual who works four of the activity section listed above.
in the executive branch of the government.
During the activity, students will be
responsible for sharing information
about an aspect of the executive
branch (President, Vice President,
Cabinet, and the Executive Office
of the President) verbally to a small
group of peers. This is described in
depth above.
2. Students will not be assessed formally

here, however the teacher will walk around
the classroom to ensure students are on
task. Because only one group member
from each group will be speaking at a time,
the teacher will likely be able to better hear
each students verbal description of their
specific aspect of the executive branch.
3. Write information about the executive

branch of the government on a graphic
organizer to enhance understanding.

out and turning in a Branches of
Government Graphic Organizer. In order
to complete it, they must write down the
new information learned.
3. Students meet this objective during

lesson review described below in the
Wrap-Up/Closure section of this unit plan.
During the review students will be
responsible for writing down
information specific to the
executive branch on the provided

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graphic organizer. This is

described in depth below.
Wrap-Up/Closure:
This activity will be used throughout the unit in order to provide a familiar structure for students. The teacher will use the large
Branches of Government Graphic Organizer (tree) to help students organizer what they learned about the Executive Branch. Students
will complete Think-Pair-Shares before answering the following guiding questions. When students share information, the teacher will
write notes on the large Branches of Government Graphic Organizer. Students will also write notes on their own graphic organizers,
however, their notes can, but do not have to, differ from the teachers. Some guiding questions may include:
What are the four positions under the executive branch?
What are the duties of each position (encourage students to describe positions they did not read about directly)?
How can someone get a job in a certain position? How long does that job last?
What are some of the different departments within the Cabinet?
What else did you learn or find valuable from our learning today?
There will be no formal assessment used here but each student will be held responsible for completing the Branches of Government
Graphic Organizer. At the conclusion of each lesson, the teacher will collect the graphic organizer and read through it to determine if
students are collecting the information needed to be successful in this unit. The graphic organizers will be returned to students prior to
the next lesson.
Additional Features:
Preparation/Lesson Delivery
X_Adaptation of Content
X_Links to Background
X_Links to Past Learning
X_Strategies Incorporated: Jigsaw,
Cooperative Learning Groups
X_Lesson Pacing
Integration of Processes
X_Reading
X_Writing
X_Speaking
Scaffolding
X_Modeling
X_Guided Practice
__Independent Practice
X_Comprehensible Input
__L1 Support
Group Options/Interaction
X_Whole Class
X_Small Groups
__Partners
__Independent
__Technology
Application
__Hands-on
X_Meaningful
X_Linked to Objectives
Assessment
X_Individual
X_Group
__Written

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X_Listening
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X_Promotes Engagement
X_Oral
Day Two: The Judicial Branch

th
Grade/Class/Subject: 5 Grade Social Studies

Standards:
Understand that the judicial branch headed by the Supreme Court, makes decisions concerning the law that aim to
Key Vocabulary:
Content-Specific: Judicial, Supreme Court, case, decision, try,
Academic: KWL, Think-Pair-Share, Note-Taking Guide, main idea, summarize, represent ideas
HOTS:
Right There Questions (used in conjunction with the student reading about the judicial branch)
Interpretive Questions (used in conjunction with the student reading about the judicial branch)
Knowledge Questions (guided questions used to help students identify the main points of the reading and guide further
learning)
Comprehension Questions (guided questions used to help students identify the main points of the reading and guide further
learning, guided questions used to help students create posters in the small group setting)
Synthesis Questions (used during the Wrap-Up/Closure section when students combine knowledge of all aspects of the judicial
branch to better understand it)

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Caroline Davidson
An expository text that describes the judicial branch (who is appointed to the Supreme Court and how, the types of cases tried
by the Supreme Court, who has the ultimate decision of a court case in the US, and how a decision made by the Supreme Court
affects laws.

1. (Bridge) Remind students that at the conclusion of yesterdays lesson, they worked as a whole class to fill in information on the
large classroom Branches of Government Graphic Organizer as well as on their individual Branches of Government Graphic
Organizers. Review this information by having students share a point that interests them aloud with the group. Then tell students that
today we will be learning about another branch of the government, the judicial branch, and set the stage for their learning by telling
them they can try to make connections between the two branches throughout the lesson. This creates a bridge for student learning
because they will be connecting the content they learned yesterday to what they will learn today.
2. (Link) Before diving into the days content, ask students what they know about judicial branch, if anything. If students have
meaningful and insightful responses, possibly add them to the Know section of the KWL chart. Ask students if there is anything
specific they would like to learn about the judicial branch of the US government. Again, possibly add these to the Want to Know
section of the KWL chart. This provides a link to students background knowledge because as the teacher, I ask them what they
personally know and understand about our government and the daily focus of the judicial branch.
1. Students will be able to accurately
identify jobs under the judicial branch of
the government and the general purpose(s)
the judicial branch serves.
This objective is met by steps three
and four of the Meaningful
Activities/Lesson Sequence of this
lesson plan.
assessed according to step three and
four of the Review/Assessment
section of this lesson plan.

