SUBJECTS

U.S. Government, Civics, U.S. History

 GRADE LEVEL

6-8

In this lesson, students use primary and secondary sources to become experts on a law Congress has passed and teach each other about the laws they have researched. Students then illustrate the impact of one of these laws with a "before" and "after" cartoon and justify the importance of the law in writing. Students will identify historical and contemporary examples of important domestic policies, explain how and why domestic policies affect their lives, use a primary source to learn more about a law, and teach each other about specific laws.

 LESSON PLAN

Class 1

Review Congress' major job: making laws. Ask students to brainstorm laws they think Congress has made that affect them-discuss. Introduce 5 laws to be discussed:

 Pure Food and Drug Act

 National Environmental Policy Act

 Civil Rights Act of 1964

 Social Security Act

 Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938-child labor

Assign students different laws to research (i.e., in class of 25 students, give 5 students Social Security Act, 5 students Pure Food and Drug Act, etc.). Students begin individual research on their law using first handout "Researching a law that Congress has passed"

Class 2

Students finish individual research. Discuss meaning of primary source and how it differs from a secondary source. Give students the primary source that relates to their law. Students use second handout "Using a primary source to learn about a law" to read primary source on their law and take notes.

Class 3

Students finish reading primary source. Students meet with other students who learned about SAME law-share findings with each other, etc. Students complete row with their law on third handout "Congress' Accomplishments: What has Congress done for you?" together. Students practice explaining their law to others within the group-be prepared to teach others.

Class 4

Put students in groups of 5-each member should have researched a DIFFERENT law (jigsaw format). Students take turns within the group teaching each other about their law-other students listen and take notes in third handout "Congress' Accomplishments: What has Congress done for you?" Students begin evaluation: Students choose the law they think affects their lives today the most. They draw a "before" and "after" picture showing the impact of the legislation. They write one paragraph explaining why they think this law is most important to their lives today. (4th handout "Which law is most important to our lives today?")

 RESOURCES

 Our Nation's Archives: The History of the United States in Documents, editors Bruun, E. and Crosby, J. (Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers: New York, 1999): p. 512-excerpt of The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair (Pure Food and Drug Act); p. 722 Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (Env'tal Protection); p. 614 The Social Security Act of 1935 (Social Security); p. 730 MLK Jr.’s letter from a Birmingham City Jail (civil rights act); p. 471 Darkness and Daylight by Helen Campbell (child labor)

 "Researching a law that Congress has passed" (handout)

 "Using a primary source to learn about a law" (handout)

 "Congress' Accomplishments: What has Congress done for you?" (handout)

 "Which law is most important to our lives today?" (handout)

 Other research resources: textbooks, other books, Internet

 CREDIT

Hilary G. Conklin