American Democracy

Unit 12 Overview Name: __________________________________________________ Date: �� Social Studies Texts

American Democracy

Theme Summary Let freedom ring! America is a free country and has a “government of the people, by the people, [and] for the people.” It is important for students to understand how the U.S. government came to be and how it functions today. In this unit on democracy, students will read a patriotic song from the nation’s past and a nonfiction text about how our government works.

Standards

Answer Key

➠ Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

“Let’s Visit Congress” Response (page 112)

➠ Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

2. The author states that there are 100 senators in Congress because each of the 50 states gets to vote for two senators every six years.

➠ Understand how shared values, principles, and beliefs contribute to the continuation and improvement of American democracy.

Materials ➠ Let’s Visit Congress (page 111) ➠ “Let’s Visit Congress” Response (page 112) ➠ My Country ’Tis of Thee (page 114) ➠ “My Country ’Tis of Thee” Response (page 115) ➠ Let’s Compare! A Ditty for Democracy (page 116) ➠ Thinking About American Democracy! (page 117) ➠ pencils ➠ recording of “My Country ’Tis of Thee” (optional)

Comparing the Texts After students complete the lessons for each text, have them work in pairs or in groups to reread both texts and complete the Let’s Compare! A Ditty for Democracy activity page (page 116). Finally, students can complete the Thinking About American Democracy! matrix (page 117). The activities allow students to work on the important literacy skills of reading, writing, vocabulary, and fluency.

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1. C. to make laws

3. Democracy means that the people in the country vote for its leaders. We vote for senators and representatives, which means our country is a democracy. “My Country ’Tis of Thee” Response (page 115) 1. B. the noble free 2. The speaker uses phrases such as land of liberty, land where [his] fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, his native country, and land of the noble free to describe his country. 3. Answers may include: The poet loves his country. He says he loves the name of his country and its rocks and rills. He states that his country fills his heart with rapture. Let’s Compare! A Ditty for Democracy (page 116) Students’ patriotic songs will vary but should represent patriotic inspiration.

#51360—Close Reading with Paired Texts

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Nonfiction Text Teacher Notes

Social Studies Texts

LetÕs Visit Congress

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Ready, Set, Predict! Go!

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Reread to Clarify

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• Have students read the text independently so that they get an idea as to what the text is about and to circle words they want to know. • Discuss reading fluency with students. Review how punctuation affects how the text is read aloud. • Read the text aloud as students follow along. Be sure to emphasize the punctuation. • Ask students to reread the text to clarify the author’s purpose using the following: I think the author wrote this text to _____ (e.g., inform, persuade, or entertain) because _____. • Instruct students to circle details that support the author’s purpose.

Reread to Question

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• Provide the text to students and display a larger version. Read the title aloud. Ask students to predict what type of details they will learn in this text. • As a class, discuss any prior knowledge students have regarding Congress using the following: I think my knowledge of Congress is _____ because I know _____.

• Ask partners to reread the text to question. After each paragraph, have partners ask one another questions about the main idea of the paragraph. • Tell partners to underline where the answers are found in the text. • Have students respond to the question and prompts on page 112.

Reread to Summarize and Respond

Lesson Steps

• Tell students to reread the text to summarize. Ask students to number each paragraph and put words in the margin that indicate what the paragraph is about. • Review the close reading strategies by singing the song on page 128.


Teacher Think Alouds

“I know there are two sides to Congress. But I’m not sure what the two sides are or what they do. I will look closely when I read to identify the name of each side and what each side does.”

“Do you hear how my voice goes higher at the end of the sentence with a question mark? Do you sense the excitement in my voice when I reach the exclamation point?”

“When I add notes next to each paragraph, I make sure to write about the most important parts.”

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Name:_____________________________________________________________________ Date:_______________________________ Name: __________________________________________________ Date: ��

Adapted from a piece by Margot Kinberg

How does our government work? Our government is a democracy. This means that we are free to choose the leaders who run our country. There are three branches of government. One of those branches is the legislative branch. The verb legislate means “to make laws.” That is one thing this branch does. We call this branch Congress.


LetÕs Visit Congress

Congress has two houses, or parts. One house is the Senate. There are 100 senators. Why? The citizens in each state choose, or vote for, two senators. Senators are chosen every six years. The other house is the House of Representatives. There are 435 representatives. States with a lot of people have a lot of representatives. States with fewer people do not. Some states only have one. The citizens in each state vote for their representatives every two years. Representatives and senators are members of Congress. Members of Congress work in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. One of their jobs is to make laws that will help people. How do they do that? First, a member of Congress creates a bill. Then, Congress votes on whether that bill should be a law. If Congress votes “yes” on the bill, then the bill goes to the president. When the president signs the bill, it becomes a law. If Congress votes “no” on the bill, then it does not become a law. Congress doesn’t just make laws. It is in charge of taxes. It is also in charge of making coins and other money. Congress makes treaties, or agreements, with other countries, too. Congress does many other things, as well. It is an important branch of the U.S. government. But Congress can’t do whatever it wants to do. There are two other branches of government. There are the executive and judicial branches. These branches limit what Congress can do. The executive branch makes sure the laws are followed. The judicial branch makes sure that the laws are fair. The other branches also do other things that Congress cannot do. All three branches have to work together. No one branch has more power than the others. That way, our government is balanced. It works for everyone!

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Name:_____________________________________________________________________ Date:_______________________________


Name: __________________________________________________ Date: ��

ÒLetÕs Visit CongressÓ Response

Directions: Reread the text on page 111 to answer each question. 1. What does the verb legislate mean?

A to have two sides

C to make laws

B to make taxes

D to vote

2. What supporting details does the author use to help you learn about the Senate? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 3. Our government is a democracy. Use evidence from the text to explain how you know this. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

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Fiction Text Teacher Notes

Ready, Set, Predict! Go!

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• Have students read the text independently to get an understanding of it and to circle words that they find interesting. • If possible, play a recording of the song. Then, read the text fluently aloud for the class. • Discuss with students which version is easier to understand and more enjoyable. Which version (e.g., the song, having it read, or reading it) helps or hinders fluency?

Reread to Clarify

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• Provide the text to students and display a larger version. Read the title aloud. Ask students if they recognize the title. Then, have them skim the text. • Ask partners to discuss everything they know about the text. If students do not have any prior information to say, they can predict what they think the text will be about.

• Have students reread the text independently to clarify. Ask them to circle tricky words or phrases they want to clarify. • Pair students. Have them switch their tricky words with their partners and work together to clarify one anothers’ tricky words.

Reread to Question

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Teacher Think Alouds

• Ask students to reread the text in pairs to question. After each stanza, tell partners to ask one another who, what, where, and why questions. • Tell pairs to place asterisks (*) next to the text that answers the questions. • Have students respond to the question and prompts on page 115.

Reread to Summarize and Respond

Lesson Steps

• Ask students to reread the poem to summarize by illustrating each stanza on a separate sheet of paper. • Tell students to swap their papers with partners. Invite them to play a game where they guess which stanza each illustration is referring to.


My Country ÕTis of Thee

“Does hearing the song help you understand the meaning or theme of the song? Is it easier to understand the text when it is read to you or when you read it?”

“My partner circled the phrase Pilgrim’s pride. I know that the Pilgrims were one of the first people to make a settlement in America at Plymouth Rock. When I explain this to my partner, it helps to clarify the phrase.”

*Note: For more tips, engagement strategies, and fluency options to include in this lesson, see pages 122–128. © Shell Education


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Name:_____________________________________________________________________ Date:_______________________________


Name: __________________________________________________ Date: ��

My Country ÕTis of Thee

Adapted from a piece by Samuel Francis Smith

My country ’tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died! Land of the Pilgrim’s pride! From every mountain side, Let freedom ring! My native country, thee, Land of the noble free, Thy name I love. I love thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed hills; My heart with rapture fills Like that above. Let music swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees Sweet freedom’s song. Let mortal tongues awake; Let all that breathe partake; Let rocks their silence break, The sound prolong. Our father’s God to, Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright With freedom’s holy light; Protect us by Thy might, Great God, our King!

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Directions: Reread the text on page 114 to answer each question. 1. How does the speaker describe America’s citizens in the second stanza?

A natives

C rocks and rills

B the noble free

D Pilgrims


ÒMy Country ÕTis of TheeÓ Response

2. What phrases does the speaker use to describe his country? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 3. How does the speaker feel about his country? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

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Name:_____________________________________________________________________ Date:_______________________________


Let’s Compare! Name: __________________________________________________ Date: ��

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A Ditty for Democracy

Directions: Reread both texts. Use what you learn to write a patriotic song or rap about how our Congress works. Draft your lyrics on a separate sheet of paper. You can set your song to an already-known tune or create a new tune all your own. When your rough draft is complete, write the final draft below.


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Directions: Choose at least two of these activities to complete.

Radical Reading

Reread “Let’s Visit Congress!” with a pencil. Circle places where you could add more information. Try to add at least one sentence to each paragraph.

Wonderful Words “My Country ’Tis of Thee” is a patriotic song. Write a list of all the patriotic words or symbols you can think of in three minutes. One example is the bald eagle.

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Thinking About American Democracy!

Fun Fluency Practice singing “My Country ’Tis of Thee.” If you are not comfortable singing the words, you may rap them or read them as a dramatic poem. Perform it for a friend after you have practiced.

Wacky Writing Imagine you are a tour guide at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Use the information from “Let’s Visit Congress!” to write a script for your tour. Practice giving your tour to a friend!


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