4th Grade  Lesson 45 minutes

Law & Order: Classroom Edition

Lindsey R
C.4.4
RL.4.7
4.C.PR.1
4.C.KGO.1
MA:Cn11.1.K.b
+ 2 more
1-pager

Purpose

This project allows students to actively engage in the democratic process by creating and presenting their own proposed laws, fostering an understanding of how laws impact citizens and communities. It encourages collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity as students develop digital presentations, make claims, provide evidence, and reason effectively to persuade their classmates. Ultimately, students will reflect on the importance of laws in improving society and work to collaboratively achieve goals, aligning with real-world experiences of lawmaking and community-building.

Learning goals

By the end of the 45-minute lesson, students should be able to collaborate effectively in groups to propose a new law, integrating their personal values into the process. They will gain an understanding of the legislative process by learning who writes, passes, and enforces laws, while utilizing digital resources safely to craft and present their proposals. Students will develop their claim-evidence-reasoning skills to justify their proposed law and connect their arguments to relevant media, understanding how laws improve society. Additionally, students will critically evaluate peer presentations and participate in a class-wide vote to decide on the proposed laws' validity.
Standards
  • [Kentucky] C.4.4 - With some guidance and support from adults, use digital resources to create and publish products as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
  • [Kentucky] RL.4.7 - Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation, including making connections with what they "see" and "hear" when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.
  • [Kentucky] 4.C.PR.1 - Describe the processes people use to change rules and laws.
  • [Kentucky] 4.C.KGO.1 - Explain how the development of rules improves communities and attempts to meet the needs of citizens.
  • [Kentucky] MA:Cn11.1.K.b - With guidance, interact safely and appropriately with media arts tools and environments.
  • [Kentucky] MA:Cn10.1.4.b - Examine and show how media artworks create meaning, situations and/or cultural experiences.
Competencies
  • Productive Collaborator - Engages with others to achieve a common goal through building positive relationships, actively listening, showing empathy, and making individual contributions to a larger group.

Products

Students will work in groups to create a digital presentation proposing a new law, complete with claim, evidence, and reasoning. They will collaborate to produce slides that clearly communicate their ideas and use digital tools to enhance their message. Each group will present their proposed law to the class. The class will assess each presentation based on content and persuasive skill before voting to approve or deny the law, providing a culminating exhibit of their work and understanding of laws.

Launch

Begin by dividing students into small groups and have them discuss their personal values and beliefs regarding community improvement. Encourage them to brainstorm ideas for laws that align with these values and how such laws might benefit their community. Guide them to consider who the key players in law-making are, and introduce the basics of digital presentations, focusing on using computers safely. Conclude the launch by each group sharing their top law proposal idea with the class to begin collaborative discussions on which laws to develop further.

Exhibition

Students will present their proposed laws to the class through a digital slideshow. Each group explains its claim, evidence, and reasoning for why the law should be passed, integrating text, visuals, and audio elements. Classmates will listen to each presentation, actively engaging by asking questions or providing feedback. After all presentations, peers will cast votes based on the strength of reasoning and presentation effectiveness to decide on the passage or denial of each law. This interactive exhibition allows students to showcase their collaboration and digital presentation skills while celebrating diverse ideas and solutions.