Grade 4 State Goal 14 State Goal 14: Understand political systems, with an emphasis on the United States. 1 ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS: STATE GOAL 14: GRADE 4 LEARNING STANDARD/OUTCOME SAMPLE ASSESSMENT CONNECTIONS Critical to Understand and Master at Use the Internet or library resources to Language Arts: Write a summary of the Grade 4: research the history of the Declaration ideas expressed in the Declaration of 4.14.01 of Independence. Write a paragraph Independence. Analyze the history of the Declaration explaining why it was written and of Independence. (14A) where it was signed. 4.14.02 Write a journal entry describing what Language Arts: Participate in a class Explain the role of the Declaration of the United States would be like today if discussion about the importance of Independence in American life the Declaration of Independence had preserving the Declaration of today. (14A) not been written. Independence. Share your ideas on why it is important to take care of the document. 4.14.03 Write a paragraph explaining the Language Arts: Read the book We the Recognize the United States purpose of the United States Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution Constitution as our nation’s plan of Constitution. Include a summary of of the United States by David Catrow, government. (14A) how the Constitution sets up the Puffin, 2005. Then, write a book report structure of the nation’s government. summarizing it. Art: Using construction paper, create your own version of the United States Constitution. Include a summary of the preamble and articles of the Constitution. 2 ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS: STATE GOAL 14: GRADE 4 LEARNING STANDARD/OUTCOME SAMPLE ASSESSMENT CONNECTIONS 4.14.04 Make a three-column chart. Label the Theater: Working in groups, role-play Describe the three branches of the columns Executive Branch, Legislative being tour guides in Washington D.C. national government. (14B) Branch, and Judicial Branch. In each Take turns pretending to lead a group column, write a sentence that of visitors on a tour of Washington D.C. describes the branch’s function in the In your tour, point out important national government. Then, list the buildings to each branch of the national responsibilities of each branch. government, such as the White House, the Capitol building, and the Supreme Court building. Explain to your group what goes on in each of the buildings. 4.14.05 Use the Internet or library resources to Language Arts: Choose one of the Identify state government leaders in find information about members of the members of Illinois’ government from Illinois. (14B) Illinois state government, such as the your list. Use the Internet or library governor, senators, and other leaders. resources to research this person and Make a list of these leaders. Then, write a short biography about him or write one sentence for each leader, her. Include information about the describing the purpose of his or her leader’s life and service in government position in the state government. in your biography. 3 ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS: STATE GOAL 14: GRADE 4 LEARNING STANDARD/OUTCOME SAMPLE ASSESSMENT CONNECTIONS 4.14.06 Make a list of leaders in your local Language Arts/ Art: Work in groups to Recognize and describe the roles of government, such as the mayor and make a flowchart that shows the local government leaders in your the sheriff. Write a paragraph that structure of the local government in community. (14B) describes the roles and responsibilities your community. Be sure to show the of each member in the local responsibilities of various leaders in government. your community’s local government. Choose one member of your group to share your flowchart with the class. 4.14.07 Use a variety of resources, such as the Art: Create a bulletin board, showing Compare the functions of national, United States Constitution, the Illinois the functions of each level of state, and local governments in the Constitution, and other resources to government. Include information, United States. (14B) gather information about your local, pictures, and drawings that show the state, and national government. Use similarities and differences between the information to create a Venn the three levels of government. diagram that compares and contrasts the levels of government. In your diagram, include examples of specific responsibilities of leaders of each level of government. 4 ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS: STATE GOAL 14: GRADE 4 LEARNING STANDARD/OUTCOME SAMPLE ASSESSMENT CONNECTIONS 4.14.08 Make a two-column chart about rights Language Arts: Brainstorm a list of Understand and describe rights and and responsibilities of United States rights and responsibilities you have as responsibilities of United States citizens. Label the columns Rights and a member of your class. Include rights citizenship. (14C) Responsibilities. In the Rights column, on your list, such as respect and the make a list of freedoms and rights that right to learn. Include responsibilities, United States citizens have. In the such as participating in class, doing Responsibilities column, list things for your work, and raising your hand. which citizens of the United States are Combine your list with the lists of your responsible for doing. classmates to make a classroom Bill of Rights. 