1. Preview Key Vocabulary have students
add new terms to Word Study Notebooks.
Differentiation option: All students will
have a word study notebook so everyone
has the option to write down the words.
Some students (ELLs who need extra
support, or others as identified by the
teacher) will be required to add the words
to their notebooks. Others will be given
the option to write the words but must
remain on task and paying attention to the
presentation. Use a PowerPoint with each
word, definition, and picture to describe
Review/Assessment:
1. Students Word Study Notebooks will
be collected at the end of each day and
and clarify key vocabulary terms.

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each.
2. Students will be able to describe the
ways in which the Supreme Court works to
This objective is met by steps three
and four of the Meaningful
lesson plan.
assessed according to steps three and
four of the Review/Assessment

Judicial Branch by writing the key
vocabulary terms on the board. Briefly
describe the main responsibilities of the
judicial branch as making the ultimate
decision regarding court cases and
overseeing smaller courts throughout the
country.

the introduction to the judicial branch of

will complete a reading about the
legislative branch that describes how the
justices work as members of the Supreme
Court to make decisions regarding laws in
the US. Prior to completing the reading,
the teacher will read through guiding
questions (also written on the board) and
answer and student questions about the
activity. The guiding questions include:
who is appointed to Supreme Court and
how are they appointed, what types of
cases does the Supreme Court try, who has
the ultimate decision of a court case in the
United States, how does a decision made
by the Supreme Court affect laws, etc.?
Differentiation option: most students
will read the passage independently,
thinking about the guiding questions
as they read. Students who struggle in

the teachers introduction to the legislative
branch. Students will be held accountable
because they will need to understand and
be prepared to answer the guiding
questions listed by the teacher while/after
they read the text.

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the area of reading or need extra ELL

support, can join a small group with
strong teacher support. This group
will complete a shared reading of the
text, focusing on
decoding/fluency/comprehension
students on which the students are
struggling. Guiding questions will
still be used to help students focus on
the important aspects of the reading.
Different difficulties of questions will
be used to support all students.
4. Once students complete the reading
independently (or in the pull-out group for
students who need more support), they will
form small groups to summarize the
information learned.
4. There will not be a formal assessment

for this section of step 4.
4.1 In groups, students will discuss the

guiding questions and be able to come to a
general consensus regarding the answers.
This will provide students the opportunity
to identify the main points of the reading
and summarize its contents.
4.1 During the activity, the teacher will

work with students in a small group. The
teacher will assess these students on their
reading abilities, specifically their ability
to use the strategies on which they are
currently working, such as decoding,
fluency, and comprehension. Students will
be held accountable because each will need
to participate in completing the next step
of this activity, where they will work
together to create a poster with the
summarized information (step 4.2).

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4.2 In the same small groups, students will

gather poster paper and markers and work
cooperatively to create a poster that shows
the main ideas found in the reading.
Students can represent their understanding
however they choose, as long as all
students contribute to the poster. Posters
can include, but are not limited to, an
outline of information, pictures, symbols,
or a sequence of events (i.e. a cartoon
depicting the sequence of events used by
the Supreme Court when making a
decision).

assessment for this section of step 4,
however, during the activity, the teacher
will walk around the classroom and
monitor student involvement. Students
will be held accountable for working
cooperatively in groups to create a poster
that summarizes the information in their
reading using the guiding questions
previously discussed to help them. The
poster and presentation will be graded in a
more formal manner.
4.3 Once groups finish their poster, they

will be responsible for sharing it verbally
with the class and answering any possible
questions or points of clarification.
4.3 The students will be assessed using a

checklist with room for additional
comments. The checklist will include:
accurate information given, main points
addressed, information summarized well,
each student included in group
presentation, verbal descriptions were
comprehendible, verbal descriptions added
to the content of the poster.
4.4 Once all posters are presented, the

teacher will lead the class in a group
discussion about the different ways in
which students expressed and presented
the same information. Explain that all
students completed the same reading and
4.4 There will be no formal assessment for

this section of step 4. The teacher will,
however, monitor which students
participate in discussion and will call on
others to share accordingly.

