Game-based Lesson/Framework:
Fourth grade English Language Arts:
Topic: The Election Process & Candidacy
Goals: Students will be able to:
2. I-Civics-Represent Me Game
3. I-Civics-Win the White House Game
Teacher Resources:
Additional Resources to Extend Unit:
Goals: Students will be able to:
- Recognizing the importance of informed voting
- Understand that a legislator’s job is to represent constituents
- Evaluate hypothetical legislation for impact on various socioeconomic groups
- Learn how elected representatives support legislation for their constituents
- Understand how citizens affect the choices of their elected representatives through voting
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.10 By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.A Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.2 Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
- Devices (mobile lab/computer lab)
- Access to the Internet (I-Civics)
- I-Civics-Cast your Vote Game
- I-Civics-Win the White House Game
- I-Civics-Represent Me Game
- have taught The Electoral Process lesson prior to these lessons
- have had students read articles such as those on the Scholastic Election page
- have taught lessons regarding the election such as those in Scholastic Skills books
- review information from resources like those listed below
- Engage: (5 minutes) To begin, ask students what they have learned about voting and the electoral process. Have them share their ideas on the shared Google Doc.
- Explore: (5 minutes) Have a student choose another students idea that they hadn't thought of & share it with their group
- Explain: (30 minutes) Tell students that for the next several days they will continue learning about the electoral process and voting by using simulation games (games that make it seem that they're actually there & participating). Show them the ICivics website and games & navigate through them (playing portions) together as a class.
- Elaborate: (3-45 minute lessons) Have students play the games in the following order on separate days:
2. I-Civics-Represent Me Game
3. I-Civics-Win the White House Game
- Evaluate/Share: (several- 45 minute lessons) Students will evaluate their own & other classmates understanding of the voting/electoral process at the end of the unit by reviewing the Meet the Candidates page & conducting their own research using Discovery Education & creating an 5-8 minute group ad (persuasive) for the candidate of their choice that describes issues the candidate will help their understanding of the voting process, the issues the candidate will address, and the election process in general.
Teacher Resources:
- Win the White House teacher's guide
- Represent Me teacher's guide
- Cast your Vote teacher's guide
- Electoral Process Lesson
Additional Resources to Extend Unit: