Teacher's Guide for COBBLESTONE ^® Congress: Government of the People

Words and Ideas for Further Exploration:

Trustees, Candidate, States' rights, constituents, Reconstruction, Sergeant at arms, Ordinance, Contentious, Idealism, Imperialistic, Bolter, Venerate, Progressive, Filibusters, Tactics, Obstruct, Hopper, Concurrent, "reported out," engrossed, conference committee, pro tempore, impeachments, majority leader, minority leader, majority whip, minority whip, chaplain, appropriation, oversight powers, interstate commerce, ratified, checks and balances, unconstitutional, tyrannical, bicameral, unicameral, tricameral, rotunda, trowel, Capitol, Amendments, Hearings, Committee of the Whole, Standing Committee, Subcommittee, Select committee, Jurisdiction, Conference committee, Joint committee, Oversight, Extensions of remarks, State of the Union address, Parliamentary procedure, Roberts' Rules of Order, Minutes, Quorum, Floor, Point of order, Abstentions, Adjourn, Veto, Minimum wage, Discrimination, Hispanic, Harassment, Conducive, Parliamentary democracies, Knesset, Constituencies, Congressional legislatures, Entities

Before beginning this issue:

Read aloud the quote by Henry Clay located on the inside front cover of this issue. 

(1) Ask students why they think Clay used the words 'trust' and 'trustees.' What words could be substituted? How would these substitute words have changed the meaning of Clay's quote - and perhaps the purpose of our government?

(2) Ask students to write a paragraph about Clay's quote, telling how it impacts what most Americans expect their government to be. Collect and save these paragraphs until students have read and discussed the articles in this issue.

(3) After finishing the issue, students to re-read and revise their initial thoughts to reflect what they learned- and how their new knowledge may have changed their opinion.

"Magic Bean Soup" by Ruth Tenzer Feldman (pages 2-7)

(1) Before reading this article, ask individual students to research the lives and careers of the main characters, preparing a brief oral report for the class about 'their' character before reading the reader's theatre play aloud in class.

(2) John Quincy Adams said, "Each Senator is a representative not only of a single state, but of the whole Union" (page 6). What did those words mean, and why did Adams say them? Discuss.

(3) Why did Jefferson Davis disagree with Adams? Discuss the historical ramifications of their disagreement.

(4) Nancy Pelosi's character believes that Congress is like good soup (page 7). Why?

"Introducing "Bill!" by Beth Turin Weston (pages 8-9)

(1) What does a conference committee do? Discuss.

(2) Using library or Internet resources, find out more about the British legal process. What did our American forefathers 'borrow' from the British system? What did they change - and why?

(3) What happens when a bill is reported out?

(4) Who decides when a bill comes before Congress? Could there be political maneuvering behind this process? Why - or why not?

(5) When is a bill "enrolled?"

(6) What is a "pocket veto?" Who can use it - and when? Find examples of recent uses of "pocket vetoes" in the library or on the Internet.

(7) Under what circumstances will a bill automatically become law? Use library or Internet resources to find recent federal legislation that became law because of this process. Why would this sometimes be a favorable process?

"Just the Facts" (pages 10-11)

(1) Who controls the appointment of the president pro tempore and other leadership positions in the Senate? Do politics play a part in these appointments?

(2) How do the duties and responsibilities of the House of Representatives differ from those of the Senate? Ask students to write a short paragraph or discuss why they think the Founding Fathers created this type of system.

"Did You Know?" (pages 12-13)

(1) Ask a small group of students to chart the specific responsibilities of the Congressional and Executive branches of government. Create a wall or white board display from this chart as a reference for future discussions and study.

(2) What "oversight powers" were given to Congress? Do the President and his Executive Branch always appreciate these powers? Why - or why not? Use the library, newspapers, or Internet resources to find out more.

"Crisis of Government" by Gina DeAngelis (pages 14-17)

(1) Why didn't the Articles of Confederation give a lot of power to the national (federal) government?

(2) Discuss the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Ask students to write a brief paragraph explaining how the 21^st century United States would be different if the Articles were still our only guidelines.

(3) What were the reasons behind the provisions of the Articles of Confederation? Discuss.

(4) Why did the writers of the Constitution make changes? What happened to change their minds - and why?

(5) Why did the new Constitution specify three branches of government? Discuss the reasons behind the new structure.

"A Capital Capitol" by Gina DeAngelis (pages 18-23)

(1) Use the library or Internet resources to find other examples of Pierre L'Enfant's architectural designs. How are the designs of these buildings similar to the design of the Capitol Building? How are they different?

(2) Why was a grand rotunda so important to the design of the Capitol Building? Compare the U.S. Capitol Building to the main government buildings of other nations.

(3) Use library or Internet resources to find out more about your state's contributions to the National Statuary Hall. Why did your state choose the two historic people representing your state?

(4) Use library or Internet resources to find out more about the work of Senate and House pages. Brainstorm a list of questions, then contact your local Representative or state Senator's office to set up an interview (via phone or email) with a current page.

"The Capitol Complex" (pages 24-25)

(1) Many buildings in the Capitol complex are named after famous historical figures. Use Internet or library resources to find out more about the lives and contributions of these individuals, and then report back to the class.

"In Committee: Lawmakers At Work" by Kathiann M. Kowalski (pages 26-28)

(1) Why and how are bills amended?

(2) Use library, newspaper, or Internet resources to find out more about recent "amended" legislation.

(3) Ask a small group of students to make a chart of the different kinds of Congressional committees, their purpose, and how they aid the flow of legislation.

(4) What committees do your local Representatives or state Senators belong to? Brainstorm a list of questions to ask your congressional representative about their committee work. Contact their local or regional office via phone or email with these questions, then publish the answers in a class or school newspaper.

(5) Use library or Internet resources to find and follow the passage of an education bill through the committee process. The Congressional Record (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/crecord/index.html) is a great place to start.

"Annual Address" (page 29)

(1) Why is the President's Annual State of the Union speech so important - or is it? Discuss. Use the library or Internet resources to find the text of recent State of the Union addresses. 

"Call to Order" (page 30-31)

(1) Try the suggestions for setting up a simplified version of parliamentary procedure in your classroom, club, or with your family. How does parliamentary procedure help - or hurt - the decision-making process? 

"Lasting Laws" by Gina DeAngelis (page 32-35)

(1) Use the library or Internet resources to find out more about the landmark legislation described in Gina DeAngelis' article. Report the findings back to the class.

(2) Ask students to write a paragraph explaining how one piece of the landmark legislation described in this article has directly affected their lives. Did this law cause a positive or negative change? How and why?

"To Serve the People" by Judith E. Harper (page 36-39)

(1) Find out more about your local Representative. Brainstorm a list of questions, then contact the Representative's office via phone or email to obtain answers to your questions and (if possible) interview the Representative in person. Publish the answers in your classroom, school, or community newspaper.

"Going Global: Your House or Mine?" by Eileen T. Terrill (pages 40-41)

(1) Use library or Internet resources to find out more about the governments, legislatures, and the process of creating laws in other countries. Prepare an oral report or wall display for the class.

"Don't Forget"

(1)to check out the many Internet address, suggested further reading, and other resources in this issue.

(2)to ask students to answer the "Final Word" question on page 48.

(3)to follow up the learning from this issue via discussions about current events. Set up a bulletin board or wall display featuring newspaper clippings and reprints from magazines and other sources about Congressional, Executive, or Judiciary news.

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Updated: 11/7/09 09:49 am
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