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1. Students will be able to write
information about the judicial branch on a
graphic organizer to enhance
understanding.
2. Students will be ale to find the main

idea and summarize information about the
judicial branch after completing a reading
of an expository text.
Caroline Davidson
that each student understands things

slightly differently than others, and
therefore it makes sense why the posters
were all different.
During the activity, students will
write information specific to the
guiding questions listed in step
three of the Meaningful
Activities/Lesson Sequence above.
During this activity, students use
the guiding questions listed to help
them determine the main points
found in the text. They will also
summarize the text when creating
their poster to share with the class.

plan.
Review/Assessment:
out information about the judicial branch
on their Branches of Government Graphic
Organizer. This will be collected at the
end of the lesson. Some students will be
responsible for completing the written
section of their small group poster.
2. Here, students will be assessed in two
ways. First, the teacher will informally
assess students in the small group setting
by leading a shared reading and having
conversations with students about the text.
Second, the teacher will walk around the
classroom during small group work time to
determine if students are on task and if
they are verbally contributing to the group
conversation.

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3. Students will be able to present main

ideas about the judicial branch in small
groups verbally to the class.
Caroline Davidson

During this activity, students will
verbally present information about
the judicial branch they
summarized in the group setting to
the class. Students will then be
provided the opportunity to share
verbally about the differences
found in their classmates posters.
3. The students will be assessed using a

checklist with room for additional
comments. The checklist will include:
accurate information given, main points
addressed, information summarized well,
each student included in group
presentation, verbal descriptions were
comprehendible, verbal descriptions added
to the content of the poster.
Wrap-Up/Closure:
Branches of Government Graphic Organizer (tree) to help students organizer what they learned about the Judicial Branch. Students
Who is appointed to Supreme Court?
How are individuals appointed to the Supreme Court
What types of cases does the Supreme Court try?
who has the ultimate decision of a court case in the United States?
How does a decision made by the Supreme Court affect laws?
the next lesson.

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X_Strategies Incorporated: Cooperative
Learning Groups, Graphic Organizers
X_Lesson Pacing
X_Reading
X_Writing
X_Speaking
X_Listening
Caroline Davidson
Scaffolding
X_Modeling
X_Guided Practice
X_Independent Practice
__L1 Support
X_Whole Class
X_Small Groups
__Partners
X_Independent
__Technology
Application
__Hands-on
X_Meaningful
Assessment
__Individual
X_Group
X_Written
X_Oral
Day Three: The Legislative Branch

th

Standards:
Understand that the legislative branch passes laws to protect individual rights.
Key Vocabulary:
Content-specific: Legislative, Congress, Senate, House of Representatives, enact, legislation, bill
Academic: KWL, Think-Pair-Share, shared reading, expository text
HOTS:
Right There Questions (used in conjunction with the student reading about the legislative branch)
Interpretive Questions (used in conjunction with the student reading about the legislative branch)
Knowledge Questions (guided questions used to help students identify the main points of the reading and guide further
learning)

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Comprehension Questions (guided questions used to help students identify the main points of the reading and guide further
learning, guided questions used to help students create their individual written responses to the reading)
An expository text that describes the legislative branch (powers of Congress, the two governing bodies in the legislative branch, and
how a bill becomes a law)
today we will be learning about another branch of the government, the legislative branch, and set the stage for their learning by telling
them they can try to make connections between the two branches theyve already learned about and what theyll learn today. This
creates a bridge for student learning because they will be connecting the previously learned content to what they will learn today.
2. (Link) Before diving into the days content, ask students what they know about legislative branch, if anything. If students have
meaningful and insightful responses, possibly add them to the Know section of the KWL chart. Ask students if there is anything
specific they would like to learn about the legislative branch of the US government. Again, possibly add these to the Want to Know
section of the KWL chart. This provides a link to students background knowledge because as the teacher, I ask them what they
personally know and understand about our government and the daily focus of the legislative branch.
1. Students will be able to understand
that the legislative branch of the

1.Preview Key Vocabulary have students
Review/Assessment:

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government is made up of two governing

bodies (The House of Representatives and
the Senate).
This objective is met by step two of
assessed according to step two of the
lesson plan.
2. After listening to a shared reading from
an expository text about the legislative
branch, students will be able to list the
main functions of the legislative branch.
This objective is met by steps three,
four, and five of the Meaningful
lesson plan.
assessed according to steps three,
lesson plan.
Caroline Davidson

each.

definitions written. Word Study Notebooks
will be graded on completion - having all
of the words and definitions. Corrections
will be made as needed. If students need
extra support, the teacher will meet with
them the next day to discuss and clarify
key vocabulary terms.

