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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating Laws

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students brainstorm ideas for legislation and present their ideas to the class. They draft a bill and take it through the normal procedures of the Canadian Parliament.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making a Mace

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students make a mace as a symbol of the legislatures authority to make laws.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ports in the Storm

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore national security issues related to the possibility of a Dubai-owned company operating an American port. Opinions are solicited and debated.
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Thomas: Legislative Information

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This retired site captures historical legislative activity that includes bill summary and status, bill text, public laws by law number, most recent issue, roll-call votes, committee reports, house committees, and senate committees.
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Website
Other

The Dirksen Congressional Center

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
An effective site that provides non-partisan information concerning Congress and its leaders. The website includes CongressLink, up-to-date information on the US Congress; Congress for Kids, an excellent resource for younger students on...
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Website
US House of Representatives

U.s. Capitol: How a Bill Becomes a Law

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
Learn about the legislative process in the United States through this interactive tutorial, which demonstrates to students how a bill becomes a law.
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Website
Lectric Law Library

Copyright

For Students 9th - 10th
Good description of copyright. Includes legislation, entitlement, for what granted, nature of right and duration, how to obtain, requisites, remedies and former grants.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Structure of Congress and the Legislative Process Lesson

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This instructional activity explores the structure of Congress and the legislative process. There is an introduction, a research activity, an assessment, and a role play activity.
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Activity
Library of Congress

Loc: How Our Laws Are Made

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This page provides links to every step in the legislative process, from sources of legislation through publication.
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Handout
Cornell University

Cornell University: Law School: u.s. Code

For Students 9th - 10th
Federal Statutes can be easily reviewed by selecting titles(1-50). The site provides table of popular names and title listings with zoom text, notes and updates of each code.
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Website
Other

Center for Democracy and Technology

For Students 9th - 10th
A public interest organization working for public policies that advance civil liberties and democratic values in information technologies. Contains links to information on free speech, data privacy, wiretapping, and cryptography.
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Website
Other

Education Commission of the States

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The Education Commission of the States (ECS) website supports its mission to inform governors, legislators, state education officials, and others about matters related to education by providing links to numerous well-documented policy...
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Primary
US National Archives

Nara: Charters of Freedom: The Constitution: Amendments 11 27

For Students 9th - 10th
Check here to read the three amendments passed during the Progressive Era, the 16th, 17th, & 18th amendments. From the National Archives and Records Administration.
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Handout
US Environmental Protection Agency

Epa: Summary of the National Environmental Policy Act

For Students 9th - 10th
Use this site from the EPA as a portal to find the text of the National Environmental Policy Act, passed in 1969, as well as a history of the act.
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Activity
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Little Legislatures

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site from the University of Groningen clearly defines the role of committees in the legislative process, as well as a brief historical perspective on congressional committees. Essays, text and biography links related to American...
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Activity
The Dirksen Congressional Center

Congress for Kids: The President and Congress

For Students 3rd - 5th
A brief description of the interaction between the president and Congress. Also includes information about the process for signing a bill into a law and take a quiz to test your learning.
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Activity
Other

Sweet Liberty: Roots of Cooperative Federalism

For Students 9th - 10th
An in-depth article on the roots of cooperative federalism, written by Dan Meador.
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Graphic
Other

Fdr Project/ the First 100 Days

For Students 9th - 10th
A school site that shows a collection of editorial cartoons from the 1930s responding to the First Hundred Days of Roosevelt's presidency. Great primary source material for viewpoints of the day.
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Website
Other

The Christian Coalition of America

For Students 9th - 10th
Official homepage of the Christian Coalition of America.
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Activity
Other

State of Michigan: How a Bill Becomes a Law [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Learn the steps involved in making a new law. The document explains how bills become laws in the state of Michigan, but the process is the same as it is for other states as well.
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Website
Other

Committee on House Administration

For Students 9th - 10th
This website is on the Committee on House Administration. The chairman of this committee is Robert W. Ney. You can read about the latest press releases and House publications at this site.
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Website
US Government Publishing Office

Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: How Laws Are Made

For Students 3rd - 5th
An easy-to-understand reading of the process of how a law comes to be.
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Website
Other

House Armed Services Committee

For Students 9th - 10th
Delve into the latest news of the House Armed Services Committee with this site. Hear more from the Chairman, Duncan Hunter, about the purpose of this committee. Read up on recent press releases, too.
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Website
Other

Committee on Ways and Means Us House of Representatives

For Students 9th - 10th
This is the offiical website of the U.S. Congress's Ways and Means Committee, which oversees the funding of the U.S. government.