Subject: Civics/Government
1. Topic-
Introduction to how bills become laws (Intro to Draft a Bill Assignment)
 
2. Content-
Bill, law, congress, committee, drafts
 
3. Goals: Aims/Outcomes-
1. Students will understand what a bill is and where bills are generated.
2. Students will understand the basic requirements to become a bill.
3. Students will understand the basic process of a bill becoming a law.
 
4. Objectives-
1. Students will be able to identify the different steps of becoming a law.
2. Students will be able to rationalize what makes a good bill vs. a bad bill.
3. Students will be able to apply their knowledge and skills to solve a real-life problem in the "Draft a Bill" assignment.
 
5. Materials and Aids-
- TV/DVD player
- School House Rock - "I'm just a bill"
- Projector for PowerPoint
 
6. Procedures/Methods-

A. Introduction-

1. Ask for a law that was recently passed in Congress.
2. Ask what problem it solved/was meant to solve.
 

B. Development-

1. Show "I'm just a Bill" video
2. Review how bills become laws with more specificity.
3. Review the power of veto and how that would affect the process.
 

C. Practice-

1. Have signs made up with the different steps of becoming a law with no veto.
2. Have volunteers grab the signs and have the class work as a whole to put the steps in the correct order.
3. Then have the signs which correspond to the process with a veto picked up by new students and have the class order them.
 

E. Accommodations (Differentiated Instruction)-

Allow students who have trouble with class activities be given their own set of small cards that correspond to the process that they can individually put in order.
 

F. Checking for understanding-

1. Have the students take a mini-quiz, allowing for them to answer simple questions and the process to see if they understood all that was taught.
2. Have the class answer as a whole after they individually write the answers down, for self-correction possibilities.
 

G. Closure-

1. Have them pick a partner. Then place them in groups of four. Hand out the assignment sheets and rubrics and have each group decide which role each person will be assuming.
2. Review and answer questions regarding the assignment sheet and/or the process of passing a law.
 

This Lesson Plan is available at (www.teacherjet.com)