I’ve divided this unit into three pieces, starting with Congress during the same week the impeachment trial is occurring which means I will take time each day to discuss where we are at in the trial as it relates to the curriculum. This one has been a challenge for me because I used to spend so much time on Congress, but this series and semester is about paring down, teaching students what they need to know, and spending extra time on the application of learning.
Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government –Congress (2 normal class periods and a block day)
Enduring Understandings:
- The republican ideal in the US in manifested in the structure and operation of the legislative branch.
AP Writing Skills (this is for the Unit as a whole)
- Concept Application
- Data Analysis
- SCOTUS Application
- Argumentative Essay- Evidence
Required Documents:
- Constitution
- Article I, Section 8 Powers of Congress
Supreme Court Cases:
- Baker v. Carr
- Shaw v. Reno
Key Vocabulary:
Part I- Congress
- Necessary and Proper Clause
- Speaker of the House
- President of the Senate
- Filibuster (Senate)
- Cloture (Senate)
- Senate hold
- Unanimous consent (Senate)
- Rules Committee (House)
- Committee of the Whole (House)
- Discharge petitions (House)
- Mandatory spending
- Discretionary spending
- Entitlement costs
- Tax revenue
- Deficit
- Debt
- Pork-barrel legislation
- Logrolling
- Gerrymandering
- Redistricting
- Lame-duck appointments
- Trustee
- Delegate
- Politico
Podcasts:
- Senate Rules 15 minutes
- Starter Kit: Legislative Branch 23 Minutes
- Who is Gerry and why is he so bad at drawing maps? 21 minutes
- The Political Thicket (Baker v. Carr) 42 minutes
- Congress and Citizens– 40 minutes
- Senate and the States- 46 minutes
Other resources:
- Congress and the Constitution- Bill of Rights Institute (requires sign in/free resource for teachers)
lizevansnbct.com 