House+Mouse,+Senate+Mouse+Reinforcing+Activity 


 * House Mouse, Senate Mouse Reinforcing Activity**

__**Objective:**__ Students will be able to identify the steps a bill has to go through to become a law by comparing the real steps to the book //House Mouse, Senate Mouse.//

__**Materials:**__ -//House Mouse, Senate Mouse// by Peter W. Barnes -Graphic Organizer of How a Bill becomes a Law -Index Cards with different senarios of a bill becoming a law -School House Rock “I’m Just a Bill” -Index Cards- with Senate written on 1/3 & House of Representatives on 2/3

__**Procedures:**__ -Ask them students if they would like to create a new law? -What would they want the law to do? -Do they know how to create a law? -Then read the story// House Mouse, Senate Mouse // as a class or to the class. -After reading the story, compose a class list of steps the mice had to go through to create this law. Write this list on the board, projector, or smart board. -Discuss with the class that the steps the mice had to go through is very similar to US process, and you will be comparing them shortly when you fill out the graphic organizer on the United States Bill to Law process. -Next pass out a graphic organizer with a box for each step that must happen for a bill to become a law. The worksheet can provide some information, but leave some areas blank for the students to fill in, so that they stay focused and engaged during the lesson. -As you fill in the process on the graphic organizer, discuss specifically what must happen in each step and compare it to what happened in the story. -To further practice with this concept you could provide the students with several scenarios of bills going through the different stages on becoming a law and have the students figure out what stage they are in and what must happen next for the bill to continue on its journey to become a law. These scenarios can be written on index cards and passed out to the students. -Allow the students to work in small groups, and then discuss the scenarios and answers as a whole class. Try to involve every student in this discussion. -If time permits, conclude with the students watching the School House Rock video “I’m Just a Bill.”

__**Extension:**__ -Have the students form groups of three to four students. -Pass out the mixed up Senate and House of Representatives index cards. -Inform the students that they are going to work together with their group to create a law for the classroom. The law will have to go through the law making process and if the law passes, it will be effective for the next couple of weeks. If not, the students can try revising their bill to help get it passed. -Remind the students that laws are designed for the good of all people and that the teacher is the president, who makes the call on whether the laws are passed or vetoed. -Only allow the students a limited amount of time each class to work on the law, so that the process takes longer and will represent the actual time a real law takes to go through the process. -After an appropriate amount of time, ask the students to write a ½ page paper reflecting on their experience trying to pass a law. The students can discuss if they were successful or if they had any frustrations. -Once the students have turned in their papers, discuss some of their comments as a whole class and compare this to the real process.

__**Additional Resources:**__ -Website with the resources for Government activities: http://www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonplans/50sq/2006/0203-5.pdf -School House Rock “I’m Just a Bill” -How a bill becomes a law: http://kids.clerk.house.gov/grade-school/lesson.html?intID=17 -Page 11, has table to fill in the steps a bill must go through to become law: http://www.gale.cengage.com/pdf/TeachersGuides/DemocracyTeachersGuide.pdf

__**Other standards that can be taught with this book:**__ Grade 4 Government Strand-Rules and Laws 18. Laws can protect rights, provide benefits, and assign responsibilities.