Title: Bicameral Congress?
Grade: 5th
Time: 2 class periods
Essential Standards:
5.C&G.1.2 Summarize the organizational structures and powers of the United States government (legislative, judicial and executive branches of government).
Integrated Standards:
Writing
5.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
5.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
5.SL.3 Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.
Objectives: Students will…
· Identify the responsibilities of both the House of Representatives and the Senate
· Model the actions of congress in creating a bill and making laws
· Explain the process of how a bill becomes a law
Materials:
Poster paper
Library of selected books on Congress
Computers to research on specified sites
Mock-Congress Packet
Procedures:
Day 1
Before: The class will view a short video on the two parts of congress and their responsibilities. Then, the teacher will review the term bicameral with the students. The students should understand that there are two separate parts of congress that work together.
During: In groups of 3 or 4, students will research the roles and responsibilities of the Senate and the House of Representatives. They will outline the duties of each chamber and the guidelines for becoming either a state senator or representative. Each group will create a Venn diagram to display the results of their research.
After: The class will discuss the roles of the House and the Senate and their similarities and differences. The teacher will then split the class into two groups by having students draw a card from a hat. Students will either be senators or representatives. The teacher will explain that the students will be modeling the roles of congress and the process of turning a bill into a law. Then, each student will write his or her own bill to change or improve things in the classroom or the school. During the next class period, a few bills will be drawn to be presented to the mock congress.
Day 2
Before: Students will watch a video from School House Rock to review the process of turning a bill into a law. As a class, the students will review and discuss the importance and meaning of the terms bill, statute and veto. On chart paper, the teacher will record the steps of turning a bill into a law. Students will raise their hands to include a new step to the process. The outline will be hung up for all students to see during the rest of the lesson.
During: Each student will receive a packet to fill out throughout the mock congress. The teacher will draw four bills from those that had been written in the previous class period. Each group, the senate and the house, will get two bills to discuss. Each group will review, re-write and discuss one bill and then vote on the bill. There will be two committees in each group. Each committee will discuss on of the bills given to their group. Then, the group as a whole will discuss and vote on both of the bills. If they pass the bills, they will send them to the other group. The second group will discuss the bill and then vote. There will be a floor debate with both chambers of congress to discuss any changes made. There will then be a final vote on each of the bills. Finally, each bill will be sent to the president (the teacher). If the teacher signs the bill it will become a law. If the teacher vetoes the bill it will be sent back to congress to be reviewed, discussed and voted on. If two-thirds of congress (both groups) votes for the bill it will be passed and become a law.
After: Students will reflect on the process in their journals. They will explain the process of turning bills into laws. They will also reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of a bicameral congress.
Differentiation: ESL students or students who have disabilities in writing will be able to orally create their bills. They may have a partner or the teacher write their bill for them. Students have the option of extending the lesson on day 1 by doing further research on their own or completing a web quest on icivics.org.
Assessment: Students will be assessed based on their Venn diagrams, participation in the mock congress and journal reflections. They will also be assessed with anecdotal notes on their participation in the mock congress.
Resources:
Neilson, R. (2012). The Congress: a look at the legislative branch. Searchlight books.
Sobel, S. (2012) How the government works. Barron’s Educational Series.
Taylor-Butler, C. (2008) The Congress of the United States. Scholastic, Inc.: New York, NY.
www.house.gov
www.senate.gov
http://www.icivics.org/web-quests/making-rules
Grade: 5th
Time: 2 class periods
Essential Standards:
5.C&G.1.2 Summarize the organizational structures and powers of the United States government (legislative, judicial and executive branches of government).
Integrated Standards:
Writing
5.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
5.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
5.SL.3 Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.
Objectives: Students will…
· Identify the responsibilities of both the House of Representatives and the Senate
· Model the actions of congress in creating a bill and making laws
· Explain the process of how a bill becomes a law
Materials:
Poster paper
Library of selected books on Congress
Computers to research on specified sites
Mock-Congress Packet
Procedures:
Day 1
Before: The class will view a short video on the two parts of congress and their responsibilities. Then, the teacher will review the term bicameral with the students. The students should understand that there are two separate parts of congress that work together.
During: In groups of 3 or 4, students will research the roles and responsibilities of the Senate and the House of Representatives. They will outline the duties of each chamber and the guidelines for becoming either a state senator or representative. Each group will create a Venn diagram to display the results of their research.
After: The class will discuss the roles of the House and the Senate and their similarities and differences. The teacher will then split the class into two groups by having students draw a card from a hat. Students will either be senators or representatives. The teacher will explain that the students will be modeling the roles of congress and the process of turning a bill into a law. Then, each student will write his or her own bill to change or improve things in the classroom or the school. During the next class period, a few bills will be drawn to be presented to the mock congress.
Day 2
Before: Students will watch a video from School House Rock to review the process of turning a bill into a law. As a class, the students will review and discuss the importance and meaning of the terms bill, statute and veto. On chart paper, the teacher will record the steps of turning a bill into a law. Students will raise their hands to include a new step to the process. The outline will be hung up for all students to see during the rest of the lesson.
During: Each student will receive a packet to fill out throughout the mock congress. The teacher will draw four bills from those that had been written in the previous class period. Each group, the senate and the house, will get two bills to discuss. Each group will review, re-write and discuss one bill and then vote on the bill. There will be two committees in each group. Each committee will discuss on of the bills given to their group. Then, the group as a whole will discuss and vote on both of the bills. If they pass the bills, they will send them to the other group. The second group will discuss the bill and then vote. There will be a floor debate with both chambers of congress to discuss any changes made. There will then be a final vote on each of the bills. Finally, each bill will be sent to the president (the teacher). If the teacher signs the bill it will become a law. If the teacher vetoes the bill it will be sent back to congress to be reviewed, discussed and voted on. If two-thirds of congress (both groups) votes for the bill it will be passed and become a law.
After: Students will reflect on the process in their journals. They will explain the process of turning bills into laws. They will also reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of a bicameral congress.
Differentiation: ESL students or students who have disabilities in writing will be able to orally create their bills. They may have a partner or the teacher write their bill for them. Students have the option of extending the lesson on day 1 by doing further research on their own or completing a web quest on icivics.org.
Assessment: Students will be assessed based on their Venn diagrams, participation in the mock congress and journal reflections. They will also be assessed with anecdotal notes on their participation in the mock congress.
Resources:
Neilson, R. (2012). The Congress: a look at the legislative branch. Searchlight books.
Sobel, S. (2012) How the government works. Barron’s Educational Series.
Taylor-Butler, C. (2008) The Congress of the United States. Scholastic, Inc.: New York, NY.
www.house.gov
www.senate.gov
http://www.icivics.org/web-quests/making-rules