This is the perfect addition to your Civics and Government class to culminate either your Three Branches or Legislative Branch units or use as a course capstone project.

Research and writing skills can be the hardest to teach well, which you’ll be able to do with so many embedded supports like:

• Audio recordings to go with every included reading
• Research & essay outline graphic organizer
• Project check-off coversheet
• 10 how-to skill reference sheet
• Editable Google docs of all student material

Members of Congress are starting to buzz about simultaneously passing a bill to admit Washington, DC, as a state and an amendment to void the 23rd Amendment. And the President is unsure of the position they should take and need advice.

Task your students with playing policy advisors to the President, who must research this complex and debated issue. Then, make a final recommendation supported by evidence.

This kit is essentially no-prep for you—just print (or assign in your LMS) and go! The included background readings, sources to consult, and research and writing tools do all the heavy lifting to guide students through the dreaded research project.

Here’s everything included in this complete Constitutional Issues: Should Washington DC become a state? Research Project:

Teacher Materials

• Project Overview with student outcomes, skills supported, step-by-step lesson plans, links to Google Doc files, and several ideas and tips for differentiating for all students

Student Materials

• Presidential Memo posing the challenge to students
• Mission Task Check-Off with step-by-step tasks for check-off for the entire project
• Background Readings of historical and modern context with short readings (Adding New States, Amending the Constitution and History of Washington DC) – complete with processing questions and links to audio recordings of texts
• Constitutional Excerpts of portions of Articles I and IV and Federalist Papers 43 on the reasoning of creating a federal district — complete with paraphrasing tasks and links to audio recordings of texts
• Select Sources of 7 full-page color maps, charts, and other visuals essential to understanding the what and how of the Electoral College
• Additional Sources with links to 6 pre-vetted, high-quality, and varied sources for students to use to start their independent research
• Research Plan providing brainstorming to keywords use and evidence to find
• Research Home Base organizing and recording research findings
• Source Analysis Forms challenging students to assess sources deeply
• Report Outline Form organizing research into a cohesive and well-built argument before writing the essay
• Report Criteria Rubrics to seven broad research and argumentative writing standards
• How-To Skill Reference Handouts including Annotating a Text, Analyzing Sources, Finding Sources, Creating a Works Cited, Annotating a Citation, Deciding a Precise Position, Creating a Thesis, and Using Supporting Evidence

These activities can be done well in 1-3 weeks, depending on how you implement it.

This resource is 49 PDF pages, plus Google files.

What grades is this intended for?
This was designed for high school-level reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. 

What supports are included? How can I modify this?
Project check-off sheet for chunking the steps, clear graphic organizers for all researching and writing steps, each background reading includes audio read-aloud via a QR code, and how-to skill reference sheets for necessary skills. 

Google versions of student materials are editable to tailor to 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:

• Analyzes the structures and functions of the legislative branch
• Applies critical thinking skills (summarizing, drawing inferences, concluding) to assessing a variety of valid sources, organizing information acquired
• Creates a product on a contemporary government issue using inquiry
• Analyzes/evaluates information, evidence, and counterarguments from primary and secondary sources
• Defends a point of view on a current political issue
• Creates a presentation of social studies information using effective communication, including proper grammar and conventions, proper citations, and methods to avoid plagiarism

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.