Lesson Plan: US Government

Date: Thursday, November 12, 1998

Topic: The Legislative Branch

Objectives: The students will

I. describe the parts that make up the legislative branch on all three levels of government.

II.  identify the structure and leadership of Congress and the state legislature.

III. gain practice in using the Internet to gather information and develop word processing skills.
 
Curricular Connections:

1.15 Give examples of the principles of democracy found in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. PNW-1

2.1 Analyze the reasons for establishing a bi cameral Congress. PS-1

2.2 Differentiate between the House and the Senate in reference to length of term, qualifications, leadership, and committee organization. PS-1

2.3 Demonstrate how a federal bill becomes a law. PS-1

2.4 Compare and contrast delegated, implied, and denied powers of Congress. PS-1 PNW-1

 


Warm Up Activity (Anticipatory Set): Information on the Legislative Branch

A) Display the chart on the Legislative Branch for federal and state levels on the overhead projector.

B) Have students complete the chart.

Federal Level: Legislative Branch

US Congress

Upper House: US Senate   Number of Members: 100

Term: 6 years

Qualifications: 30 years old, 14 year resident, citizen of the US

Special Powers: Advise and Consent Powers: Confirm appointments and ratify treaties

Lower House: US House of Representatives     Number of Members: 435

Term: 2 years

Qualifications: 25 years old, 7 years resident, citizen of the US

Special Powers: Begins money bills, Impeachment, breaks deadlock in case of tie in the electoral college.

Maryland General Assembly

Upper House: MD State Senate   Number of Members:

Term: 4 years

Qualifications: 25 years old. Resident of the state of Maryland

Special Powers:  Confirm appointments of the governor.

Lower House: MD House of Delegates

Term: 4 years

Qualifications: 21 years old, resident of the state of Maryland.

Special Powers:


Main Activity (Instructional Input): Interactive Worksheet on The Legislative Branch

A) Distribute the worksheet's printed version to students.

B) Encourage students to complete the worksheet by saving the file to the hard drive or floppy disk and word processing the answers. Do not require this step. Instruct students to complete the worksheet in writing for a grade. Suggestion: assign extra credit to student groups that agree to word process their responses.

 
Examples (Modeling):  Locating Information

A) Demonstrate how to locate information using the TV projector/computer.

B) Show students how to copy information from a web page and paste it into a word process or web page editor.

C) Show students how to locate information on a web page suing the "find on page" utility. 

Check For Understanding: Reviewing the Worksheet

A) Allow students to use the Internet to complete the worksheet.

B) When students have completed the worksheet, have them exchange papers and review answers orally. Have students correct their own worksheets. Students should count up the number correct and place that number at the top of the page.
 
C) Collect worksheet responses.

Guided Practice: Filmstrip: The Federal Government In Action: The Congress

A) Distribute study guide packets to students. Prepare a set of transparencies that contain the study questions contained in the filmstrip and distribute the packets to students.

B) Show the filmstrip.

C) While students watch the filmstrip, have them answer the study guide questions. Students should maintain an answer sheet on their own papers. Stop the audio to discuss key ideas, analyze visual information, and mark answers  to study guide questions.

Homework (Independent Practice): Congress In The News

A) Have students locate one magazine, newspaper, or internet-based article dealing with Congress and current events. Direct students toward articles dealing with the resignation of Newt Gingrich and the race for the Congressional leadership.

B) Students should summarize the article in the first paragraph. The students should answer this question in writing In a  full well-developed paragraph:

Based on what you read in the article, show how Congress   helps make our government a democratic government that follows principles of democracy?
 

Wrap-Up Activity (Closure): Reviewing Terms

A) Have students complete the section in their text called "Reviewing Terms" at the end of Chapter 5

B) have students complete the section using their notes.

C) Review orally and collect.
   

Evaluation: The lesson will be evaluated by:

I. the accuracy of student's written responses;

II. student's scores on future tests and quizzes.
 
 


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