Civic Literacy Curriculum
Question 24: The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
Q24: The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
A. 435
B. 100
C. 50
D. 263
Background
The Constitution created the legislative branch, part of which would consist of representatives who would be the voice of the people through a large house based on population.
How to determine representation in the legislature was a contentious issue at the Convention. The Virginia Plan sought to allocate representatives by population, while the New Jersey Plan wanted to allocate them by state.
The solution was the Great Compromise (or Connecticut Compromise), offered by that state’s Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth. They took the two plans and created a bicameral legislature, representing both objectives.
The two different houses are apportioned differently because each represents a different constituency. In order to reinforce federalism, the Senate is designed to represent the interests of the states, and thus each state, regardless of population, has the same number of senators. By way of contrast, the House of Representatives aims to represent the people more directly. Thus, states with more people (a larger population) have more Representatives than other, less populous states.
The number of voting members has changed over time, and the apportionment of those representatives among the states changes after every census to reflect shifts in population.
There have been 435 voting members of the House of Representatives since 1911. Today the House of Representatives still has 435 voting members, representing all fifty states.
Adult Learners
Introduction
According to the Constitution there can be no more than one representative for every 30,000 people, although the Constitution allows representatives to represent more than 30,000—that part is up to Congress. Today they represent a little more than 750,000 constituents on average. The question of how many representatives a state should have continues today. There are significant benefits to adding to the House, just as there are significant drawbacks. This activity challenges the students to think about those pros and cons.
Preparation
- Provide each group/student with a copy of the What If Worksheet.
- Provide each group/student with a copy of the reading.
- Print a copy of the answer key.
Required files
The Teaching Materials for this exercise includes an answer key.
Instructions
- Divide the class into groups of 2-3 based on the students’ individual levels. Group A is the group that needs some extra support. Group B is the core group that has the core knowledge to complete the activity. Group C is the enrichment group who have mastered the material and are prepared to extend their knowledge. Ideally, each group of 3 should have at least one student from Group A, one from Group B, and one from Group C.
- If students are in pairs rather than groups, divide them based on ability as well, pairing those who need support (Group A) with those who have core knowledge and/or have mastered the material (Groups B and C).
- This activity works equally well on the individual level.
- Instruct the students to begin by reading the handout provided and thinking about the content provided. Suggest that they make notes on the paper as needed.
- Once they complete the reading, they should begin to develop a list of pros and cons regarding the size of the House of Representatives.
- If students are working individually, but appear to be struggling with the examples/non-examples, encourage them to talk to their peers and brainstorm.
- Circulate throughout the room as the students complete the worksheets to check for understanding.
- Once the students are finished, use the lists to springboard into a discussion on the House itself. You can use points that the students bring up, or you may wish to discuss:
- The importance of diplomacy (defined as the art of dealing with people in an effective manner). How does diplomacy affect the ability of the House to function?
- How compromise sometimes affects how legislators do their job. Sometimes legislators will agree to support each other to get their
respective bills through -- or agree to oppose someone else’s bill. Is this a good idea? - What might happen if a bill that the people support also contains a clause that they do not support? Is it better to vote for or against a bill such as that?
Discussion Prompts
Below are two discussion prompts that can be used by teachers in a classroom setting.
- The first discussion prompt will be one that is designed to support students that are not really understanding the content in a way that would help them to answer the test question.
- The second discussion prompt will be one that is designed to further student understanding of the content by making real-world connections, including connections to current events, and historical events.
Background
Having more members in a legislative body has its benefits. It’s far easier to reach a representative who oversees 700,000 constituents than one who has 4 million. However, as the nation grows, there are those who wonder if 435 representatives - a number set in 1911 - is effective.
Prompt 1
According to the Constitution, the number of representatives for each state will be determined every 10 years. Changes to a state’s population may result in changes to the number of representatives that state has. However, there is a maximum limit to representatives, as set by the Apportionment Act of 1911. How many representatives are in the House and do you think a cap is a good idea? Why?
Prompt 2
In 1911, Congress limited the number of representatives to 435. Do you think that we may need to someday reconsider the limit set by the 1911 act? If so, why? Can you think of real-world situations, either in the present or the past, where it would benefit the people to have more representatives? What about situations where too many representatives may actually be detrimental?
