Alief ISD
Social Studies Lesson Plans
Grade 4 Unit 2
Texas Government- Executive Branch
Date: ___________
Desired Results: (Unit
Assessment:
Understanding)
Teacher Observations
Local, state, and federal
Flow Chart (end of unit)
governments provide important
services for Texans.
Anticipatory Set: (Universal Generalization) (Hook)
Time Allotted: Days 1-2
Objective/TEKS:
I can explain how the three branches
of Texas government operate. 4.16B
I can identify important government
leaders from Texas. 4.19A
Topics/Concepts:
Governments exist to promote security and order and provide public services.
What do you think might happen if there were no rules? Have students turn and talk for one
minute, then have small discussion about how rules help people by keeping them safe.
Instructional Input: (Line)
Explain to students that there are three parts to the government. Show overhead transparency
62. We call these branches, like on a tree. All three branches are equally important. One part
of the government can not work on its own. All three must work together to make everything
run smoothly. One branch of the government can not have all the power. Why do you think
that is?
The Texas State Government has three branches; they are the Executive, Judicial and the
Legislative. The Executive has the highest position and includes the Governor. The executive
branch suggests laws and signs in new laws. The Governor is the head of this office. Our
Governor of Texas is Rick Perry. We are going to role play with our class as the government.
We are going to find out why each branch of the government is so important, and why one
part of the government can not work alone.
Guided Practice: (Line)
The Governor is elected by the people and is for the people. So the Governor will provide
services to help our government run smoothly. The Governor has to be a person who is a
good citizen. What might it mean to be a good citizen?
Today we are going to elect a governor, but first we need candidates. We have to pick people
who have great behavior and follow instructions; these are examples of good citizens. (Select
two students to be candidates) Have a class vote. Have students lay their heads down on the
desk and close their eyes and take a vote. Once the governor is chosen, explain to the
students that a community of people can not work without rules. There are no rules in class
today. The Governor is in charge and has to keep order. However the governor can not make
any rules or discipline any bad actions of the students. (Be sure to talk about behavior that is
appropriate.)
Independent Practice: (Sinker)
Have the governor leave the room and talk to the class about appropriate behavior, but how
they do not have to follow rules. There is creative chaos. Bring the governor back into the
room and let them be in charge. Allow this to continue for about 5 minutes. Have students
write down their observations of how that time was handled in their ISN notebooks. Do they
think that was an effective way to run the classroom? Can the governor run a whole class on
his/her own without the help of others?
Modifications/Extensions:
Citizen
Political Party
Executive
Legislative
Judicial
Government
Services
Federal
State
Local
Law
How will you
check for
understanding?
Students will write
an exit slip
explaining why the
Governor can not
work alone?
Closure:
The government has to work together, just like as a school we work together. Every branch
of the government is important its own way. The governor can not make rules or enforce
rules this is where the Legislative and Judicial branch come into play. We will be role playing
those two branches in the coming days.
4th Grade Unit 2
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Alief ISD
Social Studies Lesson Plans
Grade 4 Unit 2
Texas Government- Legislative Branch
Date: _______________
Desired Results: (Unit
Understanding)
Local, state and federal governments
provide important services for
Texans.
Time Allotted: Days 3 & 4
Unit Question:
How does each branch in
the government support
each other?
Why can’t one branch of
the government work by
itself?
Assessment:
Teacher Observations
Chart Paper with rules.
Ultimate Sinker (Flow
Chart)
Objective/TEKS:
I can explain how the three branches of
Texas government operate.4.16B I can
identify important government leaders
from Texas.4.19A
Anticipatory Set: (Universal Generalization) (Hook) Governments exist to
promote security and order and provide public services.
Ask students what if there were no red lights? Allow students to turn and talk before
discuss thoughts and responses in whole group. Ask: Why do we need red lights?
Instructional Input: (Line) Modeled/Guided Practice
Explain the Legislative branch makes the laws. This branch can not give any
consequences. That means it can not punish you. That is the job of the Judicial Branch.
It is divided into two groups. The senate has 31 members and the House of
Representative with 150 members. The class will elect 3 Senate members and 4 House of
Representatives. The House of Representatives and the Senate create the laws. Then
they take their laws to the Governor and the Governor will say yes or he will veto the law.
This means that he/she says the law is no good.
Independent Practice: (Sinker) Reference page #401, if book is available.
The teacher will break the class into groups of 2-3. These groups will create five of their
own rules they would like the class to follow. Then, they will put a star by the three they
want the most. Then they will write down the three rules that are most important to
them on chart paper.
