INDIVIDUAL LESSON PLAN

Teacher: Alex Beer

Title: Montesquieu and Seperation of Powers in modern america
Subject(s): Modern World History
Grade(s): 10th grade
Objectives:
TSWBAT connect 3 checks and balances in our government to the
appropriate branches.
Describe in their own words how Montesquieus ideas on seperation
of powers is expressed in our own system of government
TSWBAT distinguish between the 5 different philosophers their
writings and ideas for society
TSWBAT recognize how each branch has the ability to prevent
unconstitutional action on the part of the other branches
Materials Needed: Laptops
BrainPop Game
Powerpoint
Multiple choice worksheet
Paragraph (see assessment portion)
Brief Description:
Students will be taking notes from a powerpoint on some of the
enlightenment philosophers and then playing a game that ties
Montesquieus ideas on government to our current one by navigating
the different roles of each branch of government The main idea that I
gathered from our discussion and my own analysis of the video is
that I needed to draw greater connections between specific slide to
the main idea of the lesson and the unit. These stronger connections

Lesson:
1. Bellringer (5 minutes)
a. What are the 3 branches of government and their specific
roles
2. Notes (20 Minutes)
3. Take out laptops and power on (5 minutes) Have students take
out the laptops and power them on during the lecture notes
4. Play game and fill out worksheet (23 minutes) Students needed
a lot longer to play the game than 23 minutes
Assessment:
The formative assessment was the bellringer where I was trying to
establish knowledge gaps from their 8th grade US history when they
learn about the government. As far as a summative assessment, the
worksheet is what I provided as a way to ensure they were being
checked on the applications of the game. However playing the game
and actively learning through it was the main point of this lesson
After reviewing the class and the worksheet, I do not think having a
worksheet being the grade was an effective method of testing their
knowledge since the questions and knowledge seem to be designed
for students within a government class. Overall what I would have
done for a test of their knowledge I would have the students probably
write a paragraph where they had to summarize what they did in the
game, with strict attention being paid to the choices they made and
how those resulted in actions being taken by the computer as far as
constitutional challenges. By requiring more in depth expressions of
knowledge I will have a better idea of their understanding of checks
and balances and seperation of powers.
Standards:
KS standard 3
Societies are shaped by beliefs, ideas, and diversity.
KS standard 5
Relationships between people, place, idea and enviroments are
dynamic.
KS Standard 1
Choices have Consequences

Analysis of my performance
Arethepurpose/objectivesapparent?
ThepurposeofthelessonwastogivestudentsanunderstandingofhowthePhilosopherswe
werelearningaboutintheunitwererelatedtosomeofthemodernunderstandingsofour
currentgovernment.IscheduledthislessonsinceItaughtitonFriday,November4 thwhich
wastheFridaybeforeelectiondaysoIwantedtoensuretheyhadsomelevelof
understandingofthepotentialactionsthatwouldoccurafterTuesday.Asfarasspecific
objectives,Iwouldsaythatinitiallytheywerentcompletelycenteredaroundamodern
worldhistoryclassespeciallymyemphasisonChecksandBalanceswhenmyactual
teachingbarelytouchedonthisinfavorofseparationofpowers.
Howwelldidyouinvolvethestudents?
Ithinkthiswasahighlystudentcenteredlessonsincetheactivitywassomethingthathad
themmakingspecificchoicesinregardstothegamethatwasinfrontofthem
Isthelessonsubstantivelyaccurate?
Yes,thecontentwasoverallveryaccurate.TheonlymistakeImadeasfarascontentis
concernedwasthatIattributedthequoteIthinkthereforeIamtoVoltaireinsteadof
Descartes
Isthelessoninterestingand/orrelevant?
ItwashighlyrelevanttowhatwasgoingonnationallyandIwouldsaythatthevastmajority
ofstudentsfounditinterestingespeciallysinceitinvolvedplayingavideogameinsteadof
moretraditionalformsofactivities.
Howwellareyouabletocommunicateyourlessontothestudents?
IthinkIwaseffectiveincommunicatingwhatwasgoingonwiththestudents.Therewere
issueswiththetechnologyandIthinkIrespondedwelltotheirneedsbyencouraging
studentswhoselaptopsdidn'tworktopartneroffandevenprovidingmyownlaptoptoa
studenttouse.ThemainthingsIwouldworkonismanyofmystudentshavesaidthatIgoto
fastthroughthelectureandsoIfIsloweddownmypacingorprovidedguidednotesfor
studentswhoarestillstrugglingIthinkthatwouldresolvealotofthoseconcerns.In
addition,somethingwediscussedistheneedtodrawgreaterconnectionsbetweenthe
individualslidesandinformationonthemandthemainideasofthelessonasawholeand
withintheoverallframeworkoftheunit.
Istheactuallessonconsistentwiththelessonplan?
ThelessonItaughtwaslargelyconsistentwiththelessonplanwiththeonlymajordifference
beingmyfocusonchecksandbalancesinthelessonplanwhilethatwassomethingIbarely
toucheduponwithinthelesson.
Isthelessonadaptedtomeettheneedsofthestudents,torespondtodisruptions...?
Thelessonwasforthemostpartaccessibletostudentswithdifferentneeds.Therearetwo
studentsintheclasswithIEPsandofthesetwostudentsthelessonwassomethingthat
workedfortheonewithlessintenseneedsbecauseshewasabletoshareherlaptopwitha
studentandtheywereabletoworktogetherinordertoplaythegame.However,forthe
otherstudenthewasnotinvolvedinthelesson,andhespentthetimetwiddlinghisthumb
whenotherstudentswereworking.Inordertogethimtoworkittakesalotofindividualized

pokingandproddinginthedirectionofthelessonandIunfortunatelywasunabletodedicate
thetimenecessarysinceIhadotherresponsibilitieswiththeclassasawhole
Howwelldoesthelesson"flow"?Isacontextestablished?
Thelessonconsistedoftwodifferenthalves.Thefirsthalfwasthelecturewhichspecifically
referredtothecontentthatwewerelearningaboutaspartoftheoverallunit.Thesecond
halfwasrelevanttooneofthespecificphilosophersthatwestudiedbutIfeltitwasmore
importantduetotheclosenessoftheelection,whichIestablishedduringthislesson,the
lessonbeforeitandthentheonethatfolloweduptoelectionday.Therewereadequate
connectionsbetweenthetwohalvesbutmymistakeofnotallowingenoughtimetopowerup
thelaptopsandothertechnologicalissuesmadeitfeelmoredisjointedthanitshouldhave
Howarethetransitionsbetweendifferentpartsoflesson?Didyouprovideclosure?
Iwouldsaythattherewasclosurebetweenthefirsthalfandthesecondhalf,howeversince
timewastakenawayfromdoingtheactivitytherewasn'tasmuchclosurefortheendofthe
lessonandIthinkthatmanystudentswerelefthangingwhichiswhynothavingthemgather
thelaptopsandpowerthemonatthebeginningofclasswasmybiggestregretofthislesson
Howeffectivewastheuseofresources?
Theyusedtheresourcesaseffectivelyastheycould.Theywouldhavebenefitedfrommore
timebuttheresourcesthatwereusedhadnoissuesrelatedtotheiroverallpurpose.