Pre-Assessment

1. What is the best way for you to learn?

a. Talking about the topic
b. Acting something out
c. Reading stories about a topic
d. Having conversations with others
e. Writing about the topic

2. What does a good citizen look like? (Choose all that apply)
a. Shows respect for all people
b. Respect other people’s beliefs and opinions
c. Tells other people what to do
d. Follows rules, but only some of them
e. Nice to only a few people
f. Has a good attitude, even when they may not want to

3. A good citizen will only help their friends in need

a. True
b. False

4. Describe what a good citizen would do when they have an argument with
another person.
 -

___________________________________________________________________

________________________

5. Civic responsibility is……

a. Being responsible for a pet

b. Being responsible at school

c. Being responsible at all times for your community

d. Being a citizen

6. A good way to learn what civic responsibility is…

___________________________________________________________________

_________________________.
7. Is a good citizen a bully?

a. Yes

b. No

8. When I work I like to…

a. Work alone
b. Work with a partner
c. Work in a group of 3

9. Circle the things you like to do

a. Draw
b. Write
c. Read
d. Act
e. Research
f. Play games

10. If someone has a different opinion what do you do?

a. Argue with them
b. Ignore each other
c. Listen to each other and discuss respectfully
d. Fight

11. Draw a picture of what a good citizen might look like. (Draw and label)
 How to Solve our Problems (Lesson 1)
Grade: 3rd
Time: 45 min- 60min
Curriculum:
Social Studies Standard 3
Students will understand the principles of civic responsibility in classroom, community, and country.
Reading: Literature Standard 2
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine
the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key
details in the text.
Writing Standard 3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
Objectives:
Objective 1
Describe the rights and responsibilities inherent in being a contributing member of a community.
Personal objectives: Student will be able to determine when someone is being a bully. Students
will also be able to describe how to resolve the conflict between people.
Essential Questions:
 What do I do when someone thinks something different from me?

Enduring Understandings:
 Students will be able to discuss different opinions and beliefs respectfully.

Materials:
 writing notebooks
 “The Sneetches”
Accommodations:
 Use the projector for the book so all students can see it
 Give ample amount of time for writing to students who need more
 Students who finish quickly will be able to extend their thinking by writing about a
scenario where they have helped someone resolve a conflict
DAP:
 Reading a book that all students are able to read and understand on their own
  Using a writing rubric from the State core so students will know how their end of level
writing would be scored
 Having debriefs and conversations to clear up misconceptions and clear understandings

Phase I: Exploration and Explanation – To begin the lesson, students are going to write down
a time they felt bullied, disrespected, or made fun of for their looks, actions, beliefs, opinions,
etc. “How would you feel if someone were to walk up to you and said something mean about
how you look? Such as, “you aren’t as good as me because you don’t have a bow in your hair.”
Or “You can’t be friends with me because you don’t like basketball.”?” “I want you to take 2
minutes and think about a time where that may have happened to you, or if you have done that
to another person.” Students will have thinking time for 2 minutes before they begin to write.
“Now I want you to write a couple sentences about the situation and how it made you feel,
whether you were the one being made fun of, or if you were making fun of another person.”
After students are done writing, I will introduce the story. “Next I want you to think about what
has happened to you, and see if you can find any similarities with the story “The Sneetches” by
Dr. Seuss.”
After the reading ask, “What is the conflict in this story? Did it change later on in the story?
How do the Sneetches feel about it? How did it get resolved? Or did it not get solved?

Transition to Phase II: After the reading, the students will be brought to the community circle
for safe talk. We are going to discuss what it is to be a contributing member of society and how
to respect others. Gather students’ attention after the reading to debrief about the ideas that
come to them and the bullying problem. While at the carpet we will gather all of the
information we need to write a scenario with a conflict, and the resolution of the conflict. “We
will each come up with an idea for a situation- it can be something true, or false, but it has to be
something that can be resolved. You will all write a story about the conflict and at least two
sentences on how to resolve the issue. Remember to show the class Peace Path.
Phase II: Guided Practice/Individually Differentiated – Every student will get out their writing
notebooks and turn to a new blank page. They will begin by talking with a partner about a
possible situation they want to write about- no writing will take place until after partners have
discussed ideas. They will discuss the situation and their ideas for how to resolve the conflict.
Students will be given 3 minutes to discuss with another student. After their discussion, they
will begin to write their conflict-resolution scenario.

Transition to Phase III: The teacher will roam around the room answering questions and
informally assessing their understanding of resolutions and their writing abilities. If there is
class wide confusion, come back to whole class and re-teach instruction.

Phase III: Independent Practice/Assessment – Students will continue to write their scenarios
until it is ready for the publishing stage. I will be able to assess their writing skills and their
understanding of bullying and how to respect others’ beliefs.
 Lesson 2
Activity: everyone describe themselves in three words; they will put them in a
hat. Each student will draw a description and have to get up and find who they
think they have. They cannot ask each other what they wrote, they have to try
and figure it out by the three words on the piece of paper. After each student has
found their person, we will go through and discuss if they were correct or not.
- This will lead into a discussion about how we can’t judge each other by
limited information. We have to get to know each other and respect
what each person believes.
- We will then list and discuss what responsibilities we have for each
other in our community
o What role does everyone play to be a good citizen
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdIkH8I2sdQ
 Create a poster that has how to be a good class citizen

Lesson 3
Civic Responsibility: Now we know what it is like to be a good citizen in the class
room, what can we do out in our communities and neighborhoods to help?
- Class will watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bwfo9aD5A8
- Get in a group of 4: students will write a short play and act out
how to be a good citizen
o The play will include a place in the community (which will be
given to each group)
o Plays will have active participation from each member
 This may take more than one day to write and perform
 Lesson 4

How to change the world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z7gDsSKUmU
- Come up with ideas on how to better the school
o Work in groups and come up with ways to make the school a
community, better a program already in the school, and create a
poster and present to the class