Mock Congress: Day 1 –
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Chapter 15 - Government for and by
the People
Today we will learn…
• History Objective –
We will simulate an
election by voting for
class political parties
and officers for our
Mock Congress.
• Language Objective We will listen as the
candidates present
their positions, and
vote on the best people
for these positions.
• Behavior Objective – Courtesy and Respect:
Although politics can be very rude, we will be
respectful of each other and all the candidates.
Campaign Poster (10 min.)
• Create a name for your party
(one word, simple, easy to say
and remember).
• Choose a mascot (animal
symbol) that represents your
strengths.
• Make a poster explaining why
others should vote for your
candidate.
– Candidates for governor should
use this time to write a short
speech explaining why their party
should be elected to office.
Speeches (3-5 min.)
• Each candidate for governor
will give a one minute speech
to convince the rest of the
students to vote for them and
their political party.
• Then the class will vote for
officers.
• The winners will be
announced tomorrow.
– Note: All students will have a job to do in the Mock
Congress whether they are elected or not.
Please throw your gum in the
garbage before class begins.
Bell
Activity
Take out a piece of paper and your yelloworange paper from yesterday.
Brainstorm ideas for bills for the Mock
Legislature. These ideas should make class
better, easier, fix problems or help people.
List as many ideas as you can think of.
You can choose your seat today as long as you don’t
cause problems for anyone else, including yourself!!
Where should your backpack be?
Mock Congress: Day 2 Writing bills and how they
become laws.
Chapter 15 - Government for and by
the People
No gum in class. Throw it in the
garbage before class begins!
Bell Activity
Pick up the yellow paper.
Your word is “bill” (hint: NOT something
your parents pay OR part of a duck!)
Find the word on your blue study guide and
complete the following information for the word.
Find the definition using a glossary.
Use your own knowledge and experience to
complete the rest of the definition.
Where should your backpack be?
Does your work look
something like this?
Word:
bill
My Understanding: 4 3 2 1
Definition:
Draw a picture of it:
Sentence:
Synonym/
Example:
Antonym/NonExample:
Does your work look
something like this?
Word:
bill
My Understanding: 4 3 2 1
Definition: a written proposal for a law Draw a picture of it:
Sentence: The senator proposed a bill
would make it illegal to text while
driving.
Synonym/
Example:
proposed law
Antonym/NonExample: law
Today we will learn…
• History Objective –
We will be able to
describe how a bill
becomes a law, and
begin to construct
our own laws.
• Language Objective We will listen to how a
bill becomes a law,
how it needs to be
written, and then we
will write our own bill
for the Mock Congress.
• Behavior Objective – Work Ethic: We will stay on
task during the presentation and the bill writing.
Welcome to Congress
• Over the rest of the
week the MLMS
Mock Congress will
be in session.
• Our next job is to
understand how to a
bill becomes a law.
Creating a New Law
• Part of the job of the
legislative branch is to
create laws that benefit
the people they
represent.
• The other branches of
government also have a
role to play.
The Bill Begins
• Laws begin as ideas. The
ideas may come from
legislators or citizens.
• Citizens with ideas for
laws should write a letter
to their Representatives.
• If the Representatives
agree that the idea should
become a law, they
research the ideas and
write them into bills.
The Bill is Proposed
• A citizen proposing a bill needs to find
a sponsor in the House of
Representatives or the Senate who
wants to propose their bill.
– The Representative talks with other
Representatives about the bill in hopes
of getting their support for it.
• When a Representative has written a
bill, the bill needs support.
– Representatives usually sponsor bills
that are important to their constituents
(people who live in their district).
• Once a bill has a sponsor and the
support of some of the
Representatives, it is ready to be
introduced.
The Bill's Introduction
• A bill can be introduced
whenever Congress is in
session.
– Bills are officially introduced in
the House of Reps once put in
the hopper, a special box that
holds the bills that are waiting
to be introduced.
– In the Senate, a bill is
introduced by placing it on the
presiding officer's desk or it
can also be formally
introduced on the Senate
Floor.
The Bill's Introduction
• In the house, there is a
bill clerk who assigns
numbers to the bills.
– House bills begin with "H.R.",
Resolutions begin with "H.