Legislative Branch by writing the key
vocabulary terms on the board. Briefly
describe how the legislative branch is set
up (it includes two governing bodies) and
the general responsibilities of the
legislative branch as enact legislation,
declare war, confirm/reject Presidential
appointments, and it has some
investigative powers.

the introduction to the legislative branch of
3. Exploration of the Daily Focus: students 3. Students will be assessed only for one
will listen to a shared reading from an
aspect of this activity.
expository text about the legislative
branch.
3.1 The teacher will provide each student
a copy of the text to be read and will also
3.1 Students should silently read the text

as the teacher reads it aloud. No formal

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place a copy on the classroom ELMO.

This will be used to complete the shared
reading.
assessment will be used to monitor

students engagement with the text,
however, they will be required to
understand its contents and therefore will
be held accountable during this time.
3.2 Each student will receive a Legislative 3.2 Each student will be responsible for
Branch Note Taking Guide to complete
completing the Legislative Branch Note
during the shared reading. This will help
Taking Guide. This will be collected at the
students better be able to identify the main end of the lesson and graded on completion
points in the reading. Differentiation
and accurate answers.
option: note taking guides will be designed
to provide students different levels of
support as needed. Some guiding
questions addressed by the note taking
guide will include: what are the powers of
Congress, what are the two governing
bodies in the legislative branch, and how
does a bill become a law?
4. After completing the shared reading,
students will independently complete a
written response. This written response
can be in any form including but not
limited to writing paragraphs, drawing
pictures with captions, or creating a bullet
point list.
4. Students will be graded formally on

their written response. At the end of the
lesson, it will be collected and graded
based on completion, accurate information,
and the formal aspects of writing such as
the piece includes a main idea, complete
sentences and punctuation are used, and if
the sentences flow together well, as well as
other aspects.
5. After students have completed their

written response, they will have the
5. Students will not be assessed formally

for this section of the lesson plan.

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opportunity to review it before sharing

parts of it aloud with the class.
5.1 Students will share their writing with
a partner and will answer the following
questions: what was one positive thing
about your partners writing, what was
something your partner could improve on,
and what was the main point of their
writing? These questions will be
answered verbally and will serve as a
sharing and reflection time for students.
5.1 While students share their writing with

a peer partner, the teacher will walk around
the classroom to monitor student
engagement as well as how thoroughly
students are discussing their writing.
5.2 Once students have discussed their

writing with a peer, they will be prepared
to share with the class. Each student will
share one thing about their partners
writing with the class (either something
they did well or the main point in order to
keep a positive conversation).

assessment for this section of the lesson
plan. However, during this time while
students share responses with the class, the
teacher will monitor how well they
understood and complete section 5.1 of this
lesson plan. The teacher will look for
students to use whole sentences that are
comprehensible when sharing with the
class.


plan.

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1. Students will be able to listen for key
information about the main functions of
the legislative branch during a read aloud
from an expository text and complete a
note-taking guide by writing down new
information.

1. Students met this objective during step
three of the activity section listed above.
The note taking guide will include
an outline or questions that help
students better answer the guiding
questions listed above in step 3.2 of
Sequence section of this lesson plan.
Review/Assessment:
1. Although no formal assessment is used
to determine if students are actively
listening to the shared reading of the
expository text, they will be formally
assessed for gaining understanding of the
reading. The note taking guide will serve
two purposes here: first to show student
understanding of the text read aloud and
second to show students can effectively
take notes in writing to further their
understanding of a text.
2. Students will be able to write in any

form (paragraphs, graphic organizer,
pictures with captions, bullet points, etc.)
information about the legislative branch
that was new or interesting to them.

This step includes a time for students
to respond in a writing to an
expository text. Students are
provided choice in the format of
their writing, but their representation
of their understanding of the text
must include some complete
sentences.
2. Students will be graded formally on

their written response. At the end of the
lesson, it will be collected and graded
based on completion, accurate information,
and the formal aspects of writing such as
the piece includes a main idea, complete
sentences and punctuation are used, and if
the sentences flow together well, as well as
other aspects.
Wrap-Up/Closure:
Branches of Government Graphic Organizer (tree) to help students organizer what they learned about the legislative branch. Students

Fall 2013
Caroline Davidson
What are the powers of Congress?

