School of Education

Licensure Programs
Name: Emeline Then

Date:

Lesson Plan Form

Grade Level:

7th/8th grade

Content Area: Social Studies - Government and Citizenship - Judicial Branch

Lesson should take 2 days
LESSON RATIONALE & CONTEXT:
Who are your students?
My students are a group of 20 students with 12 boys and 8 girls making up the class. I have 3
students who are of Asian heritage, 6 African American Students, and 11 who are Caucasian. The
students come from varying socioeconomic households but most of them are from lower middle
class families. One student has been diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome but does not have an
IEP in place yet.
Why are you teaching this lesson? (Purpose/Essential Question)
To teach what bodies of people pass the laws that provide the structure for society and how is the
system governed. How does the Judicial branch function and how does it affect society.

What evidence-based approach, method and/or theory are you using?

Chronological - in history the students are learning about the development of the United States
and we just completed the lesson on Legislative Branch of Government.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
What students will know or be able to do as a result of the lesson. Outcomes are clear, specific and measurable. (Align outcomes
to appropriate content standards.)

MN K-12 Standards:
6.1.4.6.5 - The United States government has specific functions that are determined by the way
that power is delegated and controlled among various bodies: the three levels (federal, state,
local) and the three branches (legislative, executive, judicial) of government.
Outcomes:

Students will be able to identify the basic levels and functions of the judicial branch. Become
familiar with vocabulary associated with the Judicial branch.

ASSESSMENT:
Assessments are aligned with outcomes/standards and are used to determine if students have attained outcomes.

Pre-assessment:
Used to evaluate what students already know and inform you of possible misconceptions.
Quick Fist to five to assess how confident the students feel about the content they learned in the previous lesson on the legislative
branch and if they think they are ready to continue.
Fist raised in the air being the lowest and five being close to proficiency. Students heads should be down on the desk so they can
not see other students respond.
* Make note of what areas the majority of students are unsure about and reexamine the material. If the students for the most part
indicate that they are ready to proceed continue to the lesson.

Formative:
Used to evaluate lesson and adjust teaching as needed to keep students engaged and successful.
Students will choose one of the following that would be brought before a court - in groups of 4-5 students they will draw or
diagram what court would handle the case (state/national) and possible outcomes of the case. After working on their Judicial
Poster the students will present to their peers their findings. They can utilize their text book, classroom iPad, and the teacher for
questions and ideas. The project should take 15-20 minutes. Markers and poster boards will be provided for them.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Adoption of a Child
A Person not born in America Seeking Citizenship
Not paying Taxes for 3 years
A Person Commits Murder
Two People Wanting to Sue for Property Damages

* During this part of the lesson have the students think on who is being affected by the laws and rulings. Are these
rulings always fair? What factors go into making these court cases. (Money, Race, Social Economics) Will certain
factors link to get a positive outcome? Be prepared to discuss before and after the presentations. Is there anything we
can do to change the way these out comes are viewed?
Play youtube video of University of Minnesota students protests post-Ferguson, 11/25/2014 - March across campus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JpsPA_ur0Y
Have the students also discuss how they can participate in change and learn how they can respond. It is also good for
them to understand the very workings of a court system so they are more informed about the society they live in. Students
will discuss what the courts can do to promote an equitable society. Also how students can influence and promote a more
equitable society.
Vocabulary and Terms Sheet will be turned in tomorrow for points - will be and should be used by students to study for end of
unit exam which will cover the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches. Students will complete by fully defining all the
vocabulary and terms

Example of Term Sheet:

