Lesson plan Kindergarten Social Studies & Civics

The Little Fork Town Vote: Where the New Fountain Goes

A 30-minute kindergarten civics lesson where the class holds a pretend town meeting, hears two plans for a park drinking fountain, and votes with their feet.

Grade: Kindergarten
Subject: Social Studies & Civics
Material: Lesson plan
Time: 30 min
Prep: Low prep
Materials: two large signs labeled Plan A and Plan B, chart paper and markers, a bell or other signal to open and close the meeting, drawing paper and crayons

Standards

D2.Civ.14.K-2 C3 Framework

Describe how people have tried to improve their communities over time.

How this material aligns: The pretend town meeting has children describe a real way people improve a community, adding a public drinking fountain to a park, and shows them that a town decides such things together.

All materials for D2.Civ.14.K-2 →

K.CC.C.6 Common Core Math

Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.

How this material aligns: After the vote, children count the two standing groups and say which group is greater, less, or equal, which is the comparison this counting standard names.

All materials for K.CC.C.6 →

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This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely, without attribution. Updated 2026-07-23.

Objectives

Students will name one thing a town adds to a park to make it better for everyone.
Students will state a choice between two plans and give one reason for it.
Students will count the two vote groups and say which group has more.

Vocabulary

Key words: vote, plan, meeting, fountain, more, fewer

Teacher overview

This lesson holds a pretend town meeting rather than describing one, because kindergartners follow a meeting they take part in. The scenario is the town of Little Fork, a made-up town whose park has no drinking fountain yet, and whose two plans put the fountain in two reasonable places: beside the swings, where the youngest children play, or beside the ball field, where the games run long. Both plans are reasonable, so the vote settles a question that has no wrong answer.

Set the room up before the class arrives: two signs on opposite walls, chairs or the rug in the middle. Ring the bell to open and close the meeting so children can hear where the pretend part begins and ends. Expect a few children to want both fountains, and use that as the reason the town has to choose.

Procedure

Opening the meeting (6 min): Ring the bell and welcome the class as citizens of Little Fork.
Read aloud: "Our park has swings. It has a ball field. It has no water to drink. The town saved up for one drinking fountain. One is all we can put in this year. Where should it go?" Ask what happens at a park when there is nowhere to get a drink. Take three or four answers.

Hearing the two plans (8 min): Read Plan A while standing under the Plan A sign: "Put the fountain by the swings. Little kids play there. Grown-ups sit there with babies. It is close to the gate." Then move and read Plan B under the Plan B sign: "Put the fountain by the ball field. Games last a long time. Kids get hot and thirsty. It is far from the gate." Invite three children to ask one question each about either plan, and answer in short sentences. Record one reason for each plan on chart paper so the reasons stay visible during the vote.

Voting with your feet (8 min): Explain the rule before anyone moves: each person gets one vote, you may change your mind until the bell rings, and you may not pull a friend across the room. On your signal, children walk to the sign they choose. Ring the bell. Count each group out loud together, touching each child's shoulder once so the count stays one to one. Write both numbers on the chart. Ask the class which group has more, which has fewer, or whether the two are equal. If the vote ties, take one more round of reasons and vote again, which is one fair way for a group to settle a tie.

Drawing the decision (5 min): Announce the winning plan and thank the side that did not win for their reasons. Each child draws the park with the fountain in the winning spot and adds themselves getting a drink. Children who wish to may dictate a caption.

Closing check (3 min): Ask one formative question and watch every hand: "Did everyone in Little Fork get the spot they wanted?" Look for most of the class to signal no. Then ask two children why the town still went ahead, and listen for the idea that the group counted votes and agreed to follow the bigger number.

From Water for Schools (waterforschools.org). This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely.

Differentiation

Support

Give these children a picture card of each plan to hold during the reading so the choice stays visible in their hands. Let them stand with a partner during the vote, and offer the sentence frame "I picked ____ because kids there get ____." Count their group first while the room is quiet.

Extension

Ask a few children to serve as the town clerk, which means tallying the two groups on chart paper with you and reporting the numbers to the class. Then challenge them to name one thing the losing side could ask the town for next year and to dictate that request in a sentence.

ELL supports

Pre-teach vote, plan, and fountain with gestures the class adopts together, such as walking in place for vote and cupping hands for fountain. The walk-to-your-side vote is language-light by design. Provide a two-picture card, swings and ball field, so a child can point rather than speak when giving a reason.

Extensions

Hold a second one-question vote later in the week about something in your own room, such as where the class water jug should sit, and compare how the two votes felt. If your town or city posts agendas online, show the class a real agenda item about a park or a water project and point out that grown-ups sit in chairs and vote in nearly the same way.