123 Go To Section: 411/10 Do Now (Find your Seat) As you enter, this is where you will sit (right & left are from the student perspective as you walk in the door): Republicans sit on the right and in the center front table. Democrats sit on the left and in the center back table. Once seated, take out your character sheet & something to write with (see me if you were absent last class). Agenda: Organize our Senate 1.Decide on Committees 2.Research Regions 3.Research Party HW: None, but remember, Cal Grant forms are due to Student Services by this Friday. If you want to turn yours in to me, give it to me at the end of class

123 Go To Section: 4 Region Research Instructions Chapter 12, Section You will work with the other Senator from your region to research the following information about your region. If your region has many states in it, you will need to research & combine this info. I have some extra paper for you to use to write stuff down. Once you have found the info, combine it (if your region has multiple states) and then summarize it on your character sheet. Research Topics (Write these down) Economy & Major Industries Economy & Major Industries Basic Geography Basic Geography Demographics (Ethnicities, languages, education level, income level) Demographics (Ethnicities, languages, education level, income level)

123 Go To Section: 4 Senate Character Sheet Instructions Chapter 12, Section For right now, just fill out the following information. We will fill out more throughout class. 1. Senator Name: You can give your Senator a fictional name. It may be more fun if you do. 2. Student Name: I do believe this one explains itself. DO NOT FILL ANYTHING ELSE OUT UNTIL INSTRUCTED 1. Listen up for your political party. When you hear your party. Circle the appropriate letter. 2. After assigning parties, we will assign regions. Once your region is assigned you will write the name of your region in the region space. There will be two Senators from each region. DO NOT FILL ANYTHING ELSE OUT UNTIL INSTRUCTED

123 Go To Section: 4 Senator Attributes (Use your Voting in Congress handout as a reference) Chapter 12, Section On your Character sheet there is a list of the 6 Political Attributes we worked with in the Voting in Congress activity. There is also 1 blank for a write in attribute. These attributes describe your Senator. You will assign points to each attribute as a way to show how strongly your Senator feels about each attribute. Follow these guidelines. 1. You have 18 points to spread out among your attributes. Every attribute must receive at least 1 point. The total value of your party’s attributes must be greater than the total value of the other party’s attributes. (Optional) You can write in one attribute that is not on the list. Maybe you feel there is a Republican or Democratic value not in the list of attributes. Write it in the blank and assign it points. All write in attributes must be approved by me. 2. Total the point values for each party’s attributes and write that total in the blank next to each party’s letter (D for Democrat, R for Republican). These attributes and the totals will give you and other Senators an idea as to how strongly Republican or Democratic your Senator is and what attributes make up their belief system.

123 Go To Section: 4 The Presiding Officers Chapter 12, Section The job of President of the Senate is assigned by the Constitution to the Vice President. (this will be played by the teacher). The president of the Senate has many of the same duties as the Speaker of the House, but cannot cast votes on legislation. The President Pro Tempore, the leader of the majority party, is elected from the Senate and serves in the Vice President’s absence. (This will be an elected member of the Republican Party). Majority Leader: Elected Member of the Republican Party & leader of the Republican Party in the Senate. Minority Leader: Elected Member of the Democratic Party & leader of the Republican Party in the Senate. Majority Whip: Organizes votes for the Republican Party & serves as the link between the Majority Leader, Committee Chairs & the general members of the Republican Party in the Senate. Minority Whip: Organizes votes for the Democratic Party & serves as the link between the Majority Leader, & the general members of the Democratic Party in the Senate.

123 Go To Section: 4 Committee Assignments Everyone will be assigned to a committee. I will project the list of committees as we do this. The Republican Party leaders will decide who chairs each committee and assigns Republican Senators to committees (committee chairpeople are assigned by the majority party). The Democratic Party leaders will assign their Senators to committees. I will post the list of our committees as we do this. I have a form that will be filled out as we do this. Chapter 12, Section

123 Go To Section: 411/7 Do Now: Take out your HW (your record of the vote on Prop 46 & the Representative you researched) Briefly discuss this info with the people at your table Make sure to have your notebooks out & open for notes on Congressional Committees & A Bill in the Senate If you were absent on Monday see me for a Senate Diagnostic Handout If you were absent on Monday see me for a Senate Diagnostic Handout Agenda: Election Wrap Up Lecture on Congressional Committees & A Bill in the Senate Senate Simulation Party Decision HW: None, but the deadline for paper revisions is Friday at 11:59pm