Who runs a town?: 3rd to 5th people & places
Local government: mayors, councils, voting and taxes. A free 3rd to 5th lesson plan with a hook, practice that links to free activities, and an exit ticket. Copy it and make it yours.
Lesson plan
Goal
- Students work toward: local government: mayors, councils, voting and taxes.
Hook (5 min)
- Ask the class: Who decides where a new park goes?
- Take two or three answers and write them where everyone can see them.
Teach (15 min)
- Say the big idea in one plain sentence: who runs a town?
- Show one example, then one that is not an example, and ask how the two differ.
- Have students tell a partner or a small group the idea in their own words.
Practise (20 min)
- Choose one for the whole class or let groups pick:
- Learn: Who Runs a Town? (https://peabody.kids/world/citizenship/citizenship-who-runs-a-town)
- Watch: Why do we vote? (https://peabody.kids/tv/wonders/country)
- Read: Where Do Taxes Go? (https://peabody.kids/library/where-do-taxes-go)
- Print: Rules and Laws (https://teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/rules-and-laws)
Exit ticket (5 min)
- On a slip or aloud: one thing I learned about who runs a town?, and one question I still have.
- Sort the slips into: got it, nearly, not yet. Start tomorrow with the last pile.
Written by Peabody from its own skill pages. Free, no ads, no sign-in. Children can practise this on Peabody. More from teachers: teacher-shared resources.