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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Dynamic Duo

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students engage in the research of history that surrounded the actions of the federal government during the years from 1907-1937. The focus of the lesson is upon the regulations imposed on business during the time and how it effected the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Multiculturalism and Immigration

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders determine how a refugee is different from a migrant. They explain how there are various classifications of refugee claimants and gain an overview of Canada's refugee determination system.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tough Decisions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners research a complex question. They work together to form hypothesis and research the question and analyze the data. They present their "decision" to the class based on their work.
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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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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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Activity
The Dirksen Congressional Center

Congress for Kids: Legislative Branch, the Senate

For Students 3rd - 6th Standards
Activities that students can use to understand the job of the US Senate, and become more engaged in the legislative process.
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Unit Plan
Indiana University

Center on Congress: Learn About Congress

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Learn about the role of the US Congress, how it works, its history, and the principles behind its creation and operation. Wonderful set of resources including FAQs, short articles and video clips, "interactive learning modules" (i.e., a...
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Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: congress.gov: Contrasting Procedures of the Senate and House

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Clearly contrasts the two houses in the US Legislative Branch. It details the commonalities in the making of a law.
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: It's in the Hopper!

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
A Congressional simulation in which students research a topic of interest, write a bill, and submit the bill for consideration by a Congressional committee of their peers. This lesson teaches in a real way the legislative process and...
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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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Website
US House of Representatives

Office of the Clerk: u.s. House of Representatives: Kids in the House

For Students 9th - 10th
At this site, you can explore the role the Office of the Clerk plays in the United States House of Representatives. Learn about the legislative process and its effect on you.
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Lesson Plan
The Dirksen Congressional Center

Congress Link: Lesson Plans

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
The Dirksen Congressional Center provides abundant lesson plans on all aspects of the US Congress and the US Constitution. All lessons contain time frames, objectives, and links to material, and are built around Bloom's taxonomy.
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Primary
US Department of Justice

Us Department of Justice: Statutes Enforced by the Antitrust Division [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
As part of the antitrust division manual of the United States Department of Justice, this document provides the full text of the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Wilson Tariff Act, the Clayton Act, the amended Antitrust Civil Process Act, and...
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Article
Other

Certiorari Practice: The Supreme Court's Shrinking Docket

For Students 9th - 10th
Recent legislation has allowed the Supreme Court discretionary, rather than obligatory powers, in deciding which cases to decide. This in-depth and well-developed essay describes the process and criticizes the new system, while providing...
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Website
US Government Publishing Office

U.s. Government Publishing Office: Congressional Hearings

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Massive directory of the transcripts of all Senate and House committee and subcommittee hearings from the 105th Congress to the 109th Congress. Hearings are typcially open to the public and done for the purpose of attaining information...
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Primary
US Government Publishing Office

U.s. Government Publishing Office: Congressional Record

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. Successful navigation of the site take knowledge of the GPO's navigation code. An important hint for when looking up a specific...
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Primary
US Government Publishing Office

U.s. Government Publishing Office: Congressional Reports

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Congressional committee transcripts are compiled into the Congressional Reports section of the Government Printing office website. Most of the information included within the Congressional Reports include the gathering of expert...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: The Role of the Conference Committee

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Students will use C-SPAN to observe short film clips of a Congressional conference committee in action. Students will hear the rules under which the committee functions and hear debate regarding aspects of the bill. Finally, students...
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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
US Government Publishing Office

Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: Citizenship: Becoming a u.s. Citizen

For Students 3rd - 5th
Ben's Guide is a fun way to present U.S. Government to students. This site presents a description of the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. Links to related sites are available.
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Activity
US Government Publishing Office

Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: What Is a Law?

For Students 3rd - 5th
Find out what a law is and who makes them. Learn the step by step process of how laws are made on the national level.
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Primary
Curated OER

National Park Service: Andrew Johnson Historic Site: Fourteenth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
The complete text of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
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Article
Other

Multimedia Schools: Moving Every Child Ahead the Big6

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This article looks at applying the Big6 process to issues raised by No Child Left Behind legislation. The goal of the Big6 process is to improve performance by improving thinking through application of information technology skills. This...