The State Legislative Branch

Civics State and Local Governments The State Legislative Branch
Students are introduced to state government by examining the text of the Tenth Amendment. They consider why states need to have their own power. Then they learn about the basic makeup of a state government, particularly the state legislature. Next, they learn about the lawmaking process by looking at how a bill is made law in different states. Finally, they research the law-making process in Florida and create a diagram to illustrate it.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for The State Legislative Branch:

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Overview

In this experience, students are introduced to state government by examining the text of the Tenth Amendment. They consider why states need to have their own power. Then they learn about the basic makeup of a state government, particularly the state legislature. Next, they learn about the lawmaking process by looking at how a bill is made law in different states. Finally, they research the law-making process in Florida and create a diagram to illustrate it.

Students will work in small groups in scenes 3 and 4.

Objectives:

  • Describe the structure, functions, and processes of the state legislative branch.
  • Explain the law-making process at the state level.


Did you know that when you go to a post office, you are going to an organization that is part of the federal government, but when you go to get a driver’s license, you are going to a state government organization? It can be confusing to know which organizations are run by federal and state governments. In this experience, you’ll learn more about state government.

Objectives:

  • Describe the structure, functions, and processes of the state legislative branch.
  • Explain the law-making process at the state level.


building exterior

U.S. Post Office building


“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

- Tenth Amendment


What do you think the text of this amendment means? 


Discuss student responses. If necessary, explain that the Tenth Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights, states that any power that isn’t specifically given to the federal government in the U.S. Constitution actually belongs to the individual states. This means that states hold a lot of power in the United States.

The Student Pack includes the following article for additional reading on the Tenth Amendment and the differences between federal and state government:

U.S. Government: Tenth Amendment.


What are some reasons that the states might want some power of their own?

Post your answer

Discuss student responses. You might spend time giving background about why the Tenth Amendment was created in the first place. The United States was formed in the context of mistrusting government and avoiding a government similar to that of Great Britain. You might also discuss regional differences and the role that state power has in allowing the people in these regions to make their own decisions. 


When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

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The Complete List of Learning Experiences in State and Local Governments Unit.
Civics State and Local Governments The State Legislative Branch
The State Legislative Branch
Civics State and Local Governments Local Government
Local Government
Civics State and Local Governments State Judicial Branch
State Judicial Branch
Civics State and Local Governments State and Local Governments: Unit Review
State and Local Governments: Unit Review
Civics State and Local Governments The Constitution of Florida
The Constitution of Florida
Civics State and Local Governments The State Executive Branch
The State Executive Branch
Civics State and Local Governments The U.S. Public Education System
The U.S. Public Education System
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