How a Bill Becomes a Law
Goals & Objectives
Goals
12.4 Students analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government as established by the U.S. Constitution.
- Students will become aware of the wide variety of topics considered by legislators in each Congressional session.
- Students will understand the importance of the Speaker of the House and the House Rules Committee is to the success or failure of proposed legislation
- Students will determine the extent to which Congress has considered legislation before voting
- Explain how the standing committees function
- Describe the duties and responsibilities of the House Rules Committee
- Compare the functions of joint and conference committees
- List the first steps in the introduction of a bill to the House
- Describe what happens to a bill once it is referred to a committee
- Explain what happens to a bill on the House floor and identify the final step in the passage of a bill in the House
12.4 Students analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government as established by the U.S. Constitution.
- Discuss Article I of the Constitution as it relates to the legislative branch, including eligibility for office and lengths of terms of representatives and senators; election to office; the roles of the House and Senate in impeachment proceedings; the role of the vice president; the enumerated legislative powers; and the process by which a bill becomes a law.
Lesson Introduction
The students will watch I’m Just A Bill, a three-minute animated feature from SchoolHouse Rock.
Vocabulary Development
Key vocabulary for the lesson:
- Standing committee
- Select committee
- Joint committee
- Conference committee
- Bill
- Rider
- Discharge petition
- Subcommittee
- Quorum
- Hopper
Content Delivery
The students will go through a Bill Simulation where they will form committees based on their responses to a Political Affiliation survey. Each committee will be given a sample piece of legislation with instructions to either re-write or amend the bill. The committees will vote to approve the bill and send it for a vote before the entire House.
The Speaker of the House, a student selected by a whole class vote, will choose one bill to be debated. Once debate ends, the students will vote to pass the bill.
The Speaker of the House, a student selected by a whole class vote, will choose one bill to be debated. Once debate ends, the students will vote to pass the bill.
Student Engagement
The students will complete a Political Affiliation to determine which party they will be assigned to during the Bill Simulation.
The students will work in small groups to write or amend a sample piece of legislation and vote on its passage.
The students will work in small groups to write or amend a sample piece of legislation and vote on its passage.
Demonstrated Learning
During the simulation, the teacher will go from group-to-group to ask questions, provide support and determine how well the students are progressing toward the learning goals.
The revised bill that each committee submitted will be collected to help determine the extent to which the students achieved the lesson goals.
The revised bill that each committee submitted will be collected to help determine the extent to which the students achieved the lesson goals.
Lesson Closure
For the closure, the teacher leads a guided discussion on what the students learned during the lesson and their reactions to the simulation.
Accommodations
An outline of the steps involved in the bill making process will be available to all students.
Resources
political_ideology_assessment.pdf | |
File Size: | 24 kb |
File Type: |