UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN®
Enduring Understanding
- State and local legislative branches create laws at the state and local levels through processes similar to those at the national level.
- Federalism increases people’s opportunities for political participation because people may participate or seek to influence government policy at the national, state, or local levels.
Essential Questions
- How are state and local legislative branches structured?
- How are laws created at the state and local levels?
- How can citizens participate in state and local government?
Students will know:
- the powers and organization of state legislative branches.
- that the two types of legislative sessions are regular and special.
- that members of the state legislature are elected from legislative districts of relatively equal population.
- how state senators and representatives are elected.
- how state legislatures make bills and pass laws.
- that civic participation is easier in local government than at other levels of government.
- the common types of local governments including: counties, cities, municipalities, townships, special districts, school districts, and tribal governments.
- the structure of different types of local governments.
- that historical New England town meetings used direct participation by citizens.
- how local governments make laws.
- that public policy is a plan of action adopted by government decision makers to solve a problem or reach a goal.
- the types of public policy issues that are addressed by state and local legislatures.
- how public policy is made in state and local governments.
Students will be able to:
- explain the powers of state legislative branches.
- explain the structure of state legislative branches.
- describe how state legislators are elected to public office.
- outline how state legislatures make and pass laws.
- identify ways to participate in local government.
- analyze the various forms of local government.
- compare and contrast the structure of local government to the structure of state and federal governments.
- define public policy.
- identify how laws are created at state and local levels.
- describe the role of state government in creating public policy.
- describe the role of local government in creating public policy.
Predictable Misunderstandings
Students may think:
- that every state’s legislature has the same structure. Students may assume that every state has the same type of legislative body as their own, since it is likely that they do not hear much about other state legislatures in the news. Some students may also assume that states’ legislatures all have the same structure as the federal legislature.
- that there is only one type of local government. If students live in a large city, they may not know that many rural areas are organized into townships or municipalities that are governed somewhat differently.
- that their local government does not have a great deal of power or responsibility compared to the state and federal governments. Encourage students to research their local government and find out what important issues are dealt with on a local level.
Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks:
- Hands-On Chapter Project
Other Evidence:
- Guided Reading Activities
- Vocabulary Activity
- Lesson Quizzes
- Chapter Tests, Forms A and B
SUGGESTED PACING
½ day — Introducing the Chapter
1 day — Lesson 1
½ day — Lesson 2
½ day — Lesson 3
½ day — Chapter Wrap Up and Assessment
3 Days — Total
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
The activities presented are suitable for all levels. Modifications for student ability levels are available for many of the activities. The types of modifications available are indicated by the icons below.
Approaching Level
Beyond Level
English Language Learner
All students benefit from activities that utilize different learning styles. Activities are designated with the labels below to help you differentiate teaching by the types of learners.
Intrapersonal
Logical/Mathematical
Visual/Spatial
Verbal/Linguistic
Interpersonal
Auditory/Musical
Kinesthetic
Naturalist