Civic Literacy Curriculum
This curriculum guide is intended to cover both questions 25 and 26.
Q25: We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
A. four (4)
B. six (6)
C. two (2)
D. eight (8)
Q26: Why do U.S representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators?
A. To test whether they are worthy to become senators
B. To more closely follow public opinion
C. Because the representatives have the responsibility of ratifying treaties
D. Because the Senate has the power to initiate tax bills
Background
When it comes to determining how many years a politician should serve, one point to consider is the job itself. What are a representative’s responsibilities?
In the House of Representatives, legislators are charged with representing the voice of the people. This means they need to be in touch with them on a regular basis, and represent their interests and desires, or risk losing their seats in the frequent elections.
Again, though, the question of term length arises. 10 years? Five? One?
For the House of Representatives, the Founding Fathers determined that two years was an adequate amount of time. In order to remain tightly connected to the will of the people and public opinion, members of the House serve shorter terms than the Senate, facing re-election every two years. This would give representatives enough time to be effective, but would be short enough to prevent them from becoming complacent and falling out of touch with their constituents’ opinions.
Adult Learners
Introduction
We learn by doing, but we also learn by teaching, as it requires us to process information, not only for our own understanding, but also for others and their understanding. In this activity, students will take a look at what our representatives do and then devise ways in which they can help other students learn about the House of Representatives and the job of a representative.
Preparation
- Provide each group/student with The House of Its Representatives.
- Provide each group/student with a list of possible worksheet suggestions.
- A rubric is available if this is a graded activity.
Required files
The Teaching Materials for this exercise includes a rubric.
Instructions
- Divide the class into pairs 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. Pair those who need support (Group A) with those who have core knowledge and/or have mastered the material (Groups B and C).
- This can also be an individual activity.
- Explain to the students that they are going to create worksheets that complements the reading and will help teach others about the House of Representatives and/or the job of a U.S. Representative.
- The worksheet will be based on the content of the reading, but be sure to let the students know that they are not required to cover the entire reading. They can select an idea or two and present it.
- Provide the students with the necessary materials.
- The students will create both a worksheet and its answer key.
- They can create any type of worksheet that they wish. They do not have to use the designs on the handout.
- Encourage students who are struggling with the content to focus on more factual material. They may do well creating guided reading
worksheets, crosswords, or word searches.
- Encourage students who are struggling with the content to focus on more factual material. They may do well creating guided reading
- Circulate throughout the room as the students work, offering help as necessary.
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
The House of Representatives is considered the “lower” of the two houses of Congress. Lower or not, though, both the House and the Senate have to work together to be effective. Many politicians, in both branches, are elected repeatedly, leading to long tenures and extensive experience. When it comes to terms and limits, there are points to consider on both sides.
Prompt 1
The House of Representatives is not identical to the Senate. The requirements are different -- and so is the length of time a representative serves. How long is a representative’s term and how does this affect the way that he or she serves the people? Why do representatives serve shorter terms than senators do?
Prompt 2
In many respects, two years is rather short. On the other hand, representatives are not limited to how many times they can be elected. As with the Senate, some argue that there should be a limit placed on how many times someone can serve in the House of Representatives. Do you agree? What are the pros and cons of both sides? Could it be argued that a lack of limits represents the will of the people?
K-2 Lesson
Pictograph House Vs. Senate
By Stefanie Kelly
Lesson Summary: Students will use graphs to show how many people serve in Congress.
Grades 3-5 Lesson Plan
House of Representatives and the People
By Shelby Jones
Lesson Summary:
Students will dive into a deeper understanding of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in order to compare and contrast the two. After watching a short video and reading a short article, students will use both sources to gather information about the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to complete a Double Bubble Map in order to compare the two. Students will use this information to identify the key similarities and differences between the two.
- Lesson may be done over multiple days
(If technology is not available to watch the video, students will use one source to gather information)
Learning Objectives:
Students will compare and contrast the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Students will identify how many years we elect US Representatives for the House.