4.14.09 Write sentences that describe the Language Arts: Imagine you have a Describe the importance of responsibilities of voting, obeying laws, friend who recently moved to the responsibilities, such as voting, and paying taxes. Include the possible United States. Write a letter to your obeying laws, and paying taxes. (14C) consequences of not meeting each friend to explain what his or her responsibility in your sentences. family’s responsibilities will be at school, in the community, and in the state. 5 ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS: STATE GOAL 14: GRADE 4 LEARNING STANDARD/OUTCOME SAMPLE ASSESSMENT CONNECTIONS 4.14.10 Write a paragraph that describes the Language Arts: Create a survey that Explain the significance of the rights significance of the rights and asks adults how and why they exercise and responsibilities that people in your responsibilities that people in your their rights and responsibilities as community and people in Illinois have community and people in Illinois have citizens of your community and as as citizens. (14C) as citizens. citizens of Illinois. Your survey questions may ask about voting, volunteering, or expressing informed opinions. Survey three to five adults and summarize your results in a paragraph to share with the class. 4.14.11 Write a paragraph that explains the Language Arts: Look through Explain how people in the United election process. Include terms, such magazines and newspapers that were States elect government leaders. (14D) as candidates, campaign, and ballot, in published during a recent election. your paragraph. Find out who the candidates were, what party each one belonged to, and who won each election. Make a chart to summarize the information you find. 4.14.12 Use the Internet or library resources to Language Arts: As a class, research Describe how Thurgood Marshall research Thurgood Marshall. Then, information about Brown v. Board of influenced public policy. (14D) write a short biography about his life Education of Topeka. Discuss the and how he worked with the leadership of Thurgood Marshall in government. helping convince the United States Supreme Court to decide that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal”. 6 ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS: STATE GOAL 14: GRADE 4 LEARNING STANDARD/OUTCOME SAMPLE ASSESSMENT CONNECTIONS 4.14.13 Make a poster that outlines the Language Arts: Write a paragraph Identify the work of Jane Addams and accomplishments of Jane Addams and explaining the impact of Jane Ellen Gates Starr, and discuss the Ellen Gates Starr in working for change Addams’s and Ellen Gates Starr’s work importance of their work in Illinois. in their community. On your poster, on the people of Illinois. (14D) include information about Hull House as well as new laws the women were able to pass. 4.14.14 Write a paragraph about the different Theater: Work in small groups to write Describe how the United States forms of aid the United States offers to a short skit about the United States cooperates with and aids other other countries. Include issues, such providing aid to a country in need. countries. (14E) as poverty, hunger, disease, and Then, perform your skit for the class. disasters, and examples of how the United States provides aid to countries struggling with these issues. 4.14.15 List the characteristics that you think Language Arts: As a class, discuss Identify qualities that make the United make a good leader. Also make a list how the United States can continue to States a world leader. (14E) of characteristics that you think be a world leader. Include ideas, such describe the United States. Compare as maintaining citizens’ freedoms and the two lists. Then, write a paragraph the nation’s economic strength, in your explaining how these qualities make discussion. the United States a world leader. 7 ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS: STATE GOAL 14: GRADE 4 LEARNING STANDARD/OUTCOME SAMPLE ASSESSMENT CONNECTIONS 4.14.16 Write a journal entry explaining why Language Arts: Use the Internet or Describe the importance of it is important that changes or library resources to learn how a Constitutional Amendments. (14F) amendments can be made to the proposed amendment becomes part of United States Constitution. In your the United States Constitution. Then, entry, give examples of inconsistencies create a flowchart that outlines the between political ideas, such as “all process. men are created equal,” and the way they are carried out—for example, African Americans not being treated equally for many years. 4.14.17 Describe how the Constitution has Language Arts: Research Identify how Constitutional changed throughout history to protect Constitutional Amendments, and Amendments have impacted the the rights and freedoms of all United choose an amendment to write a United States and Illinois.