Students learn about the legislative branch of government in this activity. They learn the number of the House and Senate district where they live, the names of the senator and representative who represent their district, the votes of a senator or representative on current issues in the state legislature, and become familiar with the Vote Smart Web Site and how it can be used to obtain information.
3. Check the worksheet against the website to make sure it is accurate.
Teacher Tips
Students should have basic computer and Web site navigation skills before conducting this activity.
More Ways
This site offers excellent lesson plans and materials on a variety of topics for Web-based inquiry of the Vote Smart Web site. Lessons include:
Contacting a State Official
State Governor
Talking Heads
Voter Registration
Meet Your Senators
Campaign Finance
Follow the Money Trail
Special Interest Groups
Values and Legislation
Program Areas
ABE: Adult Basic Education
ESL: English as a Second Language
Levels
Intermediate Low
Intermediate High
Advanced
All Levels
View Lesson Plan
Warm-up
Engagement Enhancement
Briefly discuss the importance of knowing about public officials. Ask students if they know who their current U.S. Senators are. Pair Work: Pair up the students and have them discuss what they know about their local government and any senators they know. Share a few answers with the class.
Introduction
Engagement
Explain that today’s lesson will involve a scavenger hunt to learn more about U.S. Senators using the VoteSmart website. Show the VoteSmart website on the projector and briefly navigate through it to familiarize students with the layout.
Presentation
Engagement Enhancement
Hand out copies of the VoteSmart Scavenger Hunt PDF to each pair. Walk through the first few questions on the worksheet to ensure understanding. Emphasize important vocabulary such as "Senator," "office address," "committees," and "bill."
Practice
Engagement Enhancement
Students work in pairs to complete the scavenger hunt using the VoteSmart website. Circulate around the room to assist and answer any questions.
Evaluation
Engagement Enhancement Extension
Bring the class back together and review the answers to the scavenger hunt. Call on pairs to share their findings for different sections of the worksheet. Provide correct answers and explanations where necessary.
Application
Engagement Enhancement Extension
Class Discussion:Discuss why it is important to know about your senators and how this information can be useful. Ask students how they felt about the activity and what they learned. Conclusion Wrap-up:Summarize the lesson and reinforce the importance of being informed about public officials. Assign a short reflection for homework where students write about one thing they learned from today’s activity. Homework: Write a short paragraph about an interesting fact you learned about your senator and why you found it interesting.
RF.2 - Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). (Phonological Awareness)
RF.3 - Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. (Phonics and Word Recognition)
RF.4 - Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. (Fluency)
Reading
CCR Anchor 1 - Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCR Anchor 2 - Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
CCR Anchor 3 - Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
CCR Anchor 4 - Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
CCR Anchor 5 - Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
CCR Anchor 6 - Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
CCR Anchor 7 - Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
CCR Anchor 8 - Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
CCR Anchor 9 - Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
CCR Anchor 10 - Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
Writing
CCR Anchor 1 - Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCR Anchor 2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCR Anchor 3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.
CCR Anchor 4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCR Anchor 5 - Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
CCR Anchor 6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
CCR Anchor 7 - Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCR Anchor 8 - Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
CCR Anchor 9 - Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Speaking and Listening
CCR Anchor 1 - Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCR Anchor 2 - Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
CCR Anchor 3 - Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
CCR Anchor 4 - Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCR Anchor 5 - Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
CCR Anchor 6 - Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
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Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing, civics, civics curriculum, civics matters, democracy, digital literacy skills, election, elections, evaluate, government, governor, internet research, legislation, local government, online research, political parties, political party, political process, political system, politics, representative, representatives, research, rights, senator, senators, special interest group, special interest groups, state government, state official, vote, vote smart, voter registration, voting, voting process, web-based activity, web-based inquiry, campaign finance, citizen, civic engagement, civic responsibility
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