Curriculum / ELA / 4th Grade / Alternate Unit 4: Politics and People: U.S. Government / Lesson 4
ELA
Alternate Unit 4
4th Grade
Lesson 4 of 29
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Write a paragraph explaining what the Constitution of the United States is and why it is important.
Book: For Which We Stand: How Our Government Works and Why It Matters by Jeff Foster
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What is the Constitution of the United States? Why is it important?
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W.4.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
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.
W.4.2.b — Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
W.4.2.c — Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).
W.4.2.e — Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.4.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.4.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
W.4.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1—3 above.)
W.4.5 — With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
W.4.9.b — Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., "Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text").
W.4.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Next
Explain what the sections "What Does the Government Look Like?," "The Three Branches," and "Checks and Balances" are mostly about.
Describe federalism and why the United States chose it as a form of government.
Standards
RI.4.2RI.4.3
Explain what plan the Constitution made for the government of the United States.
Describe a few of the rights protected by the Bill of Rights.
W.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.2.cW.4.2.e
RI.4.2RI.4.7
Describe why the executive branch is important and why the President's Cabinet is important.
RI.4.3RI.4.8
Describe the difference between the Senate and House of Representatives and why they are both important.
RI.4.2RI.4.3RI.4.8
Explain how bills become laws and why there are so many steps.
RI.4.3
Explain what the Supreme Court is and why it's important using reasons and evidence from the text.
RI.4.2RI.4.8
Analyze and debate unit Essential Questions using details and understandings from the text.
SL.4.1W.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.2.cW.4.2.e
4 days
Write an informational report about an act or amendment that is important in U.S. history.
L.4.1.fL.4.2W.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.2.cW.4.5W.4.6W.4.7W.4.8
Explain what candidates do to try and win an election.
RI.4.3RI.4.7RI.4.8
Debate if everyone has always had the right to vote.
Describe the evidence the author gives to support the point that "to be a woman in 1840 was to be less than a man."
Explain how an author uses reasons to show that a "once-promising strategy had reached a dead end."
Explain why the opposition to women's suffrage was so difficult to overturn.
Explain why the New York Times called the parade "one of the most impressively beautiful spectacles ever staged in this country"?
Explain who Harry Burn was and why he was important in the Women's Suffrage Movement.
Create a mini-poster highlighting the key contributions of a radical.
Explain why Dennis "Dioniso" Chavez was important.
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.
Explain how Thurgood Marshall wove equality into the fabric of American justice.
Explain who and what inspired Shirley Chisholm to get involved in politics and fight for change.
Explain who and what inspired Sonia Sotomayor to get involved in justice and fight for change.
Analyze how Barack Obama showed that "holding fast to hope despite obstacles is the first step to making any dream come true."
Debate and analyze unit Essential Questions.
SL.4.1
Gauge student understanding of unit content and skills with one of Fishtank's unit assessments.
5 days
Research a local or national election and decide who you would vote for and why.
SL.4.1W.4.1W.4.1.aW.4.1.bW.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.2.cW.4.2.eW.4.7W.4.8
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