What Is Congress?
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 learn about how the Congress was formed, the reasons why a bicameral Congress was chosen and what governs how Congress meets.
- Explain why the Constitution provides for a bicameral Congress
- Describe a term of Congress
- Summarize how sessions of Congress have changed over time
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 lesson introduction will include a multimedia presentation on functions of the Congress and examples of how Congress works in real life.
Vocabulary
Key Terms for the Lesson:
- Representative democracy
- Bicameral
- Term
- Session
- Adjourn
- Prorogue
- Special Session
Content Delivery
There will be a 15-minute lecture outlining the historical context in which the Congress was formed, reasons why the Constitution called for a bicameral legislature and descriptions for how Congress if organized.
Student Engagement & Critical Thinking
The students will write brief paragraphs in their Journals on the following writing prompt: “Why the Constitution established a bicameral legislative branch.” Students will be asked to consider historical, practical and theoretical reasons. Students will write at least one paragraph explaining their opinion on the effectiveness of a bicameral legislature.
Demonstrated Learning
Formative Assessment: The Adapted Knowledge Rating Scale will be used as an entry-level assessment of student’s prior knowledge of what is Congress and how it works.
Summative Assessment: Students will complete their writing prompts in class or as homework.
Summative Assessment: Students will complete their writing prompts in class or as homework.
Lesson Closure
Using Socrative, the students will demonstrate their comprehension of the lesson by stating at least one fact they learned about Congress.
Accommodations
Teacher will provide a graphic organizer to help students organize key vocabulary of the lesson. ELLs and students will special needs will receive a copy of the lecture notes so that they can focus on the key points of emphasis in the lesson without worry about falling behind due to difficulty taking notes.
Resources
Below are handouts for the lesson: