Subjects: Civics, American Government, U.S. History

Grade Level(s): 9-12

Time Frame: [Based on 50-minute periods (e.g., 4, 50-minute periods)]: 4, 50–minute periods

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

In Federalist No. 51 Madison wrote, "In a Republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates. The remedy for this inconvenience is to divide the legislature into different branches." The Framers of the Constitution took great care in organizing the legislative branch of the United States government into a bicameral system to avoid overpowering the other two branches. There are distinct differences between congressional power and organization of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

1.0 Overall: In this lesson, students will discuss among their group why the Framers chose to organize the legislative branch of the U.S. government in the manner that they did.

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: Read, highlight, and annotate selections from Federalist No. 57 and Federalist No. 62.

3.0 Understanding: Using a copy of Article 1 of the Constitution, identify ideas from the Federalist papers.

4.0 Application: Investigate the arguments made by the Anti–Federalist about congressional power and organization of the legislative branch at the time the Constitution was written. Examine and record current criticisms of Congress.

5.0 Analysis: Discuss the differences between the House and Senate as set forth in Federalist No. 57 and Federalist No. 62.

6.0 Synthesis: Create a PowerPoint presentation with 10–15 slides on the information explored.

7.0 Evaluation: Students will determine whether the criticisms of Congress reveal the true nature of American democracy today and help to serve the public good better than Madison's original vision through a PowerPoint presentation.

Procedure/Sequence

Class 1
Read, highlight, and annotate the selections from Federalist No. 57 and Federalist No. 62. Answer the following questions:

• How does Publius describe the legislative role of Congress?
• In what ways does Publius see the Senate as differing from the House?
• What gives it that different character?
• Does democracy need a less democratic legislative chamber?
• Is the Constitution sufficiently democratic?
• Why did the Framers choose to organize the legislative branch of the United States government in the manner that they did?

On a copy of Article 1 of the Constitution, identify each time ideas are found from the Federalist papers by writing Federalist No. 57 or Federalist No. 62 in the margins.

Class 2
In small groups, go over the differences between the House and the Senate as set forth in Federalist No. 57 and Federalist No. 62. Discuss where the ideas found in the Federalist papers are present in Article 1 of the Constitution.

The groups will either:

A. Investigate the arguments and concerns made by the Anti–Federalists about the power and organization of the legislative branch at the time the Constitution was written; or
B. Research current criticisms of Congress and determine whether these criticisms reveal the true nature of American democracy today and help to serve the public good better than Madison's original vision.

Questions to consider:

1. Is the legislative process designed by the Framers too complicated to work properly today?
2. Do you think the complexities help or harm the legislative process? Why or why not?

Class 3
Create a PowerPoint presentation with 10 –15 slides on the information explored.

Class 4
Oral presentation of PowerPoint.

Materials:

U.S. Constitution (Article I)
Federalist Papers
Research resources (textbooks, Internet, etc.)
MS PowerPoint
Federalist No. 57 and Federalist No. 62

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]:

Purposes and uses of constitutions (I-C)
The values and principles that are basic to American constitutional democracy (II-D)
The place of law in the American constitutional system (III-D)
The American political system provides for choice and opportunities for participation (III-E)
The rights of citizens (V-B)

Evaluation/Assessment: See attached rubric

Author(s):
Ellen Fox
Ridgefield High School
Ridgefield, CT