Students will explain why US House Representatives serve shorter terms.
Students will identify who the members of the federal House of Representatives represent.
Students will identify who elects the members of the federal House of Representatives.
Students will identify who elects U.S. Senators.
Students will identify who a U.S. Senator represents.
Grades 6-8 Lesson Plan
Who Represents Me?
By Kristy James Kuehn
Lesson Summary: Students will be able to see through a civic lens who they would like to represent in their government. Students will brainstorm different qualities and characteristics on their “tablet.” Then, students will research what real people actually represent them at the local, state, and federal levels.
Learning Objectives:
Students will think like an informed voter by brainstorming what their ideal candidate looks like and what qualities they would like their representative to have. Students will research their real candidates at the local, state and federal level.
High School Lesson Plan
Understanding the House of Representatives and Popular Opinion
Understanding the House of Representatives and Popular Opinion
Objective:
Students will be able to analyze the role of the House of Representatives in reflecting popular opinion and evaluate how public sentiment influences legislative decisions.
Assessment:
Students will complete a written analysis where they will select a recent piece of legislation and explain how popular opinion influenced its passage or failure, supporting their argument with specific evidence from public opinion polls and media coverage.
Key Points:
- The structure and function of the House of Representatives, including the role of representatives in advocating for their constituents.
- The concept of popular opinion and how it is measured (e.g., polls, surveys).
- The relationship between public opinion and legislative action, including case studies of recent legislation.
- The impact of social media and news coverage on shaping public opinion and, subsequently, legislative priorities.
- Common misconceptions about the House's responsiveness to public opinion, such as the belief that representatives only follow party lines.
Opening:
- Start with a polling activity: Ask students to raise their hands if they think their opinions matter to their elected representatives, and discuss the results.
- Introduce a provocative question: "Do you think the House of Representatives truly represents the opinions of the American people?"
- Use a current event related to public opinion and legislation (e.g., a recent bill) to capture their interest.
Introduction to New Material:
- Present a brief lecture on the House of Representatives, emphasizing its composition, responsibilities, and the importance of constituent representation.
- Discuss how public opinion is gathered and analyzed, using examples of major polls related to recent legislation.
- Introduce the misconception that representatives always act according to party lines, using examples to illustrate instances where public opinion has swayed legislative decisions.
Guided Practice:
- Break students into small groups and assign each group a different piece of recent legislation.
- Instruct groups to research public opinion on their assigned legislation using available polling data and news articles.
- Scaffold questioning:
- Start with simple questions: "What does the public think about this legislation?"
- Move to more complex questions: "How might this opinion affect the votes of representatives?"
- Monitor student performance through observation and check for understanding by circulating around the room and asking probing questions.
Independent Practice:
- Assign students a task to write a 1-2 page analysis of a chosen piece of legislation, detailing how popular opinion influenced its outcome.
- Set behavioral expectations: Students should work independently, utilize various sources, and clearly cite their evidence.
- Encourage students to incorporate graphs or data from polls to strengthen their arguments.
Closing:
- Conduct a quick roundtable discussion where each student shares one key insight they gained about the relationship between the House of Representatives and public opinion.
- Use an exit ticket where students write down one question they still have about the topic.
Extension Activity:
- For students who finish early, provide them with a research task to explore how public opinion has changed over time regarding a particular issue (e.g., health care, climate change) and prepare a brief presentation on their findings.
Homework:
- Students will find a current opinion poll related to a political issue and write a summary of the findings, including how they think these opinions might impact legislative action in the future.
- Possible political issues to research
- Healthcare
- Gun control
- Abortion
- Economic Issue - Groceries, Gas Prices, Oil Markets, Cost of Living
- Possible political issues to research
Standards Addressed:
- C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards: D2.Civ.10.9-12 - Analyze the role of public opinion in the political process.
- National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Standards: Theme 5 - Individuals, Groups, and Institutions.