Public Criticisms of Congress

General Overview

In this module students will learn about some common criticisms of Congress and decide whether they agree or disagree with these criticisms. View the "how to" document.

Lessons and Assessments

The lessons listed below are self-contained. You may complete them in any order you wish.

Is Government Necessary? (Grades 5 – 8)

In this lesson students discuss the purposes of the United States Government and investigate how the U.S. Congress affects their lives. Students explain what life would be like in the absence of government and Congress.

How Ordinary People Can Have an Impact (Grades 5 – 8)

Students will identify ways to follow the actions of political officials and learn what individuals can do to influence political leaders.

Constitutional Structure and Functions (Grades 9 – 12)

Students will examine the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and evaluate complaints from citizens related to the structure of government.

Interest Groups, Political Parties, and Factions (Grades 9 – 12)

Students will explore Federalist No. 10 and analyze James Madison's points of view on interest groups and political parties as well as current critiques of citizens to understand the role interest groups and political parties play in our society.

The Political Process: How does it work? (Grades 9 – 12)

Students will examine some of the causes of common misperceptions by discussing the role of the media and the formal and informal rules of the political process.

Are Some Critiques of Congress Valid? (Grades 9 – 12)

Students will examine common criticisms of Congress, analyze responses to those criticisms, and form their own opinions related to the criticisms.

Rubric: This section contains performance assessment rubrics for students who have completed all of the lessons in the Civic Participation Module.  These rubrics may be saved and used "as-is," or you can modify the rubrics in any way that is appropriate for your students.

Other Resources

Glossary: The glossary provides the definitions for key terms students should know in order to complete this module.

Web sites: This section includes Web sites that will help to further develop students' understanding of the U.S. Constitutional Government.

Print Materials: This section lists resources for both teachers and students about the concepts of government as expressed in the U.S. Constitution.