Government and Biographies of Famous Leaders
Students explore the structure of the American government, the three branches of government, the history of women's suffrage, and read biographies about famous Americans who fought for change.
Unit Summary
This unit serves as a foundation for understanding the way in which the American government was formed and the way it is structured. The unit has three main sections. In the first section, students learn about the functions of government, the three main branches of government, and how the branches work together to meet the ever-changing needs of our country. In this section students will be challenged to think about how government is useful to its citizens and about the key powers of each branch. In the second section, students explore elections and how people become elected officials. Students also explore the women's suffrage movement, why women couldn't vote before 1920, and what changes brought about women's suffrage in the United States. Finally, in the third section, students read biographies of a few courageous individuals who overcame racism, sexism, and hardships to prove that they deserved a spot in government and that they would do whatever it takes to fight for and push for change. During this final section, students will be challenged to think about how the actions of others can inspire us to drive for change, especially in the current political climate.
This unit expands on the work done in units 1 and 2 to build reading skills. Students will continue to develop their skills as critical consumers of a text by annotating for main idea and details that support the main idea of a text, summarizing sections of a text, explaining the connection between ideas and concepts, interpreting information presented through different text features, and describing the structure of different paragraphs. In this unit students will also be challenged to think about how an author uses evidence and reasoning to support particular points or ideas in a text. They will also be challenged to integrate information from one text with information they learn in another text about the same topic.
Texts and Materials
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Core Materials
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Book: National Government by Ernestine Giesecke (Heinemann-Raintree, 2009) — 970L
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Book: Roses and Radicals: The Epic Story of How American Women Won the Right to Vote by Susan Zimet (Viking Books for Young Readers, 2018) — 1090L
Supporting Materials
Book: The Bill of Rights by David L. Dreier (Reading A-Z)
Book: Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America by Andrea Pinkney (Disney-Hyperion, 2012)
Book: Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes by Juan Felipe Herrera (Dial Books) (August 2014)
Book: Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2013)
Book: Building a Nation by Terry Miller Shannon (www.readinga-z.com)
Book: Kid's Guide to Government: Understanding Your Role in Elections by Jessica Gunderson (Capstone Press, 2018)
Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading (Grade 4 Unit 3)
See Text Selection Rationale
Assessment
These assessments accompany this unit to help gauge student understanding of key unit content and skills. Additional progress monitoring suggestions are included throughout the unit.
Unit Prep
Essential Questions
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- What is the Constitution of the United States? Why is it important?
- What are the main functions of each branch of the United States government?
- Why couldn't women vote before 1920? What changes brought about women's suffrage in the United States?
- How can courageous individuals create and drive change?
Vocabulary
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Text-based
abolitionist advise adjourn amendment articulate authority branch cabinet candidates campaign contradict constitution compromise consultation desegregation debates democracy deliberate debate economic enforce evoke executive exposure federal freedoms humiliated interpretation inferior justice majority mockery nominee optimism passive pessimism pivotal plea president publicity ratify radical representatives revelation ridicule sacrifice separation secretary segregation strategically sympathetic taunt unanimous vision
Root/Affix
-ism -ist -ment -tion de- en-
Related Teacher Tools:
Content Knowledge and Connections
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Previous Fishtank ELA Connections
Lesson Map
1
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Building a Nation pp. 1 – 9
RI.4.2
RI.4.3
Explain the fatal flaws of the Articles of Confederation.
2
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Building a Nation pp. 10 – 15
RI.4.2
RI.4.3
Describe the plan the Constitution made for the government of the United States.
3
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The Bill of Rights pp. 8 – 13
RI.4.2
RI.4.3
Describe a few of the rights protected by the Bill of Rights.
4
Writing
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Building a Nation
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The Bill of Rights
W.4.2
W.4.2.a
W.4.2.b
W.4.2.c
W.4.2.e
Write a paragraph explaining what the Constitution of the United States is and why it is important.
5
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Ntl. Gov't pp. 4 – 9
RI.4.2
RI.4.7
Explain what the sections “What is Government?,” “The Constitution,” and “Separation of Powers” are mostly about.
