FOCUS/REVIEW qUESTION: Ask AI: Create an analogy or metaphor for the process of how a bill becomes a law.

LEARNING TARGETS:

• What are the major factors that influence a Congressperson when they vote?
• How do members of Congress decide how to vote?
• How does senority play a role in Congress?
• What is a Party Caucas and what is it's role in the law making process?
• Describe the organization and leadership of Congress?
• What are the roles of committees in Congress?
• What takes place during the first step of a bill becoming a law?

AGENDA:

• Finish going over Congress PP:
  • Check the parts of your Congress Study Guide as we go through the PP Notes.
  • Need a review? Check out this Congress.org Overview of the Legislative Process (5 min)
• Congress Simulation:
  • Assign each group their political party (Party Assignment Sheet) and roles.
  • Go over how to fill out Congress Simulation Log Book & Initial Bill Assessment Sheet.
  • Find out who your Constituency is using the Constituency Generator. - These are the people who voted you into office!
    • Write down key characteristics of the people and their beliefs that you represent in your Congress Log Book Entry 1 under Constituency Profile (found in our Google Classroom).

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Fill out Log #1 in your Congress Simulation Log (found in our Google Classroom) - due by next class.
• Complete your Initial Bill Assessment Chart (found in our Google Classroom) as you look at each bill HERE. Say how you think you'd vote and for what reason.
• Governor State of the State/Union address is Monday. - Outlines what the Governor wants you to focus on and pass during this legislative session.

UPCOMING ASSIGNMENTS:

• Complete Log #4: Role of Senate & President - using AI - For FRIDAY
• EXTRA CREDIT: Write a summary of what was discussed.  Explain what you learned or found interesting from the podcast or article. (+1 each - limit 4)
  • Listen to the NPR Politics Podcast to learn about what's going on in our government today. Listen to the podcast. 
  • Listen to the Civics 101 Podcast: Choose a topic we've recently discussed and listen to the podcast to learn more about it.
  • Want to learn more about the topics? Find out more at the NY Times Politics Page.
  • Learn what the other side thinks? Read opposing viewpoints on big political issues today at the NY Times Right & Left: Partisan Writings site.

FOCUS/REVIEW QUESTION: Of the 4 factors that influence a Congressperson when they vote, which do you think is most important and why?

LEARNING TARGETS:

• Determine your view on the current bill proposals.

AGENDA:

• Formal Opening of the House - Speaker of the House "reads" the submitted bills...
  • If you haven't yet completed your Initial Bill Assessment Chart (found in our Google Classroom) as you look at each bill HERE. Say how you think you'd vote and for what reason. Yes, there are a lot of bills!
• In your Log Book (in Google Classroom) scroll down to Entry #4: The Role of the Senate & President and answer those questions using AI to help you.

ASSIGNMENTS:

• You should have by now completed:

  • Fill out the first three parts of Log #1 in your Congress Simulation Log (found in our Google Classroom) - if absent, ask another representative in class who the leaders are and go back to the day we did it to find links to complete your individual section.
  • Complete your Initial Bill Assessment Chart (found in our Google Classroom) as you look at each bill with your Caucus HERE. Mark what the Caucus decided for each bill.

UPCOMING ASSIGNMENTS:

• Complete Log #4: Role of Senate & President - using AI - For FRIDAY

FOCUS/REVIEW qUESTION: Who can submit a bill to Congress? Who actually writes most bills?

LEARNING TARGETS:

• What takes place during the first step of a bill becoming a law?
• Be able to explain the process of how a bill becomes a law and describe its journey through Congress.
• What is a Party Caucas and what is it's role in the law making process?
• What takes place during the first step of a bill becoming a law?

AGENDA:

• Anyone want to be our Governor?
  