What are the two governing bodies in the legislative branch?
How does a bill become a law?
the next lesson.
X_Strategies Incorporated: Graphic
Organizers, working in pairs
X_Lesson Pacing
X_Reading
X_Writing
X_Speaking
X_Listening
Scaffolding
X_Modeling
__Guided Practice
__L1 Support
X_Whole Class
__Small Groups
X_Partners
X_Independent
X_Technology
Application
__Hands-on
X_Meaningful
__Promotes Engagement
Assessment
X_Individual
__Group
X_Written
__Oral
Day Four: Congress

Grade/Class/Subject: 5th Grade Social Studies
Standards:
Understand the purpose and function of each of the three branches of government established by the Constitution.
o Understand that the legislative branch passes laws to protect individual rights.
Key Vocabulary:

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Caroline Davidson
Content-specific: Legislative, Congress, Senate, House of Representatives, term, legislation, election, bill
Academic: KWL, Think-Pair-Share, classroom investigations, Venn Diagram
HOTS:
Right There Questions (used in conjunction with the Congress Note Taking Guide)
Analysis Skills (used to categorize information when completing the Venn Diagram)
Evaluation Skills (used to justify specific placement of information when completing the Venn Diagram)
Congress Note Taking Guide
Classroom investigations packets for the Senate and the House of Representatives
Large Congress Venn Diagram
Medium sized Congress Venn Diagram for student-group use
Congress Venn Diagrams for students
today we will be learning more about the legislative branch of government, and set the stage for their learning by telling them they can
try to make connections between what they learned yesterday about the legislative branch and what they will learn about it today. This
creates a bridge for student learning because they will be connecting the previously learned content to what they will learn today.

Fall 2013
Caroline Davidson
2. (Link) Before diving into the days content, ask students what they know about Congress, if anything. If students have meaningful
and insightful responses, possibly add them to the Know section of the KWL chart. Ask students if there is anything specific they
would like to learn about the legislative branch of the US government. Again, possibly add these to the Want to Know section of the
KWL chart. This provides a link to students background knowledge because as the teacher, I ask them what they personally know
and understand about our government and the daily focus of Congress.
1. Students will be able to identify the
two main governing bodies of the
legislative branch (the Senate and the
House of Representatives) and the duties
associated with each.
This objective is met by steps two,
three, and four of the Meaningful
lesson plan.
assessed according to steps two,
three, and four of the
lesson plan.

1.Preview Key Vocabulary have students
each.
Review/Assessment:
and clarify key vocabulary terms.
2. Students will be able to compare the

responsibilities of the Senate and the
House of Representatives in small groups.
This objective is met by step four of
2. Introduce the Daily Focus of Congress

by writing the key vocabulary terms on the
board. Briefly describe how the legislative
branch is divided into two governing
bodies: the Senate and the House of
Representatives. Explain that each has its
own set of responsibilities and the two
work together under the legislative branch

the introduction to the Congress. Students

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assessed according to step four of the

lesson plan.
Caroline Davidson
to make decisions regarding laws.

will complete classroom investigations to
learn more about both the Senate and the
House of Representatives. Students will
be split into small groups and given a
packet of information about either the
Senate or the House of Representatives.
As a group, they will go through the
information (some will be written in
paragraph form, some will be listed, some
will be in the format of a newspaper
article, etc). Students will complete a
Congress Note Taking Guide in order to
organize their understanding of the two
governing bodies. After completing the
investigation for either the Senate or the
House of Representatives, student groups
will switch packets of information and
complete the investigation with the
information for the other governing body.
Differentiation option: the teacher can pull
a small group and provide explicit
instruction or strong support for students
while they complete the investigation.
Differentiation option: the packets of
information and the small groups can be
specifically designed to provide the right
amount of challenge and support for
students.
3. During this step of the lesson plan,

students are to complete a Congress Note
Taking Guide. This note taking guide will
be collected at the conclusion of the lesson
and will be graded according to
completion and accurate answers.
Students will be held accountable for
completing the Congress Investigations
because each student will complete the
note taking guide.

Fall 2013
Caroline Davidson
4. Once students have gathered

information about both the Senate and the
House of Representatives, they will work
in the same small groups to organize and
synthesize their understanding of Congress
as a whole by comparing the two
governing bodies.
4. The Venn Diagrams completed by the

small groups will be collected at the
conclusion of this lesson and graded
formally.
4.1 In small groups, students will work

together to complete a Venn Diagram
comparing the Senate and the House of
Representatives. Students can use
information about the responsibilities of
each, the jobs found within each, the term
limits, how individuals are elected to their
position, etc. to complete the Venn
Diagram. Students must work
cooperatively because each small group
will only have one Venn Diagram to
complete.
4.2 Students will be graded on completing

the activity (having information in all three
sections of the Venn Diagram) and having
accurate information. During the activity,
the teacher will walk around the classroom
to monitor student engagement and will
take notes about how each student group
works cooperatively to reach a common
goal.
4.2 Once the small groups have finished

filling in the Venn Diagram, the class will
complete a Classroom Venn Diagram to
combine the information from each group.
The teacher will gather the whole group to
complete this as a review activity. This
activity and the review/assessment
4.2 This activity and the


