Lesson 4: The Election Process
Teacher: Brittany Hughes
Grade Level: 4th Subject Area: Social Studies
Time Needed: 1 Class Period Topic: The Election Process
Essential Questions:
· What is the process government candidates must go through to become elected?
· How do government candidates get elected into office?
· What are characteristics of a government leader?
Lesson Goals:
· Students will complete a worksheet about the election process in small groups be using their textbook to guide their understanding of the process.
· Students will use the knowledge they gain from the reading and worksheet to generate characteristics they think are important for a political official to have.
· Students will demonstrate their understanding of the election process by explaining the process Governor Doyle went through to become Wisconsin’s governor.
MMSD Standards:
NCSS Standards:
Materials Needed:
· Class President Book
· The Wisconsin Journey textbook
· “The Election Process” worksheet
· Raccoon Dollars
· Butcher Paper
· Markers
· Exit Slip
· Photographs with names and position of Wisconsin Government Officials
· Overhead
· Chalkboard
Lesson Context: This is a middle of the unit lesson that explores how the government officials that the students previously learned about get elected. This is the last basic lesson of the unit and after this lesson students will begin a 3 lesson long process of electing their own class president. During these lessons students will have to use the information they learn during this election process lesson to accurately conduct their own in class election. As a result the material learned in this lesson is very vital and will be directly used for the remainder of the unit.
Lesson Opening: Read the fourth chapter of Class President to the students in the back of the room. In this chapter the teacher tells students that they are going to be voting for a class president. Students in the class must choose whether or not they want to run. Ask students what characters they think will run for president and why. Also ask students what characters they think would make a good class president and why. Tell students that government officials must run and get voted into office to become leaders and that we are going to explore this process today.
Procedures:
1. Have the students go back to their seats. Have pictures and names of the different Wisconsin Government leaders and their title in government on the front board. Tell students that all of these people were elected to become the position they are. Ask students what they know about the election process. Accept all answers and write them on the front board as they are given. Ask students to think about who elects officials into office, how officials are elected into office, different things they think officials may have to do to become elected, how people decide who to elect into office, etc. Encourage students to use what they have already learned about the role of citizens and the three branches of government to connect to the lesson.
2. Thank students for their responses and praise them for the large amount of information they already know about the election process. Tell students that there are some distinct steps in the election process that we are going to discuss today.
3. Pass out a copy of The Wisconsin Journey textbook to each student. Also hand out a copy of “The Election Process” worksheet to each student. Allow the students to work together to read page 149 and fill out the worksheet. Let students know that the information on the page should help them fill out the worksheet. Tell students that if they work quietly and effectively you will give each of them a Raccoon Dollar. Inform them that sometimes during group work their voices get a little loud and explain that you are glad that they get into their work and our excited about it but we have to be respectful to the other classes in the building and keep our volume down to a minimum. Remind students be writing “Work Quietly = 1 Raccoon Dollar” on the board.
4. Give students time to work and walk around to monitor their group volume as well to make sure that they are on task. Answer any questions that students have.
5. Come back as a class and fill out the election process together on the overhead. Ask for students to volunteer answers and ask probing questions after the student responses. Use the questions to the sides of the answers on the worksheet to help push the students thinking. Ask students these questions and accept their responses about why they think political parties are formed, how they have seen political candidates campaigning in their life, and the characteristics they think are important for an elected official to have.
6. Give students that remained working effectively and quietly during the work time raccoon dollars. Have the students but the money in their folder with their other raccoon dollars.
7. Take a few minutes to specifically discuss characteristics of government officials with students. Ask the students what kind of person they would want representing them and running their government. Also ask the students to think about issues that are important to their parents that might help them decide who to vote for and characteristics they want their leader to have. Discuss what the students say and why they think their responses are important. Write the responses students give on a large piece of butcher paper on the front board to compile a strong list of desired characteristics for their government officials. Make sure that students bring up characteristics such as fair, honest, responsible, caring, creative, helpful, a good public speaker, someone who has lots of ideas, etc. In addition students might bring up voting for someone who has similar beliefs about you and who says they will do the most to help you and the state. Be ready for any and all answers and be willing to discuss why students responded the way they did.
8. Return back to the photographs of the current elected Wisconsin government leaders (Governor, Senators, Legislators, and Judges) that you showed students at the beginning of the lesson. Ask students to use the information that they learned from the reading and worksheet to think about what each candidate had to do to become elected. Ask students if they have seen or heard any campaigning from any of the candidates and where they saw this. Also ask the students to think about how many people help each candidate campaign and what each candidate believes in and how these beliefs effect who votes for them.
Closure/Assessment: Give each student an exit slip with the following question on it: “Jim Doyle is our current governor. Using the information you learned today about the election process explain the different steps Governor Doyle had to complete to become governor. Use as much detail as you can about political parties, methods of campaigning, individuals who help him, and how he actually got elected governor.” Collect the slips as students leave the room and read through their answers. Reflect on the answers they gave to help you understand the students understanding of the material and ways in the future you can enhance this understanding.
EXIT SLIP:
Jim Doyle is our current governor. Using the information you learned today about the election process explain the different steps Governor Doyle had to complete to become governor. Use as much detail as you can about political parties, methods of campaigning, individuals who help him, and how he actually got elected governor.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Grade Level: 4th Subject Area: Social Studies
Time Needed: 1 Class Period Topic: The Election Process
Essential Questions:
· What is the process government candidates must go through to become elected?