District Courts - The principal trial courts in the federal court system.
Magistrate- A judicial officer with limited power. A magistrate presides over preliminary court hearings, issues warrants,
determines bail, and issues protection orders.
Separation Of Powers- The separation of powers seeks to prevent tyrannical abuses of authority by dividing the most important
powers of the state among different branches of government.
State Courts - Courts that have jurisdiction over cases involving state law and disputes involving parties living in the state or
those that conduct business, own property, or use roads within its borders; they do not have the power to decide cases involving
federal law. State courts are often divided into various types of judicial bodies, including criminal courts, family courts, and
probate courts.
Supreme Court - The highest court in the United States and the head of the federal judiciary. Its nine justicesthe Chief Justice
and eight associate justicesare appointed by the president, confirmed by Congress, and serve life terms. The Court functions
primarily as an appellate court, but has original jurisdiction over disputes between states and between a state and the federal
government.
Territorial Courts - Legislative courts established in United States territories. Currently these courts, which have jurisdiction
over local cases and those dealing with federal law, are located in Guam, the US Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana
Islands.

Summative:
Method and grading criteria used to evaluate attainment of learning outcomes for each student
Material from this Lesson will be assessed in the end of Unit Exam that will cover vocabulary, concepts, and short reflection
essay on the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches of government.

MATERIALS USED:
Example: Books, digital resources, lab equipment, technology, manipulatives, materials etc.
Textbooks, Ipad, studystack.com, poster boards, markers, powerpoint, youtube to view clips of current events and discuss
the role the courts play.

Time allowed for each portion of the

lesson:
5-8 minutes

Anticipatory Set/Motivation:
As the students walk in have pictures rolling on a
slideshow on an overhead depicting and giving a
short overview of
Plessy v. Ferguson
United States v. Windsor
Roe v. Wade
Hollingsworth v. Perry
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
Griswold v. Connecticut
International Union, UAW v. Johnson Controls, Inc.
Gideon v. Wainwright
Galluzzo v. Holder.

Informal/Formal Assessment:
Ask the students to watch the slides and jot down a
few thoughts about these cases on scratch paper. Next
to that write down some things you know about
courts and judges.
Fist to Five Check to see if we are ready to Start the
Judicial System lesson.

Procedures:
20 minutes

Powerpoint on the basics of the Judicial system and

how it different from the Executive and Legislative
branches. Separation of Power.
The Powerpoint will go over the different levels of
the court and the different disputes or laws that they
rule over. What are the qualifications of a judge for
these courts on the different levels. Who are some of
the judges? What are some big court cases that have
shaped society referring back to the court cases that
were in the introduction slide show.

*Term and Vocabulary sheet

Start the discussion - Who is likely to become a

judge. Are the courts always fair? Are their court
rulings in the media that are getting a lot of attention?
Why are these cases so high profile?

20 minutes

10 minute

* During this portion of power point, lecture, and

class discussion - I will utilize single group studies
to bring diversity into the classroom by looking at
court cases of race, LGBT, and civic oppression.
Both positive and negative rulings to show how
society changes and what they can do to promote a
positive society. During the powerpoint I would
also want to review the supreme court judges Clarence Thomas &Sonia Sotomayor. Have the
students discuss what perspective
they bring to court rulings. Also go over the
diversity of the court systems on a local level. Are
all nationalities, orientations, and cultures
represented equally? Also discuss jury selection
and that representation.
*Judicial Poster activity: Number students off in
groups of 4 to 5 and have them draw their topic from
a hat. Have them utilize their iPads and text books to
create a depiction of what level of court would handle
the case and what are some of the possible outcomes.
Everyone in the group must participate in adding to
the poster and presenting it at the end. The teacher
will be checking in with the groups and helping to
contribute. The teacher will also help to facilitate
ideas on the outcomes in small discussions.

Closure:
Group presentations should take a few minutes each
and then allow time for questions before end of the
period.