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1. Students will be able to communicate
effectively in the small group setting
during investigations of the Senate and the
House of Representatives.
2. Students will be able to use writing to

complete a Venn Diagram comparing the
roles of the Senate and the House of
Representatives in the small group setting
and verbally contribute to creating a
whole-class Venn Diagram.
Caroline Davidson
plan.
Students must work together to
complete the investigation. They
must share materials and discuss
what is read/learned with their small
group in order to complete their
individual Congress Note Taking
Guides.
The Venn Diagram will serve as a
tool to help students compare the
Senate and the House of
Representatives. The use of a
graphic organizer will help students
understand the differences between
and the similarities among the two
governing bodies.
Review/Assessment:
1. During step three, students will be
assessed informally. The teacher will
monitor how the students interact with one
another in the small group setting to
complete the investigation. Although each
student must complete their own Congress
Note Taking Guide, they can discuss the
answers and work with their small group to
complete it.
2. During step four, students will be
graded on completing the activity (having
information in all three sections of the
Venn Diagram) and having accurate
information. During the activity, the
teacher will walk around the classroom to
monitor student engagement and will take
notes about how each student group works
cooperatively to reach a common goal.
Wrap-Up/Closure:
This activity will be used in place of adding information to the large Branches of Government Graphic Organizer (tree) because that
graphic organizer has been completed. If students, however, find more information they wish to add to the Branches of Government
Graphic Organizer, they may. Instead, the teacher will lead the class in a similar activity. With help from the students, the teacher will
create a large Congress Venn Diagram that will be placed next to the legislative branch of the Branches of Government Graphic
Organizer once complete. In step four of the Meaningful Activities/Lesson Sequence section of this lesson plan, students created a
Venn Diagram comparing the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each student will be asked to share at least one point from his

Fall 2013
Caroline Davidson
or her groups Venn Diagram. The information shared by students will be added to the large Congress Venn Diagram. At this point,
each student will have their own copy of the Congress Venn Diagram (will be on the back side of the Branches of Government
Graphic Organizer) and will write down their own notes accordingly. Student noes can, but do not have to, differ from the teachers.
There will be no formal assessment used here but each student will be held responsible for completing the
Congress Venn Diagram. At the conclusion of each lesson, the teacher will collect the graphic organizer
and read through it to determine if students are collecting the information needed to be successful in this
unit. The graphic organizers will be returned to students prior to the next lesson.
Learning Groups, Graphic Organizers
X_Lesson Pacing
X_Reading
X_Writing
X_Speaking
__Listening
Scaffolding
X_Modeling
__Guided Practice
__L1 Support
X_Whole Class
X_Small Groups
__Partners
__Independent
__Technology
Application
X_Hands-on
X_Meaningful
Assessment
X_Individual
X_Group
X_Written
__Oral
Day Five: Review and the System of Checks and Balances

th

Standards:
Understand the differences among local, state, and national governments (with a focus on the national scale)

Fall 2013
Caroline Davidson
o Understand the roles of local, state, and national government and the roles of the representative leaders at these levels
such as mayor, governor, and President.
Key Vocabulary:
Content-Specific: Executive, Judicial, Legislative, Congress, checks and balances
Academic: KWL, Think-Pair-Share, scenario
HOTS:
Knowledge Questions (used to gauge student understanding during the Brainpop.com review game)
Application Skills (used during student scenarios)
Analysis and Synthesis Skills (used when students use their prior knowledge and scenario experience to answer the guiding
questions and make a poster to present)
Congress Note Taking Guide
Classroom investigations packets for the Senate and the House of Representatives
Large Congress Venn Diagram
Congress Venn Diagrams for students
Computers with access to brainpop.com
Scenario Role Cards
Chart paper

Fall 2013
Caroline Davidson

large classroom Congress Venn Diagram as well as on their individual Congress Venn Diagrams. Review this information by having
students share a point that interests them aloud with the group. Then tell students that today we will be reviewing information about
the three branches of government and learning about how they all work together. Students will need to make connections between the
information they learned about the three branches of government separately to better understand how they work cohesively together.
This creates a bridge for student learning because they will be connecting the previously learned content (of all three branches of
government and the Congress) to what they will learn today (how they work together).
2. (Link) Before diving into the days content, ask students what they know about how the three branches work together, if anything.
If students have meaningful and insightful responses, possibly add them to the Know section of the KWL chart. Ask students if
there is anything specific they would like to learn about the legislative branch of the US government. Again, possibly add these to the
Want to Know section of the KWL chart. This provides a link to students background knowledge because as the teacher, I ask them
what they personally know and understand about our government and the daily focus of Congress.
1. Students will be able to complete a
review activity and show their knowledge
of the three branches of the United States
government using www.braninpop.com/
games/branchesofgovernment/
This objective is met by step one of
assessed according to step one of the
lesson plan.

