Smartboard Lesson Plan

Michelle Burian1

Smartboard Lesson Plan

Introduction

Topic: Branches of Virginia government

Length of Lesson: 50 minutes

SOL: VS.10 The student will demonstrate knowledge of government, geography and economics by:

a)Identifying the three branches of Virginia government and the function of each

Content Objectives

The student will:

Identify the three branches of Virginia government, which include: legislative, executive, and judicial.
Discern the different functions of the legislative branch of Virginia government.

Assessment:

Formative Assessment

Identify the three branches of Virginia government, which include: legislative, executive, and judicial.

The teacher will look for the following:

Student recognizing and labeling the three different branches
Students raising their hands to add additional details from prior knowledge

The teacher will listen for the following:

Student remembering each branch of Virginia government.

Discern the different functions of the legislative branch of Virginia government.

The teacher will look for the following:

Students participating with smartboard activities during lesson
Students creating their own legislative laws within groups
Students filling out the given worksheet on the roles of legislative branch

The teacher will listen for the following:

Students talking to assigned group members to create “laws”
Students properly explaining and supporting their reasoning for the laws they

created.

Summative Assessment:

Identify the three branches of Virginia government, which include: legislative, executive, and judicial.

For this objective, the students will be given a worksheet towards the end of the class period. They will be asked to name and label the three different branches of Virginia government. Since this is a multi-day unit, the same worksheet will be collected and passed out again each day in order to complete it. At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to paste this worksheet into their journal.

Discern the different functions of the legislative branch of Virginia government.

For this objective, the students, in assigned committee groups, will be asked to create new rules or “laws” for the school.The students will either be assigned to a committee under the House or Senate. They will then write down these laws and as a class, decide on their top 3 choices to send to the governor, or teacher. The students won’t know if the teacher chooses to pass or veto the law until the next class when the executive branch is discussed. At the end of class time, the students will fill out a worksheet with a given word bank that covers the jobs and role of the legislative branch. These will be collected and then handed back out for the next lesson.

Materials/Technology and Advanced Preparation

This lesson requires the following materials:

Smartboard
Projector & computer
See, Think, Wonder worksheets
3 Branches of Virginia government worksheets
Markers
Large sticky paper (to write “laws” on)
Pencils

Teaching and Learning Sequence

TIME / TEACHER ACTIONS / STUDENT ACTIONS
Introduction/Anticipatory Set – Outline how the lesson will begin. How will you focus student attention on lesson content, build on prior knowledge, motivate students to learn, etc.?

Before the lesson begins, pass out the See, Think, Wonder worksheets to each student in the class.
Gather students’ attention towards the front of the classroom while they are sitting at their desks.
Say, “Now I’ve placed a worksheet on your desk. We’ve done this type of graphic organizer before, but I’ll explain it again and then answer any questions that you might have.”
Explain to students that they are to look at the 3 pictures that are projected onto the smartboard.
Using the worksheet as a prompt, they should write down what they see, or observe, about the pictures, write down why it makes them think about, and finally, what they are wondering about the pictures or what they want to know about them.
After explaining the directions to students, ask if anyone has any questions.
If not, give students around 5 minutes to fill out graphic organizer.
Once time is up, say, “Now we’re going to be going over graphic organizer and what you wrote more in depth later today and during the next few days, but before we begin, does anyone know what each picture stands for?” (pause for students to answer)
Ask students if they notice any connections about the pictures and have students volunteer what they wrote under each column.
Introduce each picture as a Virginia branch of government by using each specific slide on the smartboard and describing the pictures.
After briefly naming the branches and writing their main function on the slide, inform students that today we’re going to be focusing in on only one branch of the Virginia government.
Say, “We just learned the names of the 3 different branches of government, but today we’re going to be going into more depth and focusing in on only one branch of government. Today we’re going to focusing on the Legislative branch!”
Say, “We’re going to be working on the Smartboard today as well as doing some small group work towards the end of class. I expect everyone to be actively listening and participating in our class.”
Ask students if they have any questions before the lesson begins. If not, begin lesson.

Listen to the teacher in the front of the classroom.

Look at smartboard slide and fill in graphic organizer.

Volunteer what student wrote down and answer the teacher’s questions.

Ask questions if unsure of any information at this point in the lesson.

Lesson Development – Outline the sequence to be followed in the development of the lesson. Pay particular attention to concept development and questioning.

