×
<< BACK TO Citizenship & Participation

The Fourth Branch: You!

Lesson Plan

Students learn the role of citizens and how they can influence the government. They measure the impact of their "citizen power" on each of the three branches and learn how to target the right government official with their concerns. (Note: This lesson will be most effective if students have some background knowledge of the three branches of government.)

Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials below!

Downloadable Resources

Resources for this lesson are available in print and digital form. A free teacher account is required to access them.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to...

This Lesson Plan is included in the following units:

Citizenship & Participation

Related Resources

  • Lesson Plan

    A Trip Around the World

    Students learn about citizenship around the world and compare the rights and responsibilities of citizens in other countries to the rights held by U.S. citizens.Got a 1:1 classroom? Find fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials here.
    View kami
  • Lesson Plan

    Citizen Me

    Students learn that they are citizens at many levels of society — home, school, city, state, and nation — and create a graphic organizer that diagrams citizen rights and responsibilities at these different levels of citizenship.Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials below! 
    View kami
  • Lesson Plan

    Citizenship: Just the Facts

    In this lesson, students get the basics of U.S. citizenship. As a foundation for studying the rights and responsibilities of citizens, they’ll learn what it means to be a citizen and how people become U.S. citizens.Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials below!
    View kami
  • WebQuest

    Civic Heroism!

    Let's explore what it means to be a civic hero!
    View
  • DBQuest

    DC Voting Rights

    What does the American Revolution’s rallying cry “taxation without representation” have to do with the District of Columbia?  Looking at three different types of sources-- Congressional debates, a newspaper article and posters-- students will see how the taxation without representation argument has been used to advocate for district voting rights for over 200 years.
    View
  • Lesson Plan

    Get Counted! (The U.S. Census)

    What do you know about the U.S. Census? How does it affect your community? Are you prepared to be counted? Learn the who, what, when, where, why and how of the census in this lesson about the importance of being counted.Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials below!
    View kami
  • WebQuest

    Immigration & Citizenship

    For a person "coming to America", immigration is a precursor to citizenship. In this WebQuest, students learn why people migrate and what attracts them to America, and take a look at the naturalization process. 
    View
  • Game

    Immigration Nation

    Guide newcomers through the path to citizenship.
    View
  • Lesson Plan

    Immigration Nation Extension Pack

    Make your students’ gameplay more meaningful by using our immigration lesson plan designed specifically for Immigration Nation. This easy-to-use Extension Pack helps you give context and purpose to the game, as well as reinforce and assess the game concepts. Immigration Nation and its Extension Pack are correlated according to WIDA's methodology using the WIDA PRIME V2 Inventory. To see how these materials best meet your ELL students' needs, click here. (Note: PRIME stands for Protocol for Review of Instructional Materials for ELLs.) 
    View kami
  • Lesson Plan

    Immigration: Pathway to Citizenship - HS

    America is often described as a 'land of immigrants'. So how do they get here? In this lesson, students learn about the U.S. process of immigration, including requirements for legal permanent residence, the path to citizenship, and how some are pushing for immigration reform. Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials below!
    View kami

See how it all fits together!

View Scope and Sequence