Subjects: Civics/government

Grade Level(s): 6-8

Time Frame: 3, 50-minute periods

Objectives [What the student should know and be able to do at the end of the lesson]:

1.0 Overall: Students will define vocabulary words: committee, subcommittee, hearing, amendments, bill; explain the steps required for a bill to become a law; and, evaluate the effectiveness of the current system by which bills become laws

Bloom's Taxonomy: CongressLink lesson plans are built around Bloom's taxonomy. The purpose of the taxonomy is to provide a coherent format for lessons and to make it easier for teachers to design them according to CongressLink's standards.

2.0 Knowledge: Students define committee, subcommittee, hearing, amendments, bill.

3.0 Understanding: Students read and understand "How Laws are Made."

4.0 Application: Students use the information in reading to construct flow chart.

5.0 Analysis: Students differentiate between and put in order each step of a bill becoming a law.

6.0 Synthesis: Students create a story that incorporates all the steps of putting a bill into law.

7.0 Evaluation: Students decide if our current system for bill passage is effective or could be improved.

Procedure/Sequence

Class 1
With a partner, students look up vocabulary and write definitions in handout "How a bill becomes a law-charting the path". With partner, students then read "How laws are made" together, paraphrasing each step and writing in steps in the flow-chart.

Class 2
Put students in groups of 9. Give each student one of the cards with a law-making step on it. Within each group of 9, students must hold up their cards and stand in correct order of the steps of a bill becoming a law.

Explain story assignment to students: they will write a story about "the life of a bill," tracing a bill through all its steps until it becomes a law. They should be creative, but make sure all steps are discussed. (1-2 page story)

Students work independently on story and complete for homework.

Class 3
After writing their stories, students should have a better understanding of the process of a bill becoming law. They will now use this understanding to evaluate the effectiveness of this system.

Students work in groups and make a chart with two sides: "what's good" and "what's not so good" about the system we have for making bills into laws. They should brainstorm and list ideas together. When they finish this, they should decide if we should keep this system or revise it. If they think it should be revised, they need to write down suggestions for possible revisions.

Students present their groups' work. Class discusses.

Materials:

"How Laws are Made" reading at http://bensguide.gpo.gov/. [NOTE: The above URL will take you to the Ben's Guide to U.S. Government home page. Once there, select "6-8" from the kite (the yellow block), and then select "How Laws are Made" from the chalk board. The direct link to this page does not always work.]
"How a bill becomes a law-charting the path" (handout)
3 sets of 9 cards (large enough to read from far away): each card should have one step of law-making process written on it

National Standards Addressed by Lesson [based on National Standards for Civics and Government, Center for Civic Education, 1994. Citation based on section, subsection, standard of the document]:

5-8 Content Standards
III. A. 1. Distributing, sharing, and limiting powers of the national government.

Evaluation/Assessment: See: http://www.congresslink.org/rubric/pdf

Author(s):
Hilary G. Conklin

This project is supported by a Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grant sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional Center, Pekin, IL.