Module 12: How Government Works- Social Studies 3 - Course Guide

Module Overview:

In this module, students will learn to explain the power structure in the home, school, and community and why it is needed, explain the process of law development at the local level, and identify the services generally performed by the government. They will describe the steps common in the local and federal election process and why this process is important and explain how and why taxation is an important part of the operation of the U.S. government.

Module Materials:

  • Pencils
  • Crayons or colored pencils
  • Notebook
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Highlighter
  • Markers
  • Blank paper

Module Objectives:

Lesson # Lesson Title Objective(s)
1 Positions of Authority
  1. Explain the power structure in the home, school, and community and why it is needed.
2 How Laws Are Made
  1. Explain the process of law development at the local level.
3 Government and Civil Service
  1. Identify the services generally performed by the government.
4 Elections
  1. Describe the steps common in the local and federal election process and why this process is important.
5 Taxes
  1. Explain how and why taxation is an important part of the operation of the U.S. government.

Module Key Words:

Key Words
authority
power structure
law
law development
community
local level
ordinance
services
national government
state government
local government
election
local election
federal election
candidate
government
taxes

Module Assignments:

Lesson # Lesson Title Page # Assignment Title
2 How Laws Are Made 5 Ordinance Process Assignment
4 Elections 6 Convince a Friend to Vote Assignment
5 Taxes 5 Your Community Assignment

Learning Coach Notes:

Lesson # Lesson Title Notes
1 Positions of Authority After completing this lesson, explain what authority is and examples of positions of authority. Ask your student to explain what positions of authority are needed.
2 How Laws Are Made After completing this lesson, ask your student to describe the process for how laws are made in a local community, be sure that they use the vocabulary from the lesson in their description.
3 Government and Civil Service After completing this lesson, ask your student to explain the services provided by local, state, and federal governments.
4 Elections After completing this lesson, ask your student to explain the purpose of elections and the steps involved in the election process.
5 Taxes After completing this lesson, ask your student to explain what taxes are and why they are important.

Module Guiding Questions:

When a student starts a lesson ask them questions to check for prior knowledge and understanding and to review concepts being taught. At the end of the lesson ask the questions again to see if their answer changes.

Lesson Title Question
Positions of Authority
  1. What is authority, and why is it needed?
How Laws Are Made
  1. How are new laws made in our community?
Government and Civil Service
  1. What services are performed by the government?
Elections
  1. What is the election process?
Taxes
  1. What are taxes?

Module Video Questions:

When a student watches a video take time to ask them questions about what they watched. Suggested questions for the videos in this module are listed here. Suggestion: Have the student watch the entire video first all the way through. Then have them watch the video a second time, as they watch it pause the video and ask the questions.

Lesson Title Video Question

Module Suggested Read Aloud Books:

Take time to read to your student or have them read aloud to you. Read a different book each day. While reading the book point out concepts being taught. You may purchase these books or find them at your local library. Suggested things to discuss while reading the book:

  • What is the main idea?
  • What are three things new you learned?
  • How does this book relate to what you are learning about?

# Book Author Lexile Level
1 ABC What an Informed Voter You'll Be! Modern Kid Press and Jacy Corral
2 Presidential Elections and Other Cool Facts Syl Sobel
3 Why Does the Government Need Our Taxes? Universal Politics
4 For Which We Stand: How Our Government Works and Why It Matters Jeff Foster

Module Outing:

Take some time to apply what your student is learning to the real world. Suggested outings are below.

# Outing