Local Policies

At a Glance:

Grades:	3, 4, 5
Subject:	Civics; Social Studies
Topic:	Civics: Processes, Rules, and Laws
Lesson Length:	45 mins

Standards / Framework:

Students will be able to explain one local policy in their community or classroom and what problem the policy or rule is intended to address.

Students should be familiar with their classroom and school rules.

As a class, discuss the difference between a law, policy, and rule.
Create cards with one community or classroom policy/rule per card.
Have students form partnerships or small groups. Give each partnership or group one of the cards with a policy/rule on it.
Have each group create a skit or role play to represent the policy/rule without saying the actual policy or rule aloud. The skit should highlight what problem the policy or rule is intended to help solve or address.
Have the students in the audience guess what the policy or rule is.
Have students select a policy or rule and create a comic about how it addresses a problem.

Have students share their comics with a partner or in small groups.
Tell students that today's comics highlight local and classroom policies. Understanding these rules and their purposes helps everyone follow and remind others to follow them.

Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
Allow students to work in pairs or groups as needed.
Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
Provide students with a graphic organizer, such as Draw/Plan Then Write, to map out their comic before creating.