Teaching Guide and Activities

Person to Person: Legislating Maine

Learning Outcomes

At the end of Lesson 5 students will be able to

Evaluate and defend positions on current issues regarding individual rights and judicial protection.
Describe and analyze the process by which a proposed law is adopted, including the role of governmental and non-governmental influences.
Identify ways in which citizens in a pluralistic society manage differences of opinion on public policy issues.
Assess the competing ideas about the purposes government should serve.

Class Activities

Students will report on what they learned about their “bill” from watching TV news, reading newspapers, and/or conducting online searches.
In class discussion led by teacher, students will discuss whether the media has ever influenced their opinions about a Maine matter, and if so, teachers will encourage them to explain how and why their opinions might have changed because of the media.
“Lobbyists,” “state agency personnel,” and “members of the public ”will assume their roles in the classroom legislative process.
“House” and “Senate” will debate the issue and then each will vote to see whether the class “bill” will pass or fail.

Materials

Student Activities

“Lobbyists” try to influence legislator classmates using whatever methods they deem appropriate and ethical for advocates hired by interested clients.
“Members of the public” try to influence legislator classmates using techniques available to citizens.
“State agency personnel” try to influence legislator classmates using methods appropriate to their roles as state employees.
Both “sides” of class participate in House and Senate “debates”; entire class votes on issue.

Assessment

Did students participate confidently in the “debate”? use evidence from their research to support their positions? assume their roles convincingly?