1. Students will use The
Branches of Government Game
found at www.braninpop.com/games/
branchesofgovernment/ to complete a
review activity. This activity has students
sort the responsibilities of each branch of
government.
Review/Assessment:
1. Students will complete the Brain Pop
Branches of Government Game and will
record how many mistakes they made.
The teacher will use this information in
assessing how well students understand the
responsibilities of each branch of
government.
2. Students will be able to synthesize their

understanding of the three branches of the
2. Students will split into small groups to

complete scenarios that help them review
each branch and help them discover how

this section of the lesson plan, however, as
the students work to complete their

Fall 2013
United States government by showing how

the three interact under the system of
checks and balances.
This objective is met by steps two
and three of the Meaningful
lesson plan as well as step one of the
Wrap-Up/Closure section of this
lesson plan.
assessed according to steps two and
three of the Review/Assessment
section of this lesson plan as well as
step one of the Wrap-Up/Closure
Caroline Davidson
each branch works together. Each student

in the small group will receive a Role Card
describing to them what role they will play
in the scenario. Students will use these
role cards and their understanding of the
branches of government to complete the
scenario.
scenarios, the teacher will walk around the

classroom to make sure each group
understands and can complete the task at
hand. The teacher may jump in and ask
the small group questions as they play out
their scenario to prompt higher order
thinking skills.
3. Once students finish playing out their

scenario, they will stay in their small group
and use the following set of guiding
questions to discuss and synthesize the
information learned about the three
branches through the previous lessons and
the scenario experience:
Why might each branch of the
United States government need the
other two? Can one branch be
responsible for everything? Why or
why not?
How does the each branch seem to
work together to create, approve,
and question laws?
How might the three branches
working together benefit the United
States?
3. Student discussions of the guiding

questions will not be graded formally,
however the teacher will walk around and
visit with each group to determine if the
students understand the content being
discussed and are working cooperatively.
3.1 Students will use their discussion of

the guiding questions, their knowledge of
the three branches of government, and
3.1 Student posters will be collected at the

conclusion of the lesson. They will be
graded along with the groups presentation
of the poster (step 3.2).

Fall 2013
Caroline Davidson
their scenario experience to create a poster

that describes the checks and balances
system/how the three branches interacted
in their scenario. Each groups poster will
be different because each group had a
different scenario to play out.
3.2 After each group has finished creating
their poster, the groups will take turns to
share and verbally explain it to the whole
class. Their explanation should include
information about their specific scenario as
well as how they believe the three
branches of government work together.
1. Students will be able to use reading
skills and visual support to complete the
online review game of the three branches
of the United States government.
4. Once all students have shared their

poster, the teacher will lead the whole
group in two review activities. These
activities and the review/assessment
associated with them are described in
depth in the Wrap-Up/Closure section of
this unit plan.
one of the activity section listed above.
Students will read and use visual
support to determine under which
branch of government each
3.2 Student presentations along with the

posters created in step 3.1 will be graded
formally according to completion, if all
students participate in verbally explaining
their poster, accurate information portrayed
on the poster, students understanding of
how the three branches of government
work together, and if students present
information in a manner comprehensible to
others.
4. These activities and the
review/assessment associated with them
are described in depth in the WrapUp/Closure section of this unit plan.
Review/Assessment:
1. During step one of this lesson plan,
students will be assessed based on the
number of accurately placed
responsibilities. The teacher will walk
around the classroom and monitor

Fall 2013
Caroline Davidson
responsibility is to be placed.
2. Students will be able to verbally

defend a position specific to their given
role in assigned scenarios to gain
understanding of the checks and balances
system used in the United States
government.
3. Students will be able to work

cooperatively in groups to create a poser
with both written and visual support to
show understanding of checks and
balances and be able to verbally
summarize their poster in a brief
presentation to the class.
students understanding of the questions

asked during the review game. This way,
the teacher will be able to determine if the
students are reading and using visual
support accurately.

two of the activity section listed above.
Students must use their verbal skills
to bring life to the character on their
Role Card. Through conversation,
students will explore the ideas of the
system of checks and balances.
2. During step two of this lesson plan,

students will be not be assessed formally,
however, the teacher will walk around the
classroom to make sure each group
understands and can complete the task at
hand. The teacher may jump in and ask
the small group questions as they play out
their scenario to prompt higher order
thinking skills.

