Quarter 4: We the People
The Simulated Congressional Hearing (SCH) is a culminating activity for fifth grade social studies. The SCH is an authentic, performance-based assessment where students demonstrate their understanding of the U.S. Constitution. Students display their expertise on topics ranging from colonial life and government to the contemporary rights and responsibilities of citizens in our country. The students present prepared oral statements before a panel of simulated congressional committee members (“judges”). Following the formal presentations, students respond to follow-up questions from the panel. For more information about this program, visit: sch.hcpss.org
Starting May 4th, students will be placed into groups and may be working with different teachers to learn about the Constitution.
Ask your child every night about their work in their Simulated Congressional Hearing group.
Ask your child every night about their work in their Simulated Congressional Hearing group.
Goal 1. Political Science – Students will understand the historical development and current status of the fundamental concepts and processes of authority, power, and influence, with particular emphasis on the democratic skills and attitudes necessary to become responsible citizens.
Objectives – The student will be able to:
a.Describe the three branches of government and their individual powers and responsibilities such as separation of powers and checks and balances. b.Describe the power and responsibility of the Supreme Court including the power of judicial review.
c.Give examples of how powers are distributed in the federal system and how local, state, and federal laws impact people’s lives.
d.Describe the significance of the Bill of Rights.
e.Describe responsibilities associated with certain basic rights of citizens such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press, and why these responsibilities are important.
f.Explain why some rights, such as voting rights and equal protection of the law, are important to an individual in a democratic society.
g.Identify how due process of law protects the accused
h.Describe the due process protections in the Bill of Rights. i.Analyze the usefulness of various sources of information used to make political decisions. j.Describe ways people can participate in the political process including voting, petitioning elected officials, and volunteering.
Goal 2. Social Studies Skills and Processes – Students will use reading, writing, and thinking processes and skills to gain knowledge and understanding of political, historical, and current events using chronological and spatial thinking, economic reasoning, and historical interpretation, by framing and evaluating questions from primary and secondary sources.
Objectives – The student will be able to:
a.Read to learn and construct meaning about social studies by using appropriate vocabulary and comprehension strategies.
b.Write to learn and communicate social studies understandings through informal writing, formal writing, and timed, on-demand writing.
c.Identify, interpret, and synthesize information from primary and secondary sources to analyze a social studies question/topic/situation/problem being studied.
d.Analyze social studies information from a variety of sources by interpreting, evaluating and synthesizing information and by recognizing relationships in and among ideas or events such as cause and effect, sequence, main idea, and details.
e.Present information in creative ways, such as simulations, debates, skits, mock trials, and simulated congressional hearings.
f.Organize and display social studies information from print and non-print sources using charts, graphs, graphic organizers, maps, timelines and other visual representations.
Objectives – The student will be able to:
a.Describe the three branches of government and their individual powers and responsibilities such as separation of powers and checks and balances. b.Describe the power and responsibility of the Supreme Court including the power of judicial review.
c.Give examples of how powers are distributed in the federal system and how local, state, and federal laws impact people’s lives.
d.Describe the significance of the Bill of Rights.
e.Describe responsibilities associated with certain basic rights of citizens such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press, and why these responsibilities are important.
f.Explain why some rights, such as voting rights and equal protection of the law, are important to an individual in a democratic society.
g.Identify how due process of law protects the accused
h.Describe the due process protections in the Bill of Rights. i.Analyze the usefulness of various sources of information used to make political decisions. j.Describe ways people can participate in the political process including voting, petitioning elected officials, and volunteering.
Goal 2. Social Studies Skills and Processes – Students will use reading, writing, and thinking processes and skills to gain knowledge and understanding of political, historical, and current events using chronological and spatial thinking, economic reasoning, and historical interpretation, by framing and evaluating questions from primary and secondary sources.
Objectives – The student will be able to:
a.Read to learn and construct meaning about social studies by using appropriate vocabulary and comprehension strategies.
b.Write to learn and communicate social studies understandings through informal writing, formal writing, and timed, on-demand writing.
c.Identify, interpret, and synthesize information from primary and secondary sources to analyze a social studies question/topic/situation/problem being studied.
d.Analyze social studies information from a variety of sources by interpreting, evaluating and synthesizing information and by recognizing relationships in and among ideas or events such as cause and effect, sequence, main idea, and details.
e.Present information in creative ways, such as simulations, debates, skits, mock trials, and simulated congressional hearings.
f.Organize and display social studies information from print and non-print sources using charts, graphs, graphic organizers, maps, timelines and other visual representations.