Ninth graders follow the journey of a bill through Congress — from its introduction, through committees and votes in both houses, to the President’s signature — learning how ideas become the laws that govern the nation.
Students will be able to…
An idea for a law can come from anyone — but it must survive a long journey through Congress before it can become real. What are the steps a bill takes to become a law?
Project this and have students put the steps in order — from a bill’s introduction to it becoming a law.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
An idea for a law can come from anyone — but how does it actually become real?
Students investigate.
Students analyze.
Students communicate.
Students conclude.
Aligned to the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards (Civics & Government).
Analyze the processes by which laws are made and enforced.
Explain how the branches share and check power.
Explain how citizens influence lawmaking.
Gather and evaluate civic information.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students draft a simple bill to solve a problem they see, then walk it through each step of becoming a law. A printable lawmaking sheet is in the Social Studies library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.