Students must work together, using
verbal and social skills, to synthesize
information learned and create a
poster.
Students must be able to verbally
explain a section of their poster to
classroom peers.
3. During step three of this lesson plan,

students will be assessed formally. The
presentations will be graded according to
completion, if all students participated in
verbally explaining their poster, and if
students presented information in a manner
that was comprehensible to others.
Wrap-Up/Closure:
1. The first part of the Wrap-Up/Closure section of this lesson plan will relate back to the familiar structure of the large Branches of
Government Graphic Organizer (tree). This, along with the student copies of the Branches of Government Graphic Organizer, will be
used to help students organize what they learned about the system of checks and balances through scenarios, posters, and

Fall 2013
Caroline Davidson
presentations. Students will complete a Think-Pair-Share before answering the following guided questions. When students share
information, the teacher will write notes on the trunk of the large Branches of Government Graphic Organizer to show that all of the
branches connect at the truck just as all of the branches connect together through the system of checks and balances. Students will
also write notes on their own graphic organizers, however, their notes can, but do not have to, differ from the teachers. Some guiding
questions may include:
Why might each branch of the United States government need the other two? Can one branch be responsible for everything?
Why or why not?
How does the each branch seem to work together to create, approve, and question laws?
How might the three branches working together benefit the United States?
the next lesson.
2. The second part of the Wrap-Up/Closure section of this lesson plan will be to finish completing the KWL chart used during the
very first lesson of this unit plan. Students will be given time to think about the whole unit, using their graphic organizers (Branches
of Government Graphic Organizer and the Congress Venn Diagram) about everything they learned. Each will pick one or more points
they found interesting or important and will share those with a partner during a Think-Pair-Share. When students share information,
the teacher will write notes under the Learned section of the KWL chart. There will be no formal assessment used here, but each
student must verbally participate in suggesting a point to add to the Learned section of the KWL chart.
3. Finally, at the conclusion of the unit, students will be given a formal summative assessment in the form of a test. This test will
include many question types: knowing and comprehension (to show basic understanding of the responsibilities of the three branches of
government and how they work separately), application (provide an example of a situation in which a specific branch of government
would need to respond), analysis (comparing and contrasting the Senate and the House of Representatives), synthesis (describing how
the three branches of government combine and work together to support our nation), and evaluating (justifying why each branch of the
government is necessary in our country). Although this assessment will be formatted as a test, there will be many options for how
students choose to respond to each question in order to provide opportunities for each student as a distinct learner to show their
understanding in a way that makes the most sense to them. For specific ELL support, the teacher will provide a test with
comprehensible questions and will verbally clarify as needed.
Scaffolding

Fall 2013
Learning Groups, Scenarios, Graphic
Organizers
X_Lesson Pacing
X_Reading
X_Writing
X_Speaking
X_Listening
Caroline Davidson
X_Modeling
X_Guided Practice
__Independent Practice
X_L1 Support
X_Whole Class
X_Small Groups
__Partners
X_Independent
X_Technology
Application
X_Hands-on
X_Meaningful
Assessment
X_Individual
X_Group
X_Written
X_Oral

Grade 5 SIOP Unit Plan

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EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

SIOP Instructional Unit Plan

Day One: Introduction to the Three Branches

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

Meaningful Activities/Lesson Sequence:

2. Preview Key Vocabulary have

2. Students Word Study Notebooks will be

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

assessed according to steps three,

3. There will be no formal assessment for

4. Exploration of the Daily Focus: students

4.2 There will not be a formal assessment

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

and the different departments within the

Branch Note Taking Guide but each

4.3 Once the Note Taking Guide is

4.4 Again, there will not be a formal

5. Once students completely fill in their

5. This activity and the review/assessment

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

section of this unit plan.

2. Describe verbally to a peer

2. Students will not be assessed formally

3. Write information about the executive

3. Students will be responsible for filling

3. Students meet this objective during

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

graphic organizer. This is

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

Day Two: The Judicial Branch

Grade/Class/Subject: 5 Grade Social Studies

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

Connections to Prior Knowledge/Building Background:

Meaningful Activities/Lesson Sequence:

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

2. Introduce the Daily Focus of the

2. There will be no formal assessment for

3. Exploration of the Daily Focus: students

3. There will be no formal assessment for

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

the area of reading or need extra ELL

4. There will not be a formal assessment

4.1 In groups, students will discuss the

4.1 During the activity, the teacher will

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

4.2 In the same small groups, students will

4.2 Again, there will not be a formal

4.3 Once groups finish their poster, they

4.3 The students will be assessed using a

4.4 Once all posters are presented, the

4.4 There will be no formal assessment for

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

2. Students will be ale to find the main

that each student understands things

5. This activity and the review/assessment

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

3. Students will be able to present main

3. Students meet this objective during step

3. The students will be assessed using a

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners

Day Three: The Legislative Branch

Grade/Class/Subject: 5 Grade Social Studies

EDUC 145/245: Teaching English Language Learners