Activity 1: Background Knowledge

What issues in your community, state or country are you interested in? Which issues concern you most? What changes would you like to make if you were in charge?

Use this discussion to answer the above questions and see the concerns of your classmates.

Discussion

Activity 2: Key Vocabulary

Follow the slides to help you learn the key vocabulary that you'll need to help you understand the concepts.

Activity 3: Deepening Understandings

Watch this video with your team. Following the video, make a team chart that outlines the steps it takes in order for a bill to become a law. Be prepared to share your chart with the class.

Additional reading if needed: How a Bill Becomes A Law.docx

Infographic: How_Laws_Are_Implemented.pdf

Activity 4: Application Activity

As a class, review the issues presented by your classmates in the first discussion.

Which of the ideas would make a good law? Who would this law help?

As a class, choose an idea that would benefit the most people.

Write a letter to one of your local representatives telling him/her about your idea and why it would make a good law. Your teacher will help you send the letters.

Activity 5: Enduring Understandings

The constitution established principles that guide the government decision making ability providing the framework through which WE can evaluate our nation's progress and suggest means for improvement.

After learning about the process of making laws,

Why do you think bills and laws are important?

Discussion