*Presentations

ANALYSIS OF STUDENT WORK:

What percentage of your students achieved your outcomes? What percentage of students met most of the outcomes? What
percentage of students did not achieve the outcomes? Based on this analysis, what are your next steps?
At the beginning of class, 11 out of the 20 students indicated that they were ready to move on to the next lesson. 9 of the students
expressed little to no knowledge of the distinction between the Senate and the House. Quickly went over as a group the
differences we found in our previous classes and then moved on to the lesson noting that will be part of the review before the
Unit Test.
Everyone participated in the group discussion during and after the powerpoint and 8 students shared their observations from the
introduction slideshow or the protester youtube video. I would have liked a larger percentage to share more specifics but the
observations on scrap paper indicate that all the students found at least two slides interesting and commented on them.
All students participated in the group projects and during the presentation. The group of 5 that was working on the citizenship
prompt became distracted several times by talking or looking at other things and needed to be redirected back to the task. As a
result the project outcome was not as complete or organized as the other groups. I will need to revaluate whether it is productive
for these students to work together in the future.
Overall I will continue to utilize the power points and poster projects since the students were engaged and indicated that
understood all portions of the lesson. Next time I will incorporate more about students activism and how that can relate to court
cases since there was a positive interest in that section. Also I will incorporate it in future units to bring more engagement into the
classroom

FURTHER ANALYSIS OF STUDENT WORK

This section of the lesson plan form should be completed if you taught the lesson to students. Choose three samples of student
work representing the full range of student performance to analyze. One sample should be from a student that represents a
teaching challenge related to your expectations for this lesson.
1.

Did each student meet your learning objectives? If so, how did they meet the objectives?

Yes, each student participated in making observations about court cases that shaped society and were able to give solid example
about what they knew about the court system already.
2.

In what areas did students have difficulty?

Some of the students had difficulty sharing their personal views/observations that they made about the presented cases. I need to
make sure that they feel comfortable sharing with their peers and that there are no wrong answers when it come to observations.
We are all learns and to share a view point may help another person to see something they previously had not.
There was a little bit of difficulty with group work- Next time remind students that the time should be utilized for working on the
project. Other discussion can be put on hold till the project is done.
3.

Were the adaptations/accommodations for the lesson appropriate? Why or why not?

I tried to include more cases and discussion based on culture and race. It is appropriate because there are students of many
backgrounds in my class and I wanted them to relate to the lesson and make a connection with it.
4.

Was the assessment appropriate for all students? Why or why not?

All the assessments were appropriate since one relied on individual contemplation and writing down thoughts. The other allowed
for group work utilizing all their strengths to complete the project and helping each other to reach an end goal. All the students
worked together were willing to combine their knowledge to present their activity.

REFLECTIVE COMMENTARY
1.
To what extent did the whole class or group learn what you intended them to learn? Cite specific example and/or
evidence.
All the students started/completed the term worksheet related to the lesson and the basic information. The students can identify
the different levels of the judicial system and what type of court cases they deal with. The students also can identify flaws with in
the court system and have a better understanding how laws can affect the quality and structure of society.
2.

What did you learn about your students as learners?

They work well in discussion groups if they have time to process and consider the information ahead of time. They also have an
interest in student involvement and advocacy which. Knowing this I will incorporate it into future lessons.
3.

How well did your lesson support the diverse needs of your learners?

It allowed them to participate at their own level while challenging them to meet the expectations and standards of group work.
4.

Why do you believe your choice of technology was appropriate for this lesson/unit?

The power points and slides made the lesson engaging and provided visual supplements. The iPads were well utilized to
supplement the information of the students projects.
5.

What changes, if any, might you make in:

a.

Planning - None

b.
Instruction - Provide more time to go over the introductory slides. Add a few more cases that deal with poverty and
students rights. Look more at student advocacy and involvement or try to devote a lesson or activity to it.
c.

Assessment - None

d.
Management - Be more observant when students get off task during group work. Make that they know this must be
completed.
6.

What have you learned about yourself as a teacher?

I learned that with some effort adding disperse components to a lesson is extremely doable and it enriches the lesson. I also find
that having the students add their own thought and views create better class discussions and I can act more as a facilitator and let
them control the bulk of the conversation going on.
7.

What goals do you have for yourself as you plan future lessons?

I want to include diversity components in all my future lesson to encourage my students to think more globally and how they
interact in society. I want my students to appreciate all people and stride to find connections in all the people they encounter.
Diversifying the lesson will be a step toward this.