This 3-part activity kit shows students how Congress really gets things done, not just what the Constitution says it does.
This 3-in-1 activity kit covers
- Expressed powers of Congress in Article 1
- Landmark legislation, both historical and modern-day
- Real-life examples of checks & balances at work in the legislative process
Embedded with all sorts of supports like
- Teacher script with each lecture slide
- Visual cues included in guided notes
- Audio read-aloud of each station’s text
- Multiple options for implementing each activity
These activities can be done well in 3-4 class periods.
Included in this activity kit:
- Teacher Overview with detailed lesson plans for each activity, including various implementation options to suit your classroom needs
- 20-slide Google Slides Lecture covering a dozen of Congress’s most well-known expressed powers, with slide-b- slide teacher script
- Guided Notes to accompany lecture, complete with visual cues and Constitutional excerpts to support students
- 11 Landmark Legislation Stations to illustrate real-world examples of Congress exercising its powers, complete with an audio voice reading the text via QR codes
- Name that Law Activity & Game review and assess learning by examining those same landmark laws through the lens of how Congress actually passed them, including checks by the other two branches
– Graphic Organizer Notes to use individually or in small groups
– Task Cards for small group review and label stations in a friendly race
– 20-slide Google Slides Quiz Game for a competitive whole-class game
- Print PDF and digital Google files of all student materials
This resource is 29 PDF pages, plus Google files.
What grades is this intended for?
This was designed for high school, but could still work for upper middle school.
What supports are included? How can I modify this?
Clear graphic organizer style notes include visual icons, each station has an audio read-aloud included via a QR code, and lecture slides provide clear, focused content per slide.
Google versions of student materials and lecture slides are editable to tailor for your students’ needs.
Can I use this in a homeschooling setting?
Sure! Everything in this kit can still be used in a solo or a small-group setting.
Is this editable? What file types does this resource come in?
The main resource is a secured, non-editable PDF file intended to be printed.
Included are links to editable Google files, to customize to your classroom needs and assign digitally if you choose.
What standards does this address?
Several! Standards vary, but this resource supports these from various states:
- Analyze the structures, functions, and processes of the legislative branch
- Describe the procedure for enacting laws
- Identify and describe the “enumerated powers” delegated to Congress
- Analyze the role of Congress in terms of its relationship with other branches
What are the terms of use for this resource?
This resource, including all ancillary files, may be used as needed for regular, non-commercial single-classroom use between a teacher and their students.
This includes printing copies and sharing digital files with students through a secure platform, like Google Classroom or Canvas, email, or a classroom-only shared drive.
The using and sharing of any part of this resource in any manner outside the above-mentioned capacity is strictly prohibited. Prohibited uses include, but are not limited to,
- posting files on the open internet or in a Facebook group
- emailing files to or sharing print copies with others (without purchasing additional licenses)
- uploading or storing files in a shared cloud drive accessible by anyone other than students
- including any part, or any derivative work, within any commercial endeavor like curriculum development, professional training, or for-profit teaching like Outschool, or selling this resource as your own in either print or digital formats
Doing so violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), copyright law, and these terms.
By downloading this resource from Let’s Cultivate Greatness, the original user has been granted one license for a single teacher (or number of teachers matching the number of licenses purchased) and their students at any one time.
Let’s Cultivate Greatness retains the full copyright of this resource.
Reviews
My students enjoyed these activities. The various activities allowed my students to develop a solid foundation on the powers of Congress. It was easy to implement as is without much adjustment. – Jennifer B.