The class will come back together in whole group and present their rules. As each group
presents their rules, the House and the Senate will vote yes or no.
The rules that pass will become a rule unless the Governor vetoes or says no. If the
Governor does, then the Senate and House will revote and the majority rules.
Vocabulary:
Legislative Branch
House of
Representative
Senate
Materials/Resources:
United Streaming
This is Our Government
Flow Chart
How will you check
for understanding?
Teacher Observations
Modifications/Extensions:
Modify according to class needs. (Rules, routines, etc…)
Closure:
On a sticky note have students answer this question:
Now that we have our leader and our rules, how do we make sure everyone follows the
rules?
4th Grade Unit 2
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Alief ISD
Social Studies Lesson Plans
Grade 4 Unit 2
Texas Government- Judicial Branch
Date: _______________
Desired Results: (Unit
Understanding)
Local, state and federal
governments provide
important services to
Texans.
Time Allotted: Days 5 & 6
Unit Question:
How does each branch of the government
support each other?
Why can’t one branch of government work by
itself?
Assessment:
Teacher’s observations of the role play
activity. (rubrics)
Objective/TEKS:
 I can explain how the three
branches of Texas
government operate. 4.16B
 I can identify important
government leaders from
Texas. 4.19A
Anticipatory Set: (Universal Generalization) (Hook) Governments exist to
Topics:
Ask students to do a quick write about the time they were in trouble. Include what they
had done to get into trouble and what consequence/s or punishments they had to do
were.
Branches of the
Texas State
Government
- Judicial Branch
promote security and order and provide public services.
Instructional Input: (Line) Modeled/Guided Practice
Start the class with a Role Play, students acting as “ordinary citizens” doing their
jobs/work. Then, instruct 2 or 3 students to violate/break some rules/bills created by the
legislator in the previous lesson. (Example: cheating, vandalizing, etc.)
Teacher asks the students where to bring those who break the rules (violators). This
situation leads to the discussion/creation of the Judicial Branch.
Judicial Branch is made up of courts and judges. Its job is to make sure that laws are
applied fairly. Texas has more than 2,000 courts and nearly 3,000 judges. Many of these
serve the local areas.
Assign one student to act as a table judge (for district court). This is where minor
offenses are heard.
In the real world, district courts are where some jury trials take place. Students can
role play the process of “trials”.
Assuming the punishment (no recess, HW from Monday till Sunday, silent table, etc)
is given; offenders make an appeal if they feel it is unfair. They decide whether they
would bring the case to the Supreme Court, the state’s highest court. (The teacher acts
as the Supreme Court.)
The Supreme Court (the teacher) listens to and judges questions about the violations.
The teacher may go back and refer to the class rules/bills created by the legislator and
approved/signed by the governor/executive.
Independent Practice: (Sinker)
Group Activity:
Given a task card (an offense written on an index card), students will role play the
whole process discussed in the line. (See Instructional Input)
Vocabulary:
Judicial Branch
Supreme Court
appeal
Materials/Resources:
United Streaming:
This is Our Government
Scott Foresman SS
textbook pp. 396-401
How will you check
for understanding?
teacher observations
Modifications/Extensions:
Complete a RAFT assignment:
Role:
Judge or an offender/Defender
Audience: Offenders, Witnesses, Judges
Format: Expository (What rule or Bill they violated)/Persuasive Letter (to defend)
Topic:
Verdict/Outcome
4th Grade Unit 2
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Alief ISD
Closure:
Community Circle: Students gather together to share ideas/answers to the following
questions.
If you were a government leader, how would you promote peace and order in your
community?
How can you be a productive citizen in your community?
4th Grade Unit 2
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Alief ISD
Texas State Government
Legislative
Senate
House of
Representatives
Executive
Judicial
Supreme
Court
Governor
How a Bill Becomes A
Law
Members of the Texas
House of Representatives
or Senate write a bill, or
propose a law.
If the governor vetoes the bill, the
bill returns to the legislature for a
vote.
The House of
Representatives and the
Senate approve the bill.
If the governor signs the
bill, it becomes a law
If two-thirds of the legislature vote
for the bill again, then it becomes a
law.
LAW
4th Grade Unit 2
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Alief ISD
How a Bill Becomes A
Law
LAW
4th Grade Unit 2
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Texas State Government
Alief ISD
Legislative
Executive
Judicial
Senate
House of Representatives
Governor
Supreme Court
Members of the Texas House of
Representatives or Senate write a bill, or a
proposed law.
4th Grade Unit 2
If the governor vetoes the bill, the bill
returns to the legislature for a vote.
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