Civics and Government 3rd Grade (15 Day) Unit

Are you introducing 3rd graders to the concept of government and its role in our communities? Through engaging activities, students will explore the differences among national, state, and local and state governments, understand the importance of laws and justice, and learn how governments function to serve the people. This 15 day mini unit includes day by day planning with suggested activities for differentiation. Typically used in a high ability classroom, it is appropriate for all students.

Teaching methods used: Jigsaw learning, foldables, Nonfiction research, doodle notes, graphic organizers, group work, individual work, (suggested) guest speakers, and traditional assessment.

Unit includes:

• Alignment page showing 3rd grade social studies state standards, Common Core Reading and Writing standards, and National Council of Social Studies Themes

• 15 day lesson plan broken into standard, reading/information source, and activities

• Vocabulary journal + answer key

• Jigsaw activity for three branches of government

• Foldable activity for civic virtues

• Sequencing activity for election process

• 7 nonfiction reading passages (+ answer keys)

• 2 Project Based Learning projects - Elect a Mayor and Design a City

• Rubrics for all projects and answer keys where applicable

• Traditional vocabulary quiz

• List of possible guest speakers

Government focus:

Since third grade is more community based, the content and projects focus mainly on state and local government. The branches of government and responsibilities of important people within the government include national organizations and expectations (i.e.: President, Congress, and Supreme Court). If it is an election year, the election activity can easily be adjusted to "Elect a President" instead of "Electing a Mayor."

Tags: government, elections, legislative, executive, judicial, state and local government, city planning, citizen, civic duty, mayor

File Type: PDF (not editable)

Number of Pages: 53 (including curriculum plan and answer keys)

Grade: 3 - depending on state standards, may overlap with second or fourth grade government content