Unit and lesson plans prepared by teachers using CongressLink resources and features.

An Introduction to Representative Government
In this lesson, students compare rule-making by one to rule-making by many through simulations, class discussions, and the creation of a Venn diagram.

Congress: A Vocabulary Review
The purpose of this lesson is to review students’ knowledge of key concepts and terms related to Congress.

Congress and the Courts
Students will analyze the United States Constitution to discern the relationship between Congress and the federal courts, the attributes they deem important in a judge, and how the courts can influence legislation. Students will also apply to principle of judicial review to legislation as they take on the role of a federal judge.

Congress and Gay Marriage
The objective of this lesson is two-fold.  First is to educate students on the history of “gay marriage,” that is, how Congress has approached the debate over gay marriage and what legislation Congress members have passed or attempted to pass on this issue. The second is to have students discuss their feelings on this issue and have them attempt to understand how Congress members must balance their own personal views with those of their constituents and what might be best for the nation.

Congress' s Accomplishments…What Has Congress Done for You?
In this lesson, students use primary and secondary sources to become experts on a law Congress has passed and teach each other about the laws they have researched. Students then illustrate the impact of one of these laws with "before" and "after" pictures and justify the importance of the law in writing.

Congress on Trial
Students will become members of the Grand Jury.  They will look at evidence and determine whether or not the actions of Congress contributed to the Civil War.  Since Congress made decisions, each will be presented as its own charge.  In other words, each of the decisions will be scrutinized and independently evaluated.  All decisions must be unanimous.

Creating a Citizen's Guide to Congress
In this lesson, students bring all previous lessons together by creating a citizen's guide to Congress.

Design Your Own Interest Group Network: The Nader Formula
This project is designed for students to create interest groups.  In the process of creating their interest groups, they will explore the development of interest groups, use case studies to show their significance in legislation, and delve into the world of campaign finance. At the end of the project students create a 30-60 second commercial spot promoting their interest groups and calling other people to action.

Does it Matter if We Participate in Representative Government? A Socratic Seminar
In this lesson, students participate in a Socratic seminar to discuss and defend the importance of participating in representative government.

Experiencing Change
After successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to understand civil service reform under President Rutherford B. Hayes.  They will be able to explain why President James Garfield was assassinated and to describe how President Chester Arthur ended the spoils system.  Students will be able to recall the main points concerning the presidential election of 1884 and describe Coxey’s “army” marching on Washington in 1894.

Getting Involved: How Can You Participate in Representative Government?
In this lesson, students examine the different ways people can participate in representative government through class discussions, group work, and investigation of primary and secondary sources. Students create commercials that inform viewers how to get involved in representative government.

Greater Debates Issue #1: Does the Two-Party System Adequately Represent the People?
Many current issues are debated in government classes, issues that real representatives debate in Congress.  Yet, there are larger or “greater” issues that deal with core ideas, philosophies or values behind American government that divide politicians or students of politics.  In this lesson, the first of three, students will learn, read, and debate the merits of the two-party system.  Assignments for this and the next two debates will consist of  (a) preview reading/journal, (b) reading and recording of points from a “yes” or “no” point of view, (c) meeting with an opposite point of view, recording notes, and discussing, and (d) post-reading journal.  An all-class debate will occur for only some topics.

Knowledge is Power
This activity kicks off a mock Congress activity by forming committees and demonstrating the importance of knowledge as power. Students will be introduced to the concept of “seniority,” too.

U.S. Capitol
Students are linked to the United States Capitol, located in Washington, DC. Visiting the Capitol, even in the virtual sense, will help students grasp the idea that the House and the Senate are separate bodies within Congress, each with its own space within the Capitol.

Party Time
Using a variety of primary, or historical, sources, students will analyze their political beliefs and associate them with the basic tenets of the political spectrum. They will be able to determine if their partisan leanings are to the "left" or to the "right."

Political Cartoon Analysis
Students will understand that political cartoons may send messages as strongly as documents and speeches.  As a result of this activity, students will know that primary sources have perspective and a purpose. Studying political cartoons and analysis will enable students to: (1) evaluate and gather information from a first person narrative, (2) analyze, interpret, and synthesize political cartoon primary sources, and, (3) identify and use clues from an illustration and text to make decisions about the cartoons meaning.

The Public’s View of Congress: A Study in Contrasts Through Film
After completing this lesson, students will (1) gain an understanding of the public’s perception of Congress over time as represented in film, and (2) see how film-makers depict Congress.

The Saga of the Money Trail - Developing the Federal Budget
In this lesson, students will trace the steps in the federal budget-making process.  They will recognize the complexity involved in the budget process, including the competing demands for funds.  Students will all analyze how compromise leads to the final budget.

Survivor Island
After completing the lesson, students will gain a working knowledge of what it means to be part of a group that is responsible for establishing a government.

Hilary G. Conklin's "What is Representative Government?"
This 10-week unit is designed to engage middle school students in a series of creative and multi-disciplinary activities that will help them understand representative government - how the ideas for representative government evolved, how our current Congress functions, and how today's citizens can participate in representative government. In the 15 lesson plans presented here, activities include students examining primary sources, conducting a Congressional Scavenger Hunt, acting out scenes from a day in a Senator's life, and writing letters to members of Congress. These lessons include reproducible activity handouts and graphic organizers created to help students with varied learning styles both visualize Congress in the past and present and break information down in comprehensible ways. While the materials comprise a cohesive unit, the individual lesson plans stand on their own. This project is supported by a Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grant sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional Center, Pekin, IL. The author is Hilary G. Conklin who currently teaches 6th and 8th grade social studies at Lincoln School in Providence, RI.