Teaching Social Studies

I just finished a unit on Government with my fourth graders. One of the lessons was How A Bill Becomes A Law. It brings back those old Schoolhouse Rock songs we would listen to doesn't it?

As I looked out to a classroom filled with bored, quiet, inattentive students I realized nothing was hitting home with them. Nobody cared. I had to spice it up a bit. I did not have my handy dandy copy of the Schoolhouse Rock video on hand. So instead of continuing with the introduction of the concept, I skipped ahead to my little example.

My class is divided into six groups of four or five students. Each group has their own table. The tables are set up in 3 pairs. Conveniently, there are three branches of government. So I made each pair a particular branch: the legislative, executive and judicial. The two tables that made up the legislative branch were divided into one table as the Senate and the other as the House of Representatives. Side note: Can you believe my students cannot pronounce Representative to save their life? Executive, and Judicial also present problems. But they have no problem saying Legislative.

So I specifically picked the pair of tables that had 3/5 boys as the Legislative Branch for a reason that you will read in a minute. I proposed a law to the General Assembly (in Ohio our 4th grade standards state that we focus on State government) that girls would no longer be allowed out of their house after 6 pm. See my 3/5 boys reasoning now? I intended on picking some inflammatory , ridiculous law to wake them up so since I am a man I figured I'd play the "Boys rule, girls drool" card. They love it when I play like that. "You play too much Mr. Huey."

It worked.

So we voted in the "Senate" and it naturally passed. Oh the girls were steaming. Then the "House" passed it. Then it was really getting fun because the boys were loving it and the girls were not happy. 100% engagement baby. Full on attentive, listening. I am not exaggerating. Of course, it had to be approved by the Governor. Well, the Executive pair had more girls. So they got theirs. The bill was quickly vetoed. So we sent it back to the General Assembly. We needed 3/5 to pass it. We got it!!

Noooooooooo cried the girls! That's not fair they screamed. Well, after a discussion how that law seemed to go against the spirit of the liberties given to us by the State Constitution, I suggested the girls take it to the State Supreme court and get a ruling that this law was unconstitutional. So they did and the Chief Justices (mostly girls due to my careful selection) agreed and the law was dropped.

I understand there may be some missing elements here but I was thrilled how much the students enjoyed this lesson and how engaged they were. We reviewed the whole process in time to be finished by the time my administrator came in. Ugh!! She has to wait until the end to check out my hard work? So I HAD to get them to tell her what we had just finished. They explained it perfectly! I was so proud of them. And I was pretty pumped that I got some brownie points.

Later, I gave them an assessment. And of course, I get one blank paper and another describing how you put bills in the bank. And I only figured that out after 10 minutes of deciphering the illegible handwriting and fragment sentences tripping over themselves with misspellings.

Sigh.

Looks like my supposed success was a farce. But I am still sharing this with you in case you can use it in your classroom or with your child when they are learning how bills become laws. Maybe you will have more success than me.