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The Job of a Legislator
Overview
In this lesson, students learn about the responsibilities of a Member of Congress. Students read a book about a Member of Congress and then create their own story about the featured representative.
Grade Levels
9 – 12
Objectives
Students will:
- explain what a Member of Congress does; and
- describe the benefits and frustrations of being a Member of Congress.
Estimated Time
1 to 3 days
Materials Needed
- E-Learning Module: The Many Roles of a Member of Congress
- Internet connection with Macromedia FLASH ® enabled
- Projection device
- Chalkboard and a piece of chalk or a whiteboard and marker
Procedure
- Ask students to name some things they think Members of Congress do on a daily basis. Write these things on a chalkboard or whiteboard.
- Explain to students that Members of Congress have many roles. Then tell them that the class will now hear about some of the roles of a legislator. Use a projection device to show students "What Does a Member of Congress Do Anyway?" from The Many Roles of a Member of Congress E-learning module.
- Have students state which roles they think are most important. Then show students "A Day in the Life" from The Many Roles of a Member of Congress E-learning module.
- Ask students whether or not they would want to be a Member of Congress. Have students name some of the pros and cons of being a Member of Congress.
- Assign portions from one of the books listed below.
- The Senator from Maine: Margaret Chase Smith (New York: Crowell, 1969) by Alice Fleming
- Senator: A Profile of Bill Bradley in the U.S. Senate (San Diego, Calif: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992) by William Jaspersohn
- The Congressional Experience, 2nd Ed. (Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2000) by Congressman David E. Price
- P.S.: The Autobiography of Paul Simon (Chicago, Ill.: Bonus Books, 1999) by former Senator Paul Simon
- Ask students to create their own story about the representative featured in the book. This story should explain why he or she decided to run for Congress, describe the representative's unique qualities, and outline his or her activities in Congress.
Extension Activity
Have students write a letter or send an e-mail to one of their local representatives and ask him or her to explain why he or she decided to run for office and describe some of the benefits and frustrations of being a Member of Congress. Ask students to write a paper that discusses if they would run for congressional office in the future, explains why they would or would not, and describes what they would contribute to Congress.
Assessment
Basic Concepts and Processes
Ask your students to respond to the following requests for information and assess their knowledge of key concepts taught in this lesson.
- Explain what a Member of Congress does.
- Describe the benefits and frustrations of being a Member of Congress.
Scoring Guide forStory
| Elements | Possible Score | Assigned Score | Notes |
| Correct spelling | 5 | ||
| Correct grammar (sentence structure, punctuation) | 10 | ||
| Good beginning, middle, and end | 10 | ||
| Explains why the representative decided to run for Congress | 25 | ||
| Describes the representative's unique qualities | 25 | Describes the representative's activities in Congress | 25 |
Lesson Plan Feedback
If you have suggestions for improving this lesson plan, or if you have ideas for others using the module, please let us know. We value your input. Thank you!