Say, “As we just learned, the Legislative Branch of Virginia is in charge of making up laws for our state.”
Show slide of Legislative branch and explain how the branch is also called the General Assembly in Virginia.
After asking if any student knows what the pictures stands for on slide 6, invite student up to move the speech bubble and find out the answer.
Say, “Now the General Assembly is considered a bicameral, or two houses, lawmaking body. Does anyone have any idea of what the two bodies are called?” (Pause for students to answer)
After listening to ideas, invite student up to class to interact with board on slide 7 and discover the answers.
Say, “Before we go into more depth on both the House of Delegates and the Senate, it’s important to learn about where these two bodies meet. Each has a chamber, or meeting space, in the capitol building here in Richmond.”
Show students the picture on slide 8 and explain how one meets in the west wing and one meets in the east wing.
Invite 2 students up to manipulate the image and guess which chamber belongs to either the House of Delegates or the Senate.
Using the slides, explain to students the differences between the House of Delegates and the Senate. Stop every so often to answer questions that might arise.
On the “How to make a bill” slide, read off the different steps and explain how they aren’t in the correct order.
Say, “Now these are the different steps that need to occur in order for a bill to become a law in Virginia.” Ask for a volunteer to draw lines or arrows from the correct step to the number order.
On the next slide, explain the different steps, in the right chronological order this time, the way that a bill becomes a law. Just focus on the legislative branch, not checks and balances yet. Ask if there are any questions.
After completing the smartboard presentation, say “Now we’re going to be doing a class activity. In your group of desks, I’m going to assign you as either a committee under the Senate or House of Delegates. With your group, I want you to brainstorm three possible bill ideas of new rules that we should create for our school. You can create any different type of bill and it can focus on anything in our school. For example, that recess is extended by an extra half hour every day. Choose a scribe to write down your bills on the large sheet of paper provided and a speaker to present your bills to the class. Any questions?”
Walk around the classroom and help students brainstorm and write down ideas.
After a few minutes, gather students’ attention towards the front of the classroom.
Say, “Now I want each speaker to read off the 3 different bills that they created and briefly explain why they proposed them.”
Go around the classroom and have each group present.
Say, “We’ve now heard every committee’s proposed bills. As a class of members of either the House of Delegates or the Senate (depends on the committee assigned), we should decide on 3 final bills that we want to be presented to the governor, or me, for review.”
Help guide students to agree upon 3 bills to be presented.
Explain how for the next class, we’ll be focusing on the executive branch where they will learn whether or not the governor approved or vetoed their bills. Ask if there are any questions.

If chosen, go up to the smartboard and manipulate or interact with the board to answer questions. If not chosen for the board, pay close attention to the key words and information that’s being said because of the importance of closing activity.

Go to front of classroom and interact with smartboard activity.

Volunteer to go to smartboard.

Pay close attention to smartboard and what is being presented in class if still sitting at desk.

Ask any questions if they are present.

Work within assigned group to come up with 3 different bills.

Present bills to the class.

As a whole group, decide which 3 bills are the best to send to the governor.

Closure – Outline how the lesson will be concluded. How will you summarize, review, reinforce, enrich, and/or encourage students to reflect on what they have learned?

After collecting the different papers from each group, hand out the 3 branches of government worksheet to each students.
Explain to students that they are to fill out the worksheet and that I’ll be collecting it and handing it back out to them for each day of the unit.
Have students label the 3 different branches of government, as well as use the word bank to fill out the questions. Ask if any there are any questions before letting students begin.
At the end of given time, collect the worksheets and explain that I’ll be passing them back out until they’re completed. They will then be glued into their journals.

Fill out the assigned worksheet

Hand worksheet to teacher

Ask any final questions on the legislative branch.

Lesson Organizer

Prior Knowledge and NEW Instructional Content

This lesson would be given more towards the beginning of the unit.
Students should have prior knowledge of the term of government, but not necessarily know the specifics of what makes up a government.

To be successful with this standard, students are expected to:

Students need to be able to recall by memory the 3 different branches of VA government. They also need to understand what the legislative branch is comprised of as well as discern its role and functions in the government.
Begin to understand and think about why the legislative branch is an integral part of our government today.

Instructional Modifications to
ASSIST Students / Main Events of Instruction / Instructional Modifications to
CHALLENGE Students

Give students paper & chart that has some examples of points already filled out.

Guide students along smartboard when called up to the board

Students can collaborate with group members who are able to provide assistance if needed.

Don’t have to volunteer to present if they don’t want to.

Give students worksheets with some of the words already filled out in the first column.

See, Think, Wonder brainstorm activity

Have students participate in whole class instruction with smartboard

Have students work in groups to come up with “laws” that will eventually be voted on.

Have students present their “laws” to the class

Have students complete worksheet with questions asked.

Ask students where they have seen these pictures before or if they have seen any similar examples in other places

Ask students additional questions at board that engages open ended thinking.

Have students lead their group and help other members in the creation of their bills

Have students present and explain their reasoning behind the bills that their group created.
Give students worksheet without a word bank.