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CIV.IQ
Middle School (6-8)Legislative Process55 minutes

Following a Bill Through Congress

Essential Question

What happens to a bill from introduction to (possible) law?

Overview

Students track real bills through the legislative process, understanding why most bills fail.

C3 Standards Alignment

D2.Civ.5.6-8D2.Civ.6.6-8

Learning Objectives

  • Identify the 7 major stages of the legislative process(D2.Civ.5.6-8)
  • Track a real bill's progress using CIV.IQ(D2.Civ.6.6-8)
  • Explain why most bills fail
  • Analyze factors that help bills succeed

Materials

  • --Computer/tablet access
  • --Worksheet M2: Bill Tracker
  • --Legislative process flowchart (detailed)

Vocabulary

IntroductionCommittee referralMarkupFloor debateConference committeeEnrolled billCosponsorVeto

Procedure

1Opening

10 minutes
  1. Statistics: Of ~10,000 bills introduced each Congress, only about 300-500 become law
  2. Question: Why do you think so few bills pass?
  3. Preview the 7 stages: Introduction → Committee referral → Committee action → Floor debate → Second chamber → Conference → Presidential action

2Investigation

20 minutes
  1. Navigate to a representative's profile → Legislation tab
  2. Find a recently introduced bill
  3. Click through to see: sponsor, cosponsors, committee, actions
  4. Trace the bill's journey on Worksheet M2
  5. Research a DIFFERENT bill that actually became law
  6. Compare: What was different about its journey?

Activities

Track a Current Bill

exploration15 minutes

Use CIV.IQ to find a bill currently in Congress. Record title, sponsor, cosponsors, committee, and status.

Open on CIV.IQ: Legislation →

Track a Successful Bill

exploration15 minutes

Find a bill that became law. Compare its journey to the current bill. What factors helped it succeed?

Open on CIV.IQ: Bill Details →

Analysis Paragraph

worksheet10 minutes

Students write a paragraph analyzing why their current bill succeeded OR is stalled.

Discussion Questions

  1. At what stage do most bills die?

    Follow-up: Why does this happen?

  2. Is the slow legislative process a good thing or bad thing?

  3. What factors help a bill pass?

Assessment

Students can accurately describe bill status and explain the next steps needed.

Extensions

  • --Track a bill over several weeks
  • --Compare bills from different parties

Common Questions

At what stage do most bills die?
Why does this happen?
Is the slow legislative process a good thing or bad thing?
This discussion question is explored in the Following a Bill Through Congress lesson plan.
What factors help a bill pass?
This discussion question is explored in the Following a Bill Through Congress lesson plan.