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City Government in Georgia, LP3Y3
Matthew Graham
Local Government in Georgia_Y3
Students will examine city governments in Georgia and determine the different forms that city governments can take, including the mayor-council form with a strong mayor, mayor-council form with a weak mayor, and the council-manager form. Students will examine why specific forms are used in certain different situations and look at the powers and responsibilities that are given to them. They will examine a local newspaper article to see how closely local government relates to their lives; and using the Internet, they will research city governments.
- Activating Strategy Handout - True/False Statements (answer key included)
- Guided Reading Handout
- Website The New Georgia Encyclopedia
- Specific Link to be used for the Guided Reading: Georgia's City Governments
- Primary Source Document (for bell assignment):
LaGrange Daily News, “West Point ready to demolish another house,” October 6, 2007.
1 class period (75 minutes)
3
What is the role of city government in Georgia?
- Content Specific: What is the function and purpose of city government? What are the advantages/disadvantages of each type?
- Students should copy the essential questions into their learning log (or their notes in their notebooks)
- Next, have students read the attached article from The LaGrange Daily News, a local newspaper, and consider how the topic of the article may affect their lives, as well as what part they can play and what role city government plays in the issue. Ask students to give advantages and disadvantages of the proposed action and discuss as a class whether or not the owner of the house has an obligation to have the house demolished, or if she has a right to leave it as it is. At the end of the lesson ask the students if demolishing the house is something the West Point City Council has the authority to do and have them give their opinion on what should happen.
- Collaborative Pairs Anticipation Guide Activity (see attachment)
- Directions: Cut each of the statements into strips for each pair of students. If there are 30 students in the class and there will be 15 groups of two, there will need to be 15 copies made of the handout so the strips can be cut for each group. In collaborative pairs the students should arrange the statements into two groups – those that are true and those that are false. After each collaborative group has had time to group the statements, set them aside so that the correct answers can be reviewed at the end of the lesson (at the end of the class period as a summarizing activity).
- Complete the guided reading handout (see attachment) using the information found on local government at the link below:
Georgia's City Governments
NOTE: This activity requires Internet access to enable individual students or student groups to access information needed for completion of the guided reading handout
After Lesson Anticipation Guide Activity
Have students take out the true/false statements from the beginning of the lesson (activating strategy). Call out each question and call on a student, or the entire class, for the correct answer. Have students raise their hands if they got it correct at the beginning of the lesson.
None
West Point Ready to Demolish Another House_LDN_ LP
Guided Reading Graphic Organizer_ SS8CG5a_LP3Y3 M
Activating Strategy_LP3Y3 M Graham