Activity
Lesson Name
Time Allotment
10.6
How Can Citizens Influence Their Government?
2 Class Periods (50 minute periods)
Materials
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Lesson Summary
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For Students
SR 10.6: How Can Citizens Influence
Their Government?
Note-taking Handout
Video Activity Handout
Students will learn how, as citizens, they can influence their government through participation in a
group video activity.
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Teacher Preparation
For Teachers
SR 10.6: How Can Citizens Influence Their
Government?
SR 10.6: Reading Comprehension
Questions: Answer Key
YouTube Videos
Note-taking Handout
Note-taking Handout: Answer Key
Video Activity Handout
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Read SR 10.6: How Can Citizens Influence Their Government?
Gather needed materials and make copies of both handouts, one copy of the Note-taking
Handout per student and one copy for every three students of the Video Activity Handout.
Preview and select the videos for your lesson. A suggested YouTube link is:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf5OC5Cznmzj64ofpVTT_uIFrEhoTO99z
Preview all videos before selecting them, as many topics are too mature for fourth-grade
students. Suggested topics include pollution, workers’ unions, and teacher education
unions.
Select video for Day 2 of lesson.
Assign each student a group for Day 2.
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Activity 10.6: How Can Citizens Influence Their Government?
Instructional Procedure
Vocabulary and Concepts
Period 1
Pre-assessment: Ask students how they and/or their parents can connect with or influence the
government. Make a cumulative list and refer back to the list after teaching the lesson.
1. Share SR 10.6: How Can Citizens Influence Their Government?.
2. Distribute the Note-taking Handout. Explain to students that the four headings on the
handout, Political Parties, Campaigns, Interest Groups, and Media, correspond to the four
headings in SR 10.6: How Can Citizens Influence Their Government?.
3. Read the introduction and the first two sections of SR 10.6: Political Parties and Campaigns.
While reading, pause to discuss the picture and to allow students time to take notes. You
can also do a guided note-taking activity.
Period 2
1. Begin by reviewing the notes taken the previous class.
2. Read the last two sections of SR 10.6: Interest Groups and Media and have students take
notes on their Note-taking Handout.
3. Divide students into groups. Show students the advertisement previously selected from
YouTube. After viewing the video, have students work together in their groups to complete
the Video Activity Handout.
4. As a class, discuss the video and each group’s responses recorded on the Video Activity
Handout. Ask students if the video is an effective means of influencing the government.
Post-Assessment: Have students answer the SR 10.6 reading comprehension questions.
 Citizen: a person who legally lives in a country or state;
 Campaign: a race between candidates for elective office;
 Candidate: a person running for a political office in an election;
 Democracy: a form of government in which political control is held by all the people either
directly or through their elected representatives;
 Government: the act or process of directing the public affairs of a county, state, or city;
 Interest group: An organized group made up of people with common interests and
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Activity 10.6: How Can Citizens Influence Their Government?
Extension
Differentiation
Standards Alignment
Connections to 21st
Century Skills
Attachments
attitudes to influence the government;
 Media: the main means of mass communication (especially television, radio, newspapers,
and the internet;
 Political party: an organization formed to gain political power;
 Politics: the activities and ideas of government.
 Students research and make a list of special interest groups.
 Students research and watch campaign videos from the past and from today. Compare and
contrast the differences in the campaign advertisements.
 Students create a “Facebook” page for a candidate running for office. Students should
include what the candidate stands for and comments from citizens on the page.
 Students with OT services can be given a prepared note sheet and a highlighter. They will
need to highlight the information as other students are copying in onto their Note-taking
Handout. Groups may be assembled where students with disabilities are paired with other
groups of other students who are more able to facilitate the discussion and generate ideas
and opinions.
Ohio’s Learning Statements for Social Studies Grade 4
15. Individuals have a variety of opportunities to participate in and influence their state and
national government. Citizens have both rights and responsibilities in Ohio and the United
States.
16. Civic participation requires individuals to make informed and reasoned decisions by
accessing and using information effectively.
Government/Civic Participation Skills
 Skills in accessing and analyzing information are essential for citizens in a democracy.
 Note-taking Handout
 Note-taking Handout: Answer Key
 Video Activity Handout
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Activity 10.6: How Can Citizens Influence Their Government?
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SR 10.6: How Can Citizens Influence Their Government?
SR 10.5: Reading Comprehension Questions: Answer Key
Suggested Resources
Cross Curricular
Connection
Ohio’s Learning Statements for English Language Arts Grade 4
 RL 4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
and when drawing inferences from the text.
 RI 4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in
a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
 SL 4.2 Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media.
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Activity 10.6: How Can Citizens Influence Their Government?