  
• Party Caucas - What is a Party Caucas? (2 min - start at 6:30)
• Crash Course: Congressional Leadership (8 min)
• Determine your Party Leader and Whip.
  • What does the Whip do? Makes sure your party has the votes to pass it's bills (2 min)
• Sign up your members into their committees:
  • Figure out your seniority based on your grade in the class:  A= senior member (4 + terms), B= 3 terms, C=served 2 terms, D or lower=Freshmen Rep.
• Assign your members into committees based on their interests & seniority:
• Education
• Commerce/Business
• Fincance/Taxes
• Select/Miscellaneous
• Miss today? Stay caught up by watching Congress.org: Introduction & Referral of Bills (3 min)

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Fill out Log #2 & 3 in your Congress Simulation Log (found in our Google Classroom) - due Tomorrow.

UPCOMING ASSIGNMENTS:

• Complete Log #4: Role of Senate & President - using AI - For FRIDAY

FOCUS/REVIEW qUESTION: Watch - Crash Court Gov: Committee Work in Congress (first 6 min)

LEARNING TARGETS:

• What is the role of committees in Congress? What happens to bills when they are in committee?
• Be able to explain the process of how a bill becomes a law and describe its journey through Congress.

AGENDA:

Governor State of the State/Union - Fill out your Congress Simulation Log #2 as you listen.

• Pay attention to what the Govnernor says they want you to accomplish in this legislative session.

Congress Simulation:

• Party Caucas - Meet as a political party - Decide what bills your party is in favor of, against or doesn't really care
  • Complete final collumn of your Initial Bill Assessment Chart (found in our Google Classroom) as you look at each bill HERE. As a PARTY discuss each bill and put down what the party wants you to vote on these issues in the far right caucus collumns.
  • Sign up your members into their committees:
    • Figure out your seniority based on your grade in the class:  A= senior member (4 + terms), B= 3 terms, C=served 2 terms, D or lower=Freshmen Rep.
      
      
• Committee Work: (Finance & Education Committees meet today)
• Meet and determine your Committee Chairperson - majority party member with the most seniority.
• Keep track of what you did in your committee in Log #3 of your Congress Simulation Log (found in our Google Classroom).
• Amend versus just vote down bills. Try to compromise on issues when possible. Committee must vote on amendments to be added to the bill. Write the amendment to the bottom of the bill if it passes.
• Pigeon hole bills that you want to kill. - set them asside and don't amend or vote on them.
• Keep track in Log #3 of your log book on what you accomplished during your committee meeting.
• Commitee Chairperson - Turn in the bills that survived to the Speaker/Teacher and recycle those that did not make it.

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Complete Log #4: Role of Senate & President - using AI - For FRIDAY

UPCOMING ASSIGNMENTS:

FOCUS/REVIEW qUESTION: Crash Course: How a Bill Becomes a Law (7 min)

LEARNING TARGETS:

• What is the role of committees in Congress? What happens to bills when they are in committee?
• Be able to explain the process of how a bill becomes a law and describe its journey through Congress.

AGENDA:

• Committee Work (Select & Commerce Committees work today)- Keep track of what you did in your committee in Log #3 of your Congress Simulation Log (found in our Google Classroom).
  • Choose your Committee Chairperson - Person with the most seniority from the majority party. Place a * by the name of the chairperson on the Committee Assignments Sheet.
  • Amend versus just vote down bills. Try to compromise on issues when possible. Committee must vote on amendments to be added to the bill. Write the amendment to the bottom of the bill if it passes.
  • Pigeon hole (set aside) bills that you want to kill
  • Keep track in your Log Book (Log #3) in Google Classroom on what you accomplished during your committee meeting.
  • Commitee Chairperson - Turn in the bills that survived to the Speaker/Teacher and recycle those that did not make it.

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Complete Log #4: Role of Senate & President - using AI - For MONDAY
• Study for our test on How a Bill Becomes a Law: Be able to explain the entire process of how a bill becomes a law and describe its journey through Congress. - NEXT WEEK!
  • How a Bill Becomes a Law Quizlet Review
• Congress Log #1-4 Should be filed out by now!

UPCOMING ASSIGNMENTS: