Design a Law: Engaging Legislative Branch Activity

Q: What is a Classroom Congress Create-A-Law simulation?

A Classroom Congress Create-A-Law simulation is an interactive activity where students role-play as members of the House or Senate to draft, present, and vote on their own bills, mirroring the real legislative process in a fun and educational way.

Q: How can teachers run a legislative branch simulation in class?

Teachers can run a legislative branch simulation by dividing students into the House and Senate, guiding them to create bills, have them present and debate proposals in groups, vote, and then simulate presidential approval or veto, following the steps of how a bill becomes a law.

Q: What steps should students follow to create their own law in this activity?

Students should name their bill , describe the problem it addresses , explain how it solves the issue, and illustrate each part using a spider map format, then present their proposal to their group for feedback and voting.

Q: Why is simulating the legislative process useful for middle and high school students?

Simulating the legislative process helps students understand how laws are made, develop critical thinking, practice public speaking, and learn about government roles in an engaging, hands-on way.

Q: What are some tips to manage large classes during the Classroom Congress activity?

To manage large classes , teachers can divide the House and Senate into smaller committees, rotate presentations, or have multiple sessions to ensure every student participates and presents their bill.

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Activity Overview

Template and Class Instructions

Activity Overview

Here, students will be a member of a Classroom Congress, where they will simulate the legislative process with their own bills. Each student will be a member of either the House of Representatives or the Senate. In this activity, students will create their own law that they would like to see implemented in society. Depending on the time available, teachers can have students simply draft the bills on Storyboard That or use the extended activity to simulate the Classroom Congress.

Students will include the following information in their storyboards:

Name of the Bill and Description
What Problem is the Bill Addressing?
How Does The Bill Fix the Problem?

Extended Activity

Following the creation of the student proposals for law, the class will simulate the Classroom Congress. The first step in this process will be to divide the class into both the House of Representatives or the Senate. The Senate group should be smaller than the House, if practical. After the students have been divided into the House and the Senate, students will present their bills to their smaller groups. If class size is an issue and these groups are too large, the teacher may divide the Senate and the House into smaller committees so each student has the opportunity to present their storyboard bill to one another.

Once the students have presented to their groups, the Senate and the House will vote on whether they wish to pass the laws. If the majority of the group approves of the law, the law will then be proposed to the other house for approval. If both the classroom Senate and the House approve of the law, then the class can either have the teacher or student be the President of the United States with the power to sign or veto the bill. Following the steps of the “How a Bill Becomes A Law” activity, students will be able to know what steps come next if the President vetos the bill.

For teachers that use this activity with more than one class, they may create a list of the laws that are being passed in each class and allow the other classes to vote on their bills. Depending on the approved new law and the decisions of the teacher, if the law is appropriate for class they may “enforce” the new student-created law in the class!

Copy Activity*

Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create your own law that you would like to see implemented in society or school.

Click "Start Assignment".
In the center of the spider map, write the name of the bill.
In one cell, write a description of the bill.
In another cell, describe what problem the bill addresses.
In the third cell, describe how the bill fixes the problem.
Create an illustration for each cell using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
Save and exit when you're done.

Spider Diagram Template with 3 Empty Boxes

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-12

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: Spider Maps

Copy Activity*

Activity Overview

Here, students will be a member of a Classroom Congress, where they will simulate the legislative process with their own bills. Each student will be a member of either the House of Representatives or the Senate. In this activity, students will create their own law that they would like to see implemented in society. Depending on the time available, teachers can have students simply draft the bills on Storyboard That or use the extended activity to simulate the Classroom Congress.

Students will include the following information in their storyboards:

Name of the Bill and Description
What Problem is the Bill Addressing?
How Does The Bill Fix the Problem?

Extended Activity

Following the creation of the student proposals for law, the class will simulate the Classroom Congress. The first step in this process will be to divide the class into both the House of Representatives or the Senate. The Senate group should be smaller than the House, if practical. After the students have been divided into the House and the Senate, students will present their bills to their smaller groups. If class size is an issue and these groups are too large, the teacher may divide the Senate and the House into smaller committees so each student has the opportunity to present their storyboard bill to one another.

Once the students have presented to their groups, the Senate and the House will vote on whether they wish to pass the laws. If the majority of the group approves of the law, the law will then be proposed to the other house for approval. If both the classroom Senate and the House approve of the law, then the class can either have the teacher or student be the President of the United States with the power to sign or veto the bill. Following the steps of the “How a Bill Becomes A Law” activity, students will be able to know what steps come next if the President vetos the bill.

For teachers that use this activity with more than one class, they may create a list of the laws that are being passed in each class and allow the other classes to vote on their bills. Depending on the approved new law and the decisions of the teacher, if the law is appropriate for class they may “enforce” the new student-created law in the class!

Copy Activity*

Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create your own law that you would like to see implemented in society or school.

Click "Start Assignment".
In the center of the spider map, write the name of the bill.
In one cell, write a description of the bill.
In another cell, describe what problem the bill addresses.
In the third cell, describe how the bill fixes the problem.
Create an illustration for each cell using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
Save and exit when you're done.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-12

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: Spider Maps

Copy Activity*

How Tos about The Legislative Branch - Create-A-Law Simulation

1

Organize a classroom debate on a proposed bill

Foster critical thinking by having students debate the pros and cons of a classmate's bill. This encourages respectful discussion and deeper understanding of lawmaking.

2

Assign students roles such as lobbyists or interest groups

Enhance engagement by letting students advocate for or against bills as lobbyists or stakeholders. This adds real-world context and helps students see multiple perspectives.

3

Guide students to research real-world examples of similar laws

Connect learning to reality by having students find and share existing local, state, or federal laws like their proposals. This shows the relevance of their ideas.

4

Use graphic organizers to map out arguments and evidence

Support logical thinking by providing simple templates for students to organize reasons, evidence, and counterpoints about their bill. This makes debates and discussions clearer.

5

Reflect as a class on the legislative process experience

Encourage metacognition by discussing what students learned, what was challenging, and how real lawmakers might feel. This builds empathy and deeper civic understanding.

Frequently Asked Questions about The Legislative Branch - Create-A-Law Simulation

What is a Classroom Congress Create-A-Law simulation?

A Classroom Congress Create-A-Law simulation is an interactive activity where students role-play as members of the House or Senate to draft, present, and vote on their own bills, mirroring the real legislative process in a fun and educational way.

How can teachers run a legislative branch simulation in class?

Teachers can run a legislative branch simulation by dividing students into the House and Senate, guiding them to create bills, have them present and debate proposals in groups, vote, and then simulate presidential approval or veto, following the steps of how a bill becomes a law.

What steps should students follow to create their own law in this activity?

Students should name their bill, describe the problem it addresses, explain how it solves the issue, and illustrate each part using a spider map format, then present their proposal to their group for feedback and voting.

Why is simulating the legislative process useful for middle and high school students?

Simulating the legislative process helps students understand how laws are made, develop critical thinking, practice public speaking, and learn about government roles in an engaging, hands-on way.

What are some tips to manage large classes during the Classroom Congress activity?

To manage large classes, teachers can divide the House and Senate into smaller committees, rotate presentations, or have multiple sessions to ensure every student participates and presents their bill.