6
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Ntl. Gov't pp. 10 – 13
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Describe why the Executive Branch is important and why the President’s Cabinet is important.
7
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Ntl. Gov't pp. 14 – 23
RI.4.2
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Describe the difference between the Senate and House of Representatives and why they are both important.
8
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Ntl. Gov't p. 30
RI.4.3
Explain how laws are made and why there are so many steps.
9
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Ntl. Gov't pp. 24 – 27
RI.4.2
RI.4.8
Explain what the sections “The Judicial Branch” and the “The Supreme Court” are mostly about.
10
Discussion & Writing
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Building a Nation
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The Bill of Rights
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Ntl. Gov't
W.4.2
W.4.2.a
W.4.2.b
W.4.2.c
W.4.2.e
SL.4.1
Analzye and debate unit essential questions using details and understandings from the text.
11
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Understanding Your Role... — 4-5, 9-15
RI.4.3
RI.4.7
RI.4.8
Explain what candidates do to try and win an election.
12
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Understanding Your Role... pp. 16 – 27
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Debate if everyone has always had the right to vote.
13
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Roses and Radicals pp. 7 – 19 — Skip Know Your Radicals sections
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Describe the evidence the author gives to support the point that “to be a woman in 1840 was to be less than a man.”
14
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Roses and Radicals pp. 73 – 80
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Explain how an author uses reasons to show that a “once-promising strategy had reached a dead end.”
15
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Roses and Radicals pp. 88 – 92 — Skip Know Your Radicals sections
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Explain why the opposition to women’s suffrage was so difficult to overturn.
16
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Roses and Radicals pp. 102 – 110 — Skip Know Your Radicals sections
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Explain why the New York Times called the march “one of the most impressively beautiful spectacles ever staged in this country”?
17
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Roses and Radicals pp. 129 – 146
RI.4.2
RI.4.3
Summarize the final battle for the right to vote.
18
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Roses and Radicals — All Know Your Radicals sections
RI.4.2
RI.4.3
Create a mini-poster highlighting the key contributions of a radical.
19
Discussion & Writing
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Roses and Radicals
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Understanding Your Role...
W.4.2
W.4.2.a
W.4.2.b
W.4.2.c
W.4.2.e
SL.4.1
Analyze and debate unit essential questions using details and understandings from the text.
20
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Portraits pp. 25 – 27 — Dennis Chavez
RI.4.2
RI.4.8
Explain why Dennis "Dioniso" Chavez was important.
21
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Hand in Hand pp. 120 – 124 — Start at "Working for the NAACP"
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Explain the role that Thurgood Marshall played in Brown v. Board of Education and what we can learn about him from his involvement in the case.
22
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Hand in Hand pp. 125 – 129
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Explain how Thurgood Marshall wove equality into the fabric of American justice.
23
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Let It Shine pp. 95 – 100
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Explain who/what inspired Shirley Chisholm to get involved in politics and fight for change.
24
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Portraits pp. 77 – 79
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Explain who/what inspired Sonia Sotomayor to get involved in justice and fight for change.
25
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Hand in Hand pp. 224 – 231
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Analyze how Barack Obama showed that "holding fast to hope despite obstacles is the first step to making any dream come true."
26
Discussion & Writing
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All unit texts
SL.4.1
Debate and analyze unit-essential questions.
27
Assessment
28
5 days
Writing
W.4.1
W.4.1.a
W.4.1.b
W.4.2
W.4.2.a
W.4.2.b
W.4.2.c
W.4.2.e
W.4.7
W.4.8
SL.4.1
Research a local or national election and decide who you would vote for and why.
Common Core Standards
Reading Standards for Informational Text
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RI.4.2 — Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
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RI.4.3 — Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
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RI.4.5 — Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
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RI.4.7 — Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
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RI.4.8 — Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
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RI.4.9 — Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Speaking and Listening Standards
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SL.4.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
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SL.4.2 — Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Writing Standards
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W.4.1 — Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information
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W.4.1.a — Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose.
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W.4.1.b — Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
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W.4.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
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W.4.2.a — Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
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W.4.2.b — Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
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W.4.2.c — Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).
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W.4.2.e — Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented
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W.4.7 — Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
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W.4.8 — Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
Spiral Standards
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