Worksheet

Alderwick Park Plans

Read a child's speech about Alderwick Park and analyze how the mayor, city council, residents, and city workers make a local decision.

Grade 3Social StudiesInteractive · Printable

Aligned toCIV.3.2

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Single worksheet
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1 C3 Framework standard
Printable answer key
15 questions
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Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 3
Subject: Social Studies
Question types: Fill in the blank, Multiple choice, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students describe the roles of a mayor, city council, residents, and city workers.
Students explain how a local government gathers information and makes decisions.
Students use evidence to describe how Alderwick decided on a park plan.

How to use

Read the speech and meeting record together. Ask students to point to evidence before they answer the questions, then use the final responses to discuss how local decisions are made.

Curriculum

C3 Framework standard covered

CIV.3.2

Describe how local government is organized, such as a mayor and city council, and how it makes decisions.

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Name Date

Alderwick Park Plans

Read a speech and learn how a city makes a park decision.

Read the speech

Read about a park proposal in Alderwick. Then answer the questions.

Talia's Speech at City Hall

Alderwick Park had an unused paved area beside its pond. Talia Ruiz, a third-grade resident, spoke about the area at an Alderwick City Council meeting. Residents of Alderwick elect a mayor and seven council members. Each council member represents a district, or part of the city. The mayor leads city meetings, and the council discusses and votes on local plans.

“Good evening, Mayor Chen and council members,” Talia said. “Please consider turning the paved area into a rain garden with native plants and three benches. The garden could help water soak into the ground after storms. People could sit and watch butterflies near the pond. I know some skaters would rather keep the pavement for a skating area, so I hope you will consider both ideas.”

The council did not vote that night. Members asked the parks director about the garden's cost, drainage, and yearly care. They also listened to a group of skaters explain their idea. At the next meeting, the council voted 5–2 to approve the rain garden and benches. Mayor Chen signed the approved plan. Then the parks department began preparing the area. The decision included ideas from residents, information from city workers, and a vote by elected council members.

What is Talia mainly trying to do in her speech?

A. Tell the parks department to begin work without a vote.
B. Report that the council has already chosen a park plan.
C. Ask the city council to consider a new use for the paved area.
D. Announce the mayor's final order about the pond.

Circle the TWO details about Talia herself that show she is a resident offering input, not a city leader.

Talia asks the council to consider a rain garden.Talia is a resident of Alderwick.The council members vote on the plan.The parks department carries out the approved plan.

Why did the council ask the parks director about cost, drainage, and yearly care?

A. To decide which resident should become mayor
B. To learn whether the plan would work and what care it would need
C. To let a city worker vote instead of the council
D. To replace the council members with parks employees

Sort each action by the group that does it in the story.

Talia suggests a rain garden.Mayor Chen leads the city meeting.Council members discuss and vote on the plan.The parks director explains yearly care.Skaters explain their idea for the pavement.The parks department prepares the area.

Residents	Elected city leaders	City workers

Which statement best explains how the mayor and council share their jobs in Alderwick?

A. The mayor chooses plans, while the council records them.
B. The council manages daily planting, while the mayor asks residents to vote.
C. The mayor and council perform the same job at every meeting.
D. The mayor leads meetings and signs plans, while the council discusses and votes.

Word bank: district · department · speech · garden

Each council member represents a city .

Follow the decision

Use details from the speech and meeting record. Think about how the decision was made.

Why did the council wait until the next meeting to vote?

A. Members needed time to study reports and hear another idea.
B. The mayor had not yet been elected by the residents.
C. The parks department had already built the garden.
D. Talia had asked the council to cancel the meeting.

Circle the TWO details that show people in Alderwick had different ideas about the paved area.

Talia suggested a rain garden with benches.Some skaters wanted to keep the pavement for skating.Mayor Chen led the city meeting.The parks director discussed yearly care.

What does the 5–2 vote tell us about the council's decision?

A. The plan received no support from council members.
B. Every council member supported the plan.
C. Most council members supported the plan, but two did not.
D. The parks department made the decision instead of the council.

10.

Alderwick's council is considering drinking fountains in another park. Which report would be most useful before the council votes?

A. A list of the mayor's favorite park activities
B. A story about a park in a different city
C. A drawing of the council meeting room
D. Information about water lines, cost, and future care

11.

Which task belongs to the city council rather than the parks department?

A. Plant seedlings in the rain garden
B. Vote on whether to approve a park proposal
C. Plan the garden's watering schedule
D. Inspect the soil beside the pond

12.

Which situation best shows the different responsibilities in Alderwick's local government?

A. The mayor chooses a plan and the parks department builds it without council action.
B. Residents complete the city's daily work while officials watch.
C. The council approves a plan, the mayor signs it, and city workers carry it out.
D. The parks director makes a city plan and the council plants it.

13.

Which conclusion is supported by both Talia's speech and the meeting record?

A. The decision used resident ideas, city-worker information, and an elected council vote.
B. The mayor selected the plan before residents and council members met.
C. Parks employees decided which plan the residents preferred.
D. The council voted without hearing another idea about the area.

Show your thinking

Use evidence from the speech and meeting record in your answers.

14.

Explain how Alderwick's local government is organized. Name at least three people or groups and tell what each one does.

15.

A student says, “The mayor alone decided to build the rain garden.” Use at least two details from the text to explain why this statement is not correct.