About Us
Congress: The Context
SUBJECTS
U.S. Government, Civics
GRADE LEVEL
6-8
OBJECTIVES
In this lesson, students work in groups to find names of Senators and Representatives, requirements to become a Congressperson, maps of states with many and few representatives, political cartoons and more for a Scavenger Hunt on Congress. Students create a poster or collage to display their findings. Students will identify student's own Senators and Representatives; explain how states are represented in the House of Representatives and the Senate; name the total number of Senators and the total number of Representatives; name the term lengths of Senators and Representatives; find the current salaries of Senators and Representatives; locate examples of states with the fewest and most Representatives; locate and explain examples of famous legislation Congress has passed; locate examples of famous Congress members and explain their fame; and visualize the who, where, and what of Congress.
LESSON PLAN
Class 1
Explain to students that they will be working on "visualizing" Congress-to get a better picture of who is involved, where it all happens, etc…what Congress looks like in action.
Students write in their journal definitions for "senator," "representative," "legislative," and "Congress." Review these terms.
Distribute assignment sheet "Scavenger Hunt: Congress in action" and explain/answer questions. Make sure to tell students the resources they have available to help them find information.
Put students in groups.
Allow students to divide up tasks and begin research.
Class 2
Students research.
Class 3
Students research and begin assembly of collage.
Class 4
Students complete assembly of collage. Students display collages for others to see. On notecards, students critique collages: which one is most effective in helping to visualize Congress and why.
RESOURCES
Constitution
CREDIT
Hilary G. Conklin