· How do government candidates get elected into office?
· What are characteristics of a government leader?
Lesson Goals:
· Students will complete a worksheet about the election process in small groups be using their textbook to guide their understanding of the process.
· Students will use the knowledge they gain from the reading and worksheet to generate characteristics they think are important for a political official to have.
· Students will demonstrate their understanding of the election process by explaining the process Governor Doyle went through to become Wisconsin’s governor.
MMSD Standards:
- Political Science and Citizenship: Standard 3: Identify a major government official at the state level and explain how he/she is elected.
NCSS Standards:
- Standard 3: People, Places, and Environments
- Standard 4: Individual Development and Identity
- Standard 5: Individuals, groups, and Institutions
- Standard 10: Civic Ideals and Practices
Materials Needed:
· Class President Book
· The Wisconsin Journey textbook
· “The Election Process” worksheet
· Raccoon Dollars
· Butcher Paper
· Markers
· Exit Slip
· Photographs with names and position of Wisconsin Government Officials
· Overhead
· Chalkboard
Lesson Context: This is a middle of the unit lesson that explores how the government officials that the students previously learned about get elected. This is the last basic lesson of the unit and after this lesson students will begin a 3 lesson long process of electing their own class president. During these lessons students will have to use the information they learn during this election process lesson to accurately conduct their own in class election. As a result the material learned in this lesson is very vital and will be directly used for the remainder of the unit.
Lesson Opening: Read the fourth chapter of Class President to the students in the back of the room. In this chapter the teacher tells students that they are going to be voting for a class president. Students in the class must choose whether or not they want to run. Ask students what characters they think will run for president and why. Also ask students what characters they think would make a good class president and why. Tell students that government officials must run and get voted into office to become leaders and that we are going to explore this process today.
Procedures:
1. Have the students go back to their seats. Have pictures and names of the different Wisconsin Government leaders and their title in government on the front board. Tell students that all of these people were elected to become the position they are. Ask students what they know about the election process. Accept all answers and write them on the front board as they are given. Ask students to think about who elects officials into office, how officials are elected into office, different things they think officials may have to do to become elected, how people decide who to elect into office, etc. Encourage students to use what they have already learned about the role of citizens and the three branches of government to connect to the lesson.
2. Thank students for their responses and praise them for the large amount of information they already know about the election process. Tell students that there are some distinct steps in the election process that we are going to discuss today.
3. Pass out a copy of The Wisconsin Journey textbook to each student. Also hand out a copy of “The Election Process” worksheet to each student. Allow the students to work together to read page 149 and fill out the worksheet. Let students know that the information on the page should help them fill out the worksheet. Tell students that if they work quietly and effectively you will give each of them a Raccoon Dollar. Inform them that sometimes during group work their voices get a little loud and explain that you are glad that they get into their work and our excited about it but we have to be respectful to the other classes in the building and keep our volume down to a minimum. Remind students be writing “Work Quietly = 1 Raccoon Dollar” on the board.
4. Give students time to work and walk around to monitor their group volume as well to make sure that they are on task. Answer any questions that students have.
5. Come back as a class and fill out the election process together on the overhead. Ask for students to volunteer answers and ask probing questions after the student responses. Use the questions to the sides of the answers on the worksheet to help push the students thinking. Ask students these questions and accept their responses about why they think political parties are formed, how they have seen political candidates campaigning in their life, and the characteristics they think are important for an elected official to have.
6. Give students that remained working effectively and quietly during the work time raccoon dollars. Have the students but the money in their folder with their other raccoon dollars.
7. Take a few minutes to specifically discuss characteristics of government officials with students. Ask the students what kind of person they would want representing them and running their government. Also ask the students to think about issues that are important to their parents that might help them decide who to vote for and characteristics they want their leader to have. Discuss what the students say and why they think their responses are important. Write the responses students give on a large piece of butcher paper on the front board to compile a strong list of desired characteristics for their government officials. Make sure that students bring up characteristics such as fair, honest, responsible, caring, creative, helpful, a good public speaker, someone who has lots of ideas, etc. In addition students might bring up voting for someone who has similar beliefs about you and who says they will do the most to help you and the state. Be ready for any and all answers and be willing to discuss why students responded the way they did.
8. Return back to the photographs of the current elected Wisconsin government leaders (Governor, Senators, Legislators, and Judges) that you showed students at the beginning of the lesson. Ask students to use the information that they learned from the reading and worksheet to think about what each candidate had to do to become elected. Ask students if they have seen or heard any campaigning from any of the candidates and where they saw this. Also ask the students to think about how many people help each candidate campaign and what each candidate believes in and how these beliefs effect who votes for them.
Closure/Assessment: Give each student an exit slip with the following question on it: “Jim Doyle is our current governor. Using the information you learned today about the election process explain the different steps Governor Doyle had to complete to become governor. Use as much detail as you can about political parties, methods of campaigning, individuals who help him, and how he actually got elected governor.” Collect the slips as students leave the room and read through their answers. Reflect on the answers they gave to help you understand the students understanding of the material and ways in the future you can enhance this understanding.
EXIT SLIP:
Jim Doyle is our current governor. Using the information you learned today about the election process explain the different steps Governor Doyle had to complete to become governor. Use as much detail as you can about political parties, methods of campaigning, individuals who help him, and how he actually got elected governor.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
"The Election Process" Worksheet
