Ohio Standards Connections:

Grade 5

Standard:

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities

 

Benchmark:

 

Identify rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the US that are important for preserving democratic government.

 

Indicator Grade 5:

 

2.Explain the obligations of upholding the US Constitution including:

Obeying Laws

Paying Taxes

Serving on Juries

Registering for Selective Service

3. Explain the significance of the rights that are protected by the First Amendment

  1. Freedom of Religion
  2. Free Speech
  3. Free Press
  4. Right of petition and assembly.

 

Lesson Summary:

Students will become familiar with the research process and will select the best place to look for their sources.  Students will begin to research their topics and take notes using the Encyclopedia.


Estimated Duration:

1 hour.

 

 

Commentary:


Pre-Assessment:

 

Review with students the rights and responsibilities that they will be researching. Place the transparency that lists the 1st amendment rights and responsibilities on the overhead.  Do an overview of the discussion the day before and remind students of the K-W-L chart that we had worked on.

Scoring Guidelines:

Based on students understanding during the discussion, should determine whether or not to continue to review.

 

Post-Assessment:

 

Through observation, watch over students as they select their encyclopedias and begin to take notes.  Help students when necessary.

Scoring Guidelines:

  • Are students on task?
  • Do they have key words selected from which to begin their encyclopedia search?
  • Are they taking notes over just the key facts?
  • Are their notes neat?

  • Instructional Procedures:
  1. Create some interest in the topic by reading an article that deals with the First Amendment.  (Flag desecration)  Review with students how they will be learning more about the Bill of Rights, specifically the 1st amendment.  This article discusses Freedom of Speech, which is one of those rights.
  2. Review with students how to create their graphic organizer poster for their final product.  The organizer will consist of an explanation of their right or responsibility that they research.  Two newspaper articles (one current) that illustrates their right or responsibility.  They should include an explanation of how the article relates to their topic.  As an option, they can include their opinion about the articles as an extension. An editorial cartoon or their own drawing that relates to their topic. Emphasize that the project is a group effort and both partners will need to put equal work into it.
  3. Pass out the handout “Where to look for Information.”  Have students select their first choice for locating information for their topics.  The majority of the students will select internet as their first choice.  Select two students to have a race to determine who can find relevant information the fastest.  Give one of the students a book and the other set up on the computer using Yahooligans.  Have the students search for “jury duty.”  The child with the book will find it first since it is right in the index.  Explain to the students that the internet may be a good place to search for information; it is not always the best place to begin.  Too much information on the internet to sort through.  Start with the encyclopedia and non-fiction books first then try other sources.
  4. Briefly explain how the encyclopedias are organized and brainstorm as a class some of the keywords that they could use to find information on their topics.  Show students how to take good notes by modeling note taking for them using a non-fiction passage.  Pass out the note taking paper that they can use to write down the information they find in the encyclopedias.
  5. Pass out the Bibliography handout.  Model to the students how to cite the encyclopedia they used to do their work today.  Talk about the importance of giving credit to the person who created the work.


Differentiated Instructional Support

In our pairing of partners, we were very careful about making sure that students who have difficulties were paired with a student who does not struggle in that particular area.  We also included art work on the graphic organizer to allow students with different talents to be successful.



Extension

Students, who need extension, can move to other resources to gather more information.  They can also look for articles that deal with 1st amendment rights or one of the responsibilities in their local paper that they receive at home.

Interdisciplinary Connections

Note taking skills.  Research skills.


Materials and Resources:

For teachers

KWL Chart, Sample Project, Handouts, Note taking transparency

For students

Note taking handout and Project description handout, Bibliography


Key Vocabulary

Search Engine

Results list

Non-fiction text

Index

Editorial Cartoons

 

Technology Connections

Use the computer briefly to show students that the internet is not always the best place to start research.



Research Connections

 

The research model that we developed for our school was adapted from InfoZone, and the Big 6.  Using the research model shows students that the process is as important as the product and the process can be used over and over to create many different final products in various subject areas.


General Tips

 

This lesson went well.  Students really enjoy the race and at the end

Model more using the bibliography

Make sure students notes can be understood when they have to refer back to them.


Attachments

Flag desecration article

Explanation of project

Search for information handout

Note taking handout

Bibliography