LawCraft

Bicameral Brainstorm Activity One

house of representatives Bicameral Brainstorm What do you already know about the United States Congress? Write down as much as you can in the time provided! Senate house of representatives Both Have students brainstorm their ideas on their half sheets. Then, call on individual students to write some of the facts they thought of on the interactive white board. Discuss students’ ideas with the class. Suggest prompts: size, who they serve, what they do, where they work, names of your representatives, terms of service

Legislating legislators in the legislature… Activity Two & Three

The Lawmaking Process Starts with ideas from a variety of sources… Can you think of any more? Citizen letters and email Challenges facing the nation Interest groups Research on issues

The Lawmaking Process A bill can start in either chamber of Congress, but let’s have ours start in the Senate! Step One: The Proposal Once a lawmaker gets an idea for a bill, she will write up a proposal and work to get support from others in the Senate. Step Two: The Introduction The bill is assigned a number and is read aloud to the other Senators. Then it is sent to a committee for a close review. S.357

We need to change that part… The Lawmaking Process A bill changes A LOT between the time it is proposed and when it reaches a final version. Editing and amending is a big part of writing future laws. Step Three: The Report If the committee likes it, it will be sent to the whole Senate for debate. Step Four: The Floor Debate All of the Senators get a chance to read the bill and debate whether it should be supported or opposed. The bill is read again and changes are suggested. S.357 No way! Love it. Then there is a lot of research, conversation, compromise, and more conversation! We need to change that part…

We need to change that part… S.357 The Lawmaking Process Step Five: The Vote If changes are made, the bill is read again, and the whole Senate is called to vote on the bill. They can vote yes, no, or present (if they don’t want to vote on that particular bill). Step Six: The Delivery The bill arrives at the House of Representatives, where it goes through the same debate, changes are made, then another vote is held before it can move on. No way! Love it. Senate Vote on S.357 59 Yeas 39 Nay 2 Present We need to change that part… Remind students that Step 6 is really the repetition of Steps 2-5, but in the other chamber of Congress. House Vote on S.357 227 Yeas 203 Nay 5 Present

The Lawmaking Process New Law Step Seven: The Vote (Part 2) If both chambers of Congress approve, the bill lands on the president’s desk. If it is signed, it becomes a law. If it is vetoed, it doesn’t.* New Law S.357 Then there is a lot of research, conversation, compromise, and more conversation! *Congress can override a veto if there are enough votes (2/3 of Congress) to do so. The president can also ignore the bill. If a bill is ignored while Congress is in session, it automatically becomes a law after ten days. If Congress is not in session, it doesn't.

Next… Tell students they will be playing a game called “LawCraft” that let them put their new knowledge to work, buy creating and passing a bill through both chambers of congress. Will the president sign or veto? They’ll have to play to find out! Now that you know how a bill becomes a law… can you pass one of your own?

A Tale of Two Bills Activity Four

A Tale of Two Bills Check out the two energy bills- one that originated in the Senate, the other is the version approved in the House. Find the common ground and get one bill to send to the president. H.R.422 S.357 Increase funding for alternative energy research Invest in domestic oil drilling operations Provide a $1,000 tax credit to electric vehicle buyers Cut funding to alternative energy research Lower pollution rates of cars and trucks by 5% in 5 years Provide a $500 tax credit to electric vehicle buyers Read through each bill, then ask students to note the ones that can be considered common ground. Provide a tax credit to electric vehicle buyers (discuss difference in $ amount, split the difference, go with the lower/ higher number?) Lower pollution rates of cars and trucks (discuss if they should go with more or less details) Award innovations in new energy source development Lower Pollution rates of cars and trucks

A Tale of Two Bills Based on the common ground you found in the Senate and House version of the bill, make a compromise version. You need to have at least two items in the bill. Compromise Bill You or a student can write in the new compromise language in the space provided.

Mini-Quiz Test Your Knowledge Work through the mini-quiz, asking for whole-group responses from your class. Click to show the answer before advancing each slide. Test Your Knowledge

 1) Members of the House of Representatives represent… A. Entire states B. A region with a number of states. C. A district within a state 

2) Members of the Congress represent the voters back home 2) Members of the Congress represent the voters back home. These voters are called: A. Employees B. Constituents C. Supporters 

3) What is the lowest percent of support a bill can receive and still pass the House or Senate? 

 4) In order to become a law, a bill must pass the: A. Only the House B. Only the Senate C. Both the House and Senate 

5) If the House and Senate bills do not agree where does the bill go?  A. Compromise Committee B. To the president to decide what’s best C. The trash can

 6) Members of the Senate represent: A. Entire states B. The whole country C. A district within a state

7) If the president vetoes a bill, it can still become law if it gets ____% support in both the House and Senate. A. 51% (simple majority) B. 100% (consensus) C. 66%, (2/3) 

 8) Which of these is not a source of ideas for new bills? A. Letters and messages from citizens B. Interest groups C. Secret Congress to-do list 

 9) Which is an example of compromise? A. One side wins everything, and the other side loses everything B. Both sides give up a little and agree on items they have in common 

10) Congress is made of two chambers, the Senate and House of Representatives. Another word for two chambers is... A. congressional B. bicameral C. legislative 