Roles and Committees in Congress

Civics The Federal Government Roles and Committees in Congress
Students learn about the leadership roles in Congress and what powers the leaders have. Then they analyze how members of Congress carry out their responsibilities in congressional committees. Finally, they research the record of one of their state senators and give the senator a grade.

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.

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Teacher Pack

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Here are the teacher pack items for Roles and Committees in Congress:

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Overview

In this experience, students learn about the leadership roles in Congress and what powers the leaders have. Then they analyze how members of Congress carry out their responsibilities in congressional committees. Finally, they research the record of one of their state senators and give the senator a grade.

Objectives

  • Identify the leadership roles in Congress and what powers the leaders have.
  • Explain how members of Congress carry out their responsibilities in congressional committees.
  • Examine a senator’s activities.


giving evidence in court

Border Patrol leaders testify at a Homeland Security Committee meeting in Congress


In this experience, you will learn how members of Congress go about their work.

Objectives

  • Identify the leadership roles in Congress and what powers the leaders have.
  • Explain how members of Congress carry out their responsibilities in congressional committees.
  • Examine a senator’s activities.

In each session, Congress works on thousands of bills for proposed laws. It is a huge job. To make it easier, the work is shared between many small groups called committees. There are over 40 committees in the Senate and the House combined. Newly elected senators and representatives try to serve on committees that affect the people who elected them. They also try to get placed on committees that deal with issues that interest them.


Can you name a Congressional committee? If not, think about topics that governments need to address and make a guess what committee may work on bills for that topic.

Post your answer

The Student Pack contains a link to a full list of Congressional committees.


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The Complete List of Learning Experiences in The Federal Government Unit.
Civics The Federal Government The Three Branches of Government
The Three Branches of Government
Civics The Federal Government How a Bill Becomes a Law
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Civics The Federal Government How the Executive Branch Works
How the Executive Branch Works
Civics The Federal Government The Presidency: Election, Power, and Role
The Presidency: Election, Power, and Role
Civics The Federal Government The Federal System
The Federal System
Civics The Federal Government The Federal Government: Unit Review
The Federal Government: Unit Review
Civics The Federal Government Representation in Congress
Representation in Congress
Civics The Federal Government Roles and Committees in Congress
Roles and Committees in Congress
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