Beacon Lesson Plan Library

Rock the Vote

Kristi Fisher

Description

Would you like to create your own laws? Students get the opportunity to participate in the process of making laws. After reenacting this process, they explain the function and duties of the House and the Senate within the Florida government.

Objectives

The student understands the functions of government under the framework of the Florida Constitution.

Materials

-Overhead or chart paper with the Directions for Reenactment (See Associated File)
-Poster board
-Markers
-Copies of Checklist (See Associated File)

Preparations

1. Make an overhead or write on chart paper the Directions for Reenactment. (See Associated File)
2. Gather the poster board and markers for projects.
3. Make copies of the Checklist in the associated file.

Procedures

(This lesson should occur after students have been introduced to the process of a bill becoming a law.)

DAY ONE
1. Ask students if they would like to have a law that outlaws homework.

2. Explain that we are going to be going through the process of how laws are made.

3. Have students write an idea they would like to see become a law.

4. Review the steps it takes for a bill to become a law. Explain that this is the function of the Legislative Branch.

5. Divide the class into the two Legislative Branches: House of Representatives and Senate. Keep in mind that the House of Representatives is larger than the Senate; therefore, divide the class by two-thirds for the House of Representatives and one-third for the Senate.

6. Put up the Directions for Reenactment (See Associated File) and review.

7. Direct students to move to their positions and begin following the Directions for Reenactment.

8. Mediate and provide feedback as needed.

DAY TWO
1. Ask students if our bill of no homework passed the previous day.

2. Discuss the reenactment from the previous day, pinpointing the difficulties associated with determining which bills would pass and which would not.

3. Explain to students that they are going to design a product that shows the process a bill goes through to become a law, hence explaining the function of the Legislative Branch.

4. Brainstorm products that can be designed. Some examples may be: songs, poems, reports, letters, posters, etc.

5. Give students a few minutes to decide on a product to design.

6. Direct students to begin designing their product.

7. Assist students and provide feedback as needed.

DAY THREE
1. Allow students who want to share, time to present their projects to the class.

2. Collect all projects to formatively assess using the Checklist. (See Associated File)

Assessments

As a formative assessment, students create a product to show the process the Legislative Branch goes through to make a bill a law. A checklist is used to assess. (See Associated File) Students whose projects do not include a mention of all items, will have the opportunity to edit their project as homework and turn it in the next day for final assessment.

Attached Files

This file includes the Directions for Reenactment and the Checklist.      File Extension: pdf

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