Big
Idea
|
Going
Beyond the Flow Chart; the role of legislators, committees
and floor leaders in the lawmaking process.
|
Essential
Question |
How
does a bill become a law and who are the major players in
the process? |
Learning
Cycle
|
Lesson
Title & Description
|
Objective
Students will:
|
Class
period & week
|
Engage
|
“It’s
All About Power”
Introduce how public policy& legislation is made |
1. Identify and list the groups that create energy policy
2. Explain the role of citizens in influencing the creation
of policy
|
|
Explore/Explain
|
“Stepping
Inside the Flow Chart: How Does a Bill Become a Law?”
The steps in the lawmaking process and the role of committees
and floor leaders
|
1.
List the steps of how a bill becomes a law.
2. Explain why most bills never get passed.
3. Identify the individuals who participate in the lawmaking
process.
4. Identify the main components of a bill
|
Week
1,
5 periods
|
Apply
|
“How
to Write a Bill”
Students will write their own bill and participate in a committee
mark-up session |
1. Identify
the key components of a bill.
2. Write a bill dealing with energy policy
3.
Compare the debate process in the House and Senate.
4. Identify the major obstacles in getting a bill passed by
the house or senate chamber. |
Week
2-3,
7 periods |
Project |
|
|
|
Big
Idea
|
Interest
groups have a huge impact on the legislative process
through lobbying strategies
|
Essential
Question
|
How
do interest groups use lobbying and media to impact legislation? |
Learning
Cycle
|
Lesson
Title & Description
|
Objective
Students will:
|
Class
period & week
|
Engage
|
“Power
of Persuasion”
What are interest groups and what do they do?
|
1.
Define and identify a type of interest group.
2. Describe some strategies used by interest groups.
3. Identify the positive and negative aspects of interest
groups
|
|
Explore
|
“Who
has the Biggest Voice”
What interest groups represent the environment and how do they
conflict with the coal and nuclear Industry
|
1.
Identify at least two different interest groups that represent
their assigned point of view.
2. Describe various lobbying techniques used by interest
groups.
3. Describe the wide range of issues that interest groups
address.
|
2
periods-
week 4
|
Explain
|
“Can
I be Swayed?”
Students will read and analyze articles on energy policy from
different points of view
|
1. Identify loaded words and examples of bias in print media.
2. Describe how media can be used to manipulate public opinion.
3.
Identify examples of interest groups that use media to
sway public opinion in order impact policymaking. |
1-2
periods
week 4
|
Apply
|
“Is
Congress for Sale?”
Students will research web sites to measure the level of influence
campaign donations and Political Action Committees have on
their representatives and senators. They will also discover
opportunities for private citizens to lobby elected officials
and compare their efforts to those of paid lobbyists. |
1. Evaluate
the level of influence Political Action Committees and campaign
donations have on their elected representatives.
2.
Compare the effectiveness of grassroots and corporate lobbying
on political officials. |
5
periods-
week 5 |
Project |
|
|
|
Big
Idea
|
How
the Executive Branch implements and enforces public policy
|
Essential
Question
|
How
effective is the Executive branch in influencing public
policy? |
Learning
Cycle
|
Lesson
Title & Description
|
Objective
Students will:
|
Class
period & week
|
Engage
|
"What
makes the nation go round?"
Students will explore the structure
of the executive branch in order to understand the
departments and agencies that implement and enforce
policy (specifically energy policy).
|
1.
List the departments and agencies that deal with energy
and environmental policy.
2. Discuss issues that the executive branch is currently
dealing with.
|
|
Explore/Explain
|
“The
Power Grab”
What are the major concerns of the Executive
Branch regarding energy policy and its impact on the environment?
|
1.
Identify the departments and agencies within the executive
branch that enforce energy policy.
2. Describe potential concerns that the executive branch
must address when developing energy policy.
|
3
class periods-
weeks 6-7
|
Apply
|
“Money
Power”
Students will participate in a cabinet meeting
|
1.
Explain the priorities of the energy department for the next
fiscal year.
2. Discuss the budget process and the role the executive departments
have in the process. |
2
class periods-
week 7
|
Big
Idea
|
Who’s
Got the Power? The role of the Iron Triangle in public
policy
|
Essential
Question
|
Who
really has the greatest impact on making energy and environmental
policies? |
Learning
Cycle
|
Lesson
Title & Description
|
Objective
Students will:
|
Class
period & week
|
Engage
|
“What
is an Iron Triangle?”
Students will discuss and understand how interest groups, congress and
the executive branch play a role in policy making to make up the Iron
Triangle
|
1.
List the three points of the Iron Triangle and explain
the role they have on public policy
2. Discuss the role that private citizens can have on the
process.
|
|
Explore/Explain
|
“Energy
Task Force”
Students will simulate a meeting of the President’s energy
task force in order to observe how energy policy may be developed
with the input of various groups.
|
1.
List the major demands facing the nation regarding energy
supply.
2. Write persuasive arguments that address solutions to
the growing energy demands of this country.
3.
Describe the policy objectives of a group that has an
interest in energy policy
4. Students will prepare a persuasive speech regarding their
energy proposal for the committee hearing
5. Students are assigned various roles and participate in
a Energy Department hearing to try to persuade the Energy
Secretary to adopt their policy
|
7
class periods-
weeks 8
|
