Unit 3: The Legislative Branch Inquiry Organizer
Guiding Questions: How does the structure of government influence the process of lawmaking and reflect the will of the people?
Objectives:
- Students will analyze the purpose and role of the legislature in the Constitution.
- Students will explain the principle of consent of the governed and its relationship to representation.
- Students will explain how the Senate and the House of Representatives are different in the way they represent people and how these differences affect the way they make decisions.
- Students will explore the distinct constitutional responsibilities of the House and the Senate and how these differences affect the decisions representatives make.
- Students will analyze key Supreme Court cases, including Baker v. Carr (1962) and Shaw v. Reno (1993), that have shaped redistricting and representation in Congress.
- Students will analyze the purpose of bicameralism and how it might help with consensus building.
- Students will explain the process and importance of consensus building in self-governance.
| Unit Introduction | Resources
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| What does it mean to be represented in government? | Resources
Supplemental Resources |
| How do the enumerated and implied powers of Congress allow Congress to represent the will of the people in the lawmaking process?
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Resources
Supplemental Resources
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| How do the responsibilities of the House and Senate affect the overall legislative process?
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Resources
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| How does Congress build consensus in making laws? | Resources
Supplemental Resources |
| How do the legislative powers of Congress act as a check and balance with the other branches? | Resources
Supplemental Resources |
| Additional Resources | Congress and the Constitution |
| Assessments |
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