​Lesson Plans for Civics Teachers

We're building our lesson library - watch this space for updates and more classroom civics activities!

How Bills Become Law PowerPoint Teacher Notes Student Worksheet		​How Bills Become Law Follow the Washington State Legislative process from idea to bill to law, noting the major players involved in each step. Students can complete the worksheet following along with the PowerPoint and lecture notes outlining the key points of the process. Grades: 4-12 Time: 1 hour Objectives: Understand the steps of the lawmaking process in Washington State Understand how and why the legislative process winnows bills down at each step  Identify major stakeholders and decision-makers at each stage of the legislative process
​The Perfect Pizza	​	​​The Perfect Pizza This activity introduces students to the key ideas behind the legislative process: how do you make fair decisions that affect a large group of people, when there are many different ideas about the right thing to do? Grades: 1-6 Time: 1 hour Objectives: Understand ideas of debate, compromise, and negotiation
Committee Process Overview PowerPoint Mock Teacher Guide Sample Bills Plastic Bag Bill Package Energy Drinks Bill Package Ivory Bill Package Bike Helmets Bill Package Uniforms Bill Package Teen Wage Bill Package	​	​Mock Committee Hearing Hold a committee hearing in your class to debate a policy proposal the same way Washington State legislators do.  The sample bills below come with pre-drafted amendments and bill reports (recommended for younger grades or classes with limited time).  Students can also write their own bills and amendments, or look up real bills by topic on the Legislature's search site. The Teacher Guide includes a complete 5-class lecture plan, Common Core standards aligned evaluation rubrics in Speaking and Listening and Literacy in Social Studies, hearing scripts, and graphic organizers for student research and debate prep. Grades: 6-12 Time: 5 hours Objectives: Understand the purpose of committee hearings in the legislative process Understand the roles of legislators, staff, interest groups, and citizens in a committee hearing Research different perspectives and solutions on a policy topic Develop persuasive arguments on a policy topic Participate in civil and constructive debate on a policy topic
​Executive Session Role Play Lesson Plan Executive Session Executive Session Roles and Documents	​	​​Executive Session Role Play In an Executive Session, legislative committee members discuss their opinions on bills and vote on amendments and whether the bill should move on to the next step of the process. They take into account testimony from the public hearing and from letters, fact sheets, and research by citizens and stakeholders who care about the issue. This activity has students play the role of legislators with individual perspectives on a bill, weighing a variety of opinions and negotiating a compromise. Grades: 8-12 Time: 1-2 hours Objectives: Evaluate information and arguments from different sources on a policy issue Practice and understand a legislator's role in negotiating among different priorities and weighing trade-offs of various proposals
​Budget Balancing Exercise Lesson Plan Budget Balancing Worksheet Starting 2015 Budget Digital Budget Worksheets Spending and Revenue Boards Spending and Revenue Change Options	​	​​Budget Balancing Exercise Explore the Washington State operating budget in-depth by playing the roles of budget negotiators. Students work in teams to compromise among a variety of competing priorities and create a balanced budget proposal. This exercise is loosely based on realistic proposals from the 2015-2016 budget cycle and helps students understand the scale and challenges of statewide budgeting. The method can also be adapted or simplified for younger students. Grades: 9-12 Time: 2 hours Objectives: Understand the major components of the Washington State Operating Budget Identify challenges in budget negotiations (limited time, limited resources, difficult trade-offs, competing priorities)
​Who Gets to Vote? Lesson Plan	​	​​Who Gets to Vote? In this interactive game, students are randomly assigned to groups, which determine whether or not they are allowed to vote in a classroom poll. By expanding the groups who get to vote over a series of polls, the simulation helps students understand the historical expansion of voting rights in the United States. Grades: 4-12 Time: 1 hour Objectives: Understand the impact that restricting voting rights has on group decisions Relate the game to the history of voting rights expansion in the United States
​Chutes and Lawmaking Lesson Plan Chutes and Lawmaking Directions Chutes and Lawmaking Gameboard Color Chutes and Lawmaking Gameboard Color Chutes and Lawmaking Playing Pieces	​	​Chutes & Lawmaking Board Game Students select bill topics and play a Chutes and Ladders style game that takes them through the twists and turns of the legislative process. For an extension activity, have students design their own games. Grades: 4-12 Time: 1 hour Objectives: Understand the various paths and roadblocks for a bill to become a law in the Washington State Legislature