Rev. Aug. 2015
Unit Five: The Legislative Branch
Civics and Environmental Stewardship
15 Class Meetings
Essential Questions
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How does the United States government make laws?
Enduring Understanding with Unit Goals
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EU #1: Congress is a bicameral system of representative government that preserves
democratic values
o Evaluate the text of the Constitution to determine what powers given to Congress
are listed and what powers are implied
EU #2 The lawmaking process is intentionally cumbersome in order to ensure that each
law is thoroughly considered
o Analyze each step in a bill becoming a law to determine the step’s purpose
o Evaluate the Legislative’s branch’s role in protecting the environment
Standards
College Career and Civic Life- C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards
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D2.Civ.12.9-12. Analyze how people use and challenge local, state, national, and
international laws to address a variety of public issues.
D2.Civ.5.9-12. Evaluate citizens’ and institutions’ effectiveness in addressing social and
political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international level.
D2.Civ.13.9-12. Evaluate public policies in terms of intended and unintended outcomes,
and related consequences.
D2.Civ.1.9-12. Distinguish the powers and responsibilities of local, state, tribal, national,
and international civic and political institutions.
Common Core State Standards
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CCSS.ELA- Literacy.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own
clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA- Literacy.RH.9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a
primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas
develop over the course of the text.
CCSS.ELA- Literacy.RH.9-10.3 Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text;
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Rev. Aug. 2015
Unit Five: The Legislative Branch
Civics and Environmental Stewardship
15 Class Meetings
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determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.
CCSS.ELA- Literacy.RH.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of
history/social science.
CCSS.ELA- Literacy.RH.9-10.5 Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key
points or advance an explanation or analysis
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory text
CCSS.ELA- Literacy.WHST.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA- Literacy.WHST.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or typing a new approach, focusing on addressing
what is most significant for a significant purpose and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research
MSMHS 21st Century Learning Expectations
Competency 1: Read and write effectively for a variety of purposes
Competency 2: Speak effectively with a variety of audiences in an accountable manner
Competency 6: Use technology responsibly to create, research, synthesize, and communicate
information fluently
Competency 7: Make decisions and solve problems in independent and collaborative settings
Competency 8: Take responsibility for their own learning and behavior
Competency 9: Student values human, cultural and natural diversity.
Competency 10: Student meets civic responsibilities to society and the natural environment
Unit Content Overview
Social Studies Content:
 The structure of Congress via the Constitution
 The formal and informal qualifications to be a member of the House of Representatives
and the Senate
 Roles of congressmen and congresswomen
 The expressed and implied powers of Congress
 The steps of and challenges to a bill becoming a law
 Sustainable development
 Legislative committees and bills related to maintaining or protecting the environment
 Current event applications to the Legislative Branch
 The legislative branch at the state and town level
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Rev. Aug. 2015
Unit Five: The Legislative Branch
Civics and Environmental Stewardship
15 Class Meetings
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Powers and duties of state senators and representatives
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to…
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Connect ideas discussed at the Constitutional Convention with the structure of the
Legislative Branch today
Analyze the text of the Constitution to identify key Constitutional material related to the
legislative branch
Compare the roles and powers of the Senate and the House of Representatives
Apply the ideas of the Preamble to the powers of Congress
Locate song lyrics that apply to the powers of Congress
Evaluate pros and cons to allowing Washington D.C. a vote in Congress and/or giving
Congress a pay raise
Describe the steps in a bill becoming a law
Explain the role of committees in Congress
Identify the parts of a bill using the MSMHS Fish Bill
Define the term sustainable development and identify the four basic parts
Apply the ideas of sustainable development to The Lorax
Create a bill proposal for sustainable development using ideas from The Lorax
Create a critical argument defending how the Legislative branch uses the concepts of
democracy
Assured Learning Experiences
Instructional Strategies
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Guided close-reading of Article I of the Constitution (either with partners or independent)
o Teacher modeling first
PowerPoint on the roles, powers, and requirements Congress supplemented with lecture
and guided note sheets
Guided Notes with Video from NBC News on Congress:
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30892505/#43965764
In-class essay writing, with outline, peer-editing, and teacher conferences
Harkness Discussion: Should Congress Get a Raise?
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Rev. Aug. 2015
Unit Five: The Legislative Branch
Civics and Environmental Stewardship
15 Class Meetings
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Application of sustainability concepts to Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
Close Reading—MSMHS fish bill
Template to write and create personalized bill
Student-teacher meetings regarding introductory paragraph, peer edit, for rough drafts
Student self-assess their work on the communication rubric
Foldable of the executive departments and their roles
Provide reading packets with guided questions as homework for various topics within the
legislative branch
Graphic organizer to compare town, state, and federal legislative structure/duties
Guest speaker: State/town representative
Student exemplars
Interdisciplinary Connections
 Environmental Science - Sustainability
 English – writing a well-developed 5 paragraph essay, based on non-fiction text
Assessments
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS:
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Argumentative Essay: Concepts of Democracy in the Legislative Branch
o Rubric 1: Communication – Students read and write effectively for a variety of
purposes
Harkness Discussion: Should Congress Get a Pay Raise? Or Should Washington D.C. get
a Vote in Congress?
o Rubric 2: Accountable Talk – Student speaks effectively with a variety of
audiences in an accountable manner
Everybody writes/exit tickets
Daily discussions/ oral questioning
Peer-editing
Homework questions
Self-assessment
Student-teacher conferences
Graphic organizer checks
Think-pair-share
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS:
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Quiz on EU 1
Concepts of Democracy Essay
Unit Test
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Rev. Aug. 2015
Unit Five: The Legislative Branch
Civics and Environmental Stewardship
15 Class Meetings
Unit Task
Unit Task Name: Concepts of Democracy in the Legislative Branch Essay
Description: Students will use information learned in this unit about how Congress is organized
and the powers it has (EU 1) and the law making process (EU 2). For this task students will
connect back to the unit on the foundations of government and utilize their new understanding of
the legislative branch to defend the statement: the legislative branch embodies the concepts of
democracy. Students will use 3 pieces of evidence to support this claim in a well-organized 5
paragraph essay.
Evaluation: MSMHS Communication Rubric (Rubric #1)
Unit Resources
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Davis, James E., Phyllis Fernlund, and Peter Woll. Civics: Government and Economics in
Action. Boston: Pearson, 2009. Print.
Copies of the U.S. Constitution
MSMHS Fish Bill
Scholastic’s “An Act of Congress: Bills:
Video: The Lorax
Video from NBC News on Congress: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30892505/#43965764
Internet
Laptops
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