Resources
This lesson was planned with the guidance and input of my cooperating teacher from Randall Elementary School in Madison, Wisconsin. Fourth grade teacher Anne Marie Streeter was a major resource for me as I planned this unit. She provided me with her experiences from teaching this unit in the past and what seemed to work best for students. She also helped modify m own original ideas as I suggested them. She was a great resource to have.
I planned most of the lesson from using basic information found in the students' textbook. I used the following resources to help guide the unit:
Hurwitz, J. (1990). Class President. New York, NY: Willaim Morrow and Company, Inc.
This children's novel is a bit dated but an amazing way to compliment a class election in your classroom. It provides students with a fun and entertaining read and really addresses the big issues of character in elections. Students get to watch as the students in the book run for class president, and it forces them to think about what types of characteristics a good president has. Students also are given the opportunity to think about popularity and whether or not that should influence who is elected. The book addresses a lot of social issues that are prevalent in any classroom and is a very useful tool to pair with a class election so that issues such as character and popularity can be discussed. It helps students begin to think about what is really important in a class president.
Leichtle, K. (2008). The Wisconsin Journey. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith Education.
This 4th grade social studies textbook provided students with a basic knowledge of many of the aspects of the state’s governments. Examples were given to help students a better understanding of what they were learning about. The information was presented to students in a very clear manner and the book came with several worksheets and class activities that teachers could also incorporate into lessons. This textbook provided a good general knowledge base to students at first. Teachers can then expand this knowledge by doing various activities they come up with to make the material more real and relevant.
I planned most of the lesson from using basic information found in the students' textbook. I used the following resources to help guide the unit:
Hurwitz, J. (1990). Class President. New York, NY: Willaim Morrow and Company, Inc.
This children's novel is a bit dated but an amazing way to compliment a class election in your classroom. It provides students with a fun and entertaining read and really addresses the big issues of character in elections. Students get to watch as the students in the book run for class president, and it forces them to think about what types of characteristics a good president has. Students also are given the opportunity to think about popularity and whether or not that should influence who is elected. The book addresses a lot of social issues that are prevalent in any classroom and is a very useful tool to pair with a class election so that issues such as character and popularity can be discussed. It helps students begin to think about what is really important in a class president.
Leichtle, K. (2008). The Wisconsin Journey. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith Education.
This 4th grade social studies textbook provided students with a basic knowledge of many of the aspects of the state’s governments. Examples were given to help students a better understanding of what they were learning about. The information was presented to students in a very clear manner and the book came with several worksheets and class activities that teachers could also incorporate into lessons. This textbook provided a good general knowledge base to students at first. Teachers can then expand this knowledge by doing various activities they come up with to make the material more real and relevant.
