ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

As I prepared a needs assessment and rational for this unit, I considered many factors. Data from the 2002-2003 North Dakota State Assessment and the Mandan Public Schools standards for Social Studies/Reading were considered for this project. Ft. Lincoln Elementary was below the State Average and District Average in the following areas: 1) Standard 1: Gather and organize information. 2) Standard 2: Engage in the reading process 3) Standard 3: Comprehend literature 4) Standard 7: Understand/use principles It appears that students need more practice reading a variety of materials, writing for specific audiences and editing to improve readability. Both state and local scores indicated these areas of performance are lower than other areas on the test. This designed unit will give students understanding and practice in these skills in the context of learning about the United States Government. We did the Northwest Evaluation Association Testing of the same students that was test in 2002-2003. This test was done in the fall of 2004. The NWEA test is a criteria test not a norm test, a criteria test is over the state average and norm test is over the national average. The result of the NWEA Testing indicates that our student is below the national average by .04% (Mean RIT 210.1 Median 210 national Average 210.5). Many of the skill in the Social Studies areas are untested. We believe that reading is the most important area in a child education. It is clear through discussion with colleagues that listening and speaking skills can only benefit a student. This unit attempts to improve these sills repeatedly in a variety of settings such as partner discussions, small group’s discussions, and whole class presentations. We have to consider the student stage of development. Adolescent children are in the concrete operational stage of development. They must be able to physically manipulate items for optimum learning to take place. Mandan Public Schools District goals and expectations. North Dakota Standards and Benchmarks-Performance Standards; Standardized test results from previous years indicated several areas in the Social Studies strand where students scored below the national and district levels. As I started my unit of study in my sixth grade social studies/government class I realized that the seven pathways of learning needs to be emphasized (multiple intelligences). Howard Gardner, whose theory of multiple intelligences calls for a restructuring of our schools to accommodate modes of learning and inquiry with some other that deficit approaches. I have developed a unit of study which will provide every student with a learning experience that will meet their needs at their stage of deployment.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: I want the students to know that studying the federal government doesn’t have to be boring. This unit gives them access to interactive, fun filled experiences designed to help the students learn about the foundations of our federal government and how its actions affect us. Goal(s): Students will develop a greater appreciation for the federal government. Students will learn how our federal government is set up and how it works. Students will be able to develop verbal skills – through debates and class discussions. Students will improve their research skills. Students will become more in tuned with what is happening in the world. By reading newspapers, magazines, and watching new on the television set.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: How is a bill made into law? How do vocabulary words increase the understanding? Understanding the U.S. Constitution as being the framework to a great government. Know the election process and how the electoral college works. Knowing the checks and balances of the three branches of government. Also what/who is involved in all three branches? Objectives: The students will be able to identify the Bill of Rights as the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution and state importance. The students will be able to develop skills in discussion, debate, and persuasive writing with respect to enduring issues and determines how divergent viewpoints have been addressed and reconciled. The students will be able to assess the development of the relationship between the three branches of government, including executive vs. Legislative power shifts and struggles and impact of the line-item veto and judicial activism. The students will be able to identify how elections are administered and controlled at the various levels of government. The students will be able to compare and contrast the House and the Senate. The students will be able to identify and illustrate the various roles a president must simultaneously fulfill while in office. The students will be able to identify the development, function and responsibilities of the various cabinet departments. The students will be able to identify current state, federal and local elected officials.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding?  A traditional quiz will follow the unit of instruction. The quizzes will include short answer, true and false, matching, and multiple choice questions. I will also have student right short essays on different topics. What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding? Recreate a presidential election between two past presidents, such as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Begin by dividing the class into two election committees, one for each candidate. Have the committees research their candidate’s political platform and important achievements, and invite them to create posters and write speeches publicizing this information. After a suitable campaign period, have the class (or school population, if a school wide campaign has been launched) vote for the candidate they think most qualified. After the activity, have each student write about why he or she chose to vote for that candidate. What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? The student will be put in groups of three. Their major project will to put together a 2004 ballot. The ballot will consist of several different political offices that are up for reelection at the national and state level; such as the president, senate, governor, auditor, treasurer, insurance commissioner, superintendent of public instruction. The students will hand the ballots out to the student grade 3-6 on Monday November 1st to take home and have the parents help the students with, a cover letter will be going home with the ballot explain the event. Students will be able to come to school on Nov 2 and place their ballot into a voting box that will be place in front of the main office. Student will tabulate the votes and come up with a final winner of each race. Student will print up the finals and send the results home with every student grades 3-6th so that they can watch the national and state race unfold with their parents. The student will be put in groups of three. Their major project will to put together a 2004 ballot. The ballot will consist of several different political offices that are up for reelection at the national and state level; such as the president, senate, governor, auditor, treasurer, insurance commissioner, superintendent of public instruction. The students will hand the ballots out to the student grade 3-6 on Monday November 1st to take home and have the parents help the students with, a cover letter will be going home with the ballot explain the event. Students will be able to come to school on Nov 2 and place their ballot into a voting box that will be place in front of the main office. Student will tabulate the votes and come up with a final winner of each race. Student will print up the finals and send the results home with every student grades 3-6th so that they can watch the national and state race unfold with their parents. What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect? The process by which a bill becomes a law lends itself well to depiction in a flow chart. Explain to the students that a flow chart organizes information that occurs in a sequence in which one condition leads to a specific situation. I will draw the first few steps for the flow chart on the chalkboard or overhead projector and let the students finish the chart independently. Simulate the process by which a bill becomes a law by having students propose, write debate, revise, and approve original fictitious legislation. First, assign students roles such as senator, representative, Speaker of the House, vice president, and president. Then, have the students brainstorm a list of possible laws (or suggest one yourself). Possibilities include laws outlawing homework or providing school cafeteria with television and video games. Then, have students assume their roles and follow the process by which a bill becomes a law. Have the senators’ and representatives’ deb