K-2 Lesson
Map the Representatives
By Stefanie Kelly
Lesson Summary: Students will learn about the House of Representatives. Precisely, how many voting members make up the House?
Learning Objectives:
Students will identify the number of U.S. Representatives.
Students will map the number of voting U.S. Representatives.
Grades 3-5 Lesson Plan
Find the Total Number of Representatives in the House.
By Shelby Jones
Lesson Summary: Students will work in groups based on regions in the US (Northeast, Southwest, West, Southeast, and Midwest) together to identify the number of representatives in each state in order to combine the representatives to determine the total Representatives in the US House of Representatives.
Primary Sources: Census.Gov
Learning Objectives:
Students will identify the total number of voting representatives in the US House of Representatives.
Students will explain why some state have more Representatives than other state.
Math Connection:
Students will identify and match multi-digit numbers represented by standard and word form.
Students will add 3 or more multi-digit numbers together to get a sum.
Grades 6-8 Lesson Plan
Mini Government Jigsaw UNIT
By Kristy James Kuehn
Lesson Summary: This mini unit allows students to be part of a “mini-government” where each person becomes an expert on one of the branches of government. Students learn about their branch and teach it to the two other people in their groups via games, interactive learning, etc. This jigsaw lesson allows students to learn about the systems of government in an interactive way.
Learning Objectives: Students will become part of their own mini-government by learning about the 3 branches of government. Students will analyze and synthesize their branch of choice and be prepared to teach the members of their mini government about their branch’s roles and responsibilities as well as checks and balances. Students will create an interactive, informative and engaging lesson for their group mates.
High School Lesson Plan
Understanding the Voting Members of the United States House of Representatives
Objective:
Students will be able to explain the significance of the number of voting members in the United States House of Representatives and its impact on citizens.
Assessment:
Students will complete a short essay that discusses the current number of voting members in the House of Representatives, the apportionment process, and its implications for representation in government. They will also include examples of how this affects their local community.
Key Points:
- The United States House of Representatives currently has 435 voting members.
- The apportionment process determines how many representatives each state receives based on population.
- Representation in the House affects legislative decisions and resources allocated to different states and communities.
- The significance of representation and its direct impact on citizens' voices in government.
Opening:
- Begin with a thought-provoking question: "How do you think the number of representatives affects your voice in government?"
- Show a brief video clip highlighting key moments in U.S. history where changes in representation impacted citizens. The fight for the right to vote in the United States - Nicki Beaman Griffin
- Engage students in a quick think-pair-share activity where they discuss their thoughts on representation and its importance.
Introduction to New Material:
- Present a brief lecture with visual aids (e.g., slides) explaining the composition of the House of Representatives.
- Discuss the concept of apportionment and how census data influences the number of representatives.
- Common Misconception: Some students may believe that all states have the same number of representatives; clarify that representation is based on population.
Guided Practice:
- Provide students with a chart showing the number of representatives per state and population data.
- Work through an example together: calculate how many representatives a hypothetical state with a given population would have.
- Scaffold questioning:
- Easy: "What is the total number of representatives?"
- Moderate: "How does a state's population affect its number of representatives?"
- Hard: "What might happen if a state’s population decreases?"
- Monitor student performance by circulating the room, checking for understanding, and providing feedback.
Independent Practice:
- Assign students to research their home state's representation in the House and write a one-page report detailing:
- The number of representatives and the population of their state.
- How their state’s representation impacts local issues.
- Set behavioral expectations: Students should work quietly and independently, focusing on their research and writing.
Closing:
- Conduct a quick round-robin where each student shares one fact they learned about their state's representation.
- Ask students to reflect on why understanding this information is important for civic engagement.
Extension Activity:
- Challenge advanced students to create a presentation or infographic that illustrates the effects of apportionment over the last few decades, highlighting trends and changes in representation.
- And for those that struggle with understanding, test their knowledge with the following quiz/assessment.
Homework:
- Assign students to read a current news article related to congressional actions and write a one-paragraph reflection on how representation plays a role in the issues discussed.
Standards Addressed:
- C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards: D2.Civ.3.9-12 - Evaluate the importance of civic participation.
- National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Standards: Theme 6 - Power, Authority, and Governance.