Social Studies - 5th Grade (2024)
Lesson Plans

Strand 3: United States Government and Citizenship

Students will demonstrate their understanding of the Constitution and its relevance in their lives, including the Bill of Rights, the branches of government, and how the Constitution has changed and been interpreted over time.

Compelling Questions

• What civil rights and liberties are included in the Constitution and Bill of Rights?
• How have the rights and liberties in the Constitution been interpreted and applied to different groups over time?
• What is the purpose of the three branches of government, and how do they interact?

Standard 5.3.3

Explain why the Founders established a compound constitutional republic with three branches, and cite historic and current examples of checks and balances.

• The Constitution: The Country's Rules
  In this lesson, students develop an awareness of the Constitution by exploring what it is and why it is important. Students examine their classroom rules poster as an introduction to the concept of rules and learn that the Constitution is the law of the United States.
• The Supreme Court
  The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand the original purpose and powers of the Supreme Court according to the Constitution. Students will learn the Supreme Court?s role in preserving the U.S. Constitution and the balance of power it creates. In this lesson, students will learn about the powers of the Supreme Court according to the Constitution through a guided hidden message activity and vocabulary lesson. An extension activity links this understanding of the Court to the development of judicial review in Marbury v. Madison.
• U.S. and Utah Constitution Comparison
  This lesson is designed to be a compare-and-contrast reading activity using the Utah and U.S. Constitutions.

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Robert  Austin and see the Social Studies website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.