Res.," "H. Con. Res.," or "H. J.
Res," depending what type they
are, and Senate bills being with
"S".
• Then the bill is first read on
the floor, and is then referred
to a committee where it is
marked up (revised or
changed).
The Bill's Committee
• When the bill reaches committee, the
committee members—groups of
Representatives who are experts on
topics such as agriculture, education, or
international relations—review, research,
and revise the bill before voting on
whether or not to send the bill back to the
House floor.
– The bill is then debated on and then
edited, or "marked up" where changes
could be made to the bill, or not made to
the bill.
• If they don’t like the bill or think it is a
good idea, the bill may not pass the
committee.
– The bill is then said to have “died”.
The Bill is Reported
• When the committee has approved a bill, it is
sent—or reported—to the House floor. Once
reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the
House of Representatives.
The Bill is Considered or
Debated by the House
• When a bill is debated. The Representatives discuss
the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it.
• Then, a reading clerk can read the bill section by section
and the Representatives can recommend changes.
• When all changes have been made and debate has
wrapped up, the bill is ready to be voted on.
The Bill is Voted On
• There are three methods for voting on a bill in the House of
Representatives:
– Viva Voce (voice vote): The Speaker of the House asks the
Representatives who support the bill to say “yes” and those that
oppose it say “no”.
– Division: The Speaker of the House asks those Representatives who
support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who
oppose the bill to stand up and be counted.
– Recorded: Representatives record their vote using the electronic
voting system. Representatives can vote yes, no, or present (if they
don’t want to vote on the bill).
• If a majority of the Representatives say or select yes, the bill
passes in the House of Representatives. The bill is then
certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the
Senate.
The Bill is Referred
to the Senate
• The Senate must also approve of the bill once
the House has passed the bill in order to
become a law.
– The two houses of Congress make up the bicameral
legislature, part of a system of checks and balances
that ensures that the laws are created
democratically.
• Discuss some of the reasons why having the bill examined
by both houses of Congress is a good thing.
The Bill is Referred
to the Senate
• When a bill reaches the Senate, it goes through many of
the same steps it went through in the House of
Representatives. The bill is discussed in a Senate
committee and then reported to the Senate floor to be
voted on.
• Senators vote by voice. Those who support the bill say
yea, and those who oppose it say nay. If a majority of
the Senators say yea, the bill passes in the Senate and
is ready to go to the Governor.
The Bill is Sent to
the Governor
• Once both Senate and House agree on the bill it is sent
to the Governor in order for it to be signed (this process
is calling being enrolled).
• The Governor can take one of several possible actions:
– The Governor may sign the bill, and the bill becomes law.
– The Governor can make no action.
• If Congress is in session, the bill then automatically becomes law
after a ten day period.
• If Congress in not in session, the bill dies or is given a pocket veto.
– The Governor may decide that the bill is unwise or unnecessary
and veto the bill.
If The Bill is Vetoed
• If the Governor does not agree with
the bill or thinks it is unwise or
unnecessary then the Governor
does not have to sign the law, but
makes an announcement of an
official veto.
– The house where the bill was originally
brought up is given the bill back where
objections to the veto are announced
and discussed on the house floor.
– With enough objections the House may
then vote on a "veto override", however
if not then the bill is "stalled" and does
not become a law.
The Veto is Overridden
• If enough Members do not
agree with the veto then
they vote to override it.
– More than two-thirds majority
of a vote from both houses is
needed to overturn the veto, if
this process happens then the
bill becomes a law.
– If two-thirds of the vote is not
reached then the bill then
dies, and does not become a
law.
The Bill Is a Law
• If a bill has passed in both the House of
Representatives and the Senate and has been
approved by the Governor, or if a veto has been
overridden, the bill becomes a law and is enforced by
the government.
GOVERNOR
Judicial Review
• If people (representatives,
citizens, etc.) think that the
bill is wrong in some way, it
can be challenged through
the judicial branch of the
government.
– It would be part of a law suit
that could make its way
through the court system.
– Then it can be heard by the
Supreme Court of a state or
by the federal Supreme Court,
who determine if a law in
constitutional or
unconstitional.
Mock Congress: Day 1 –
Elections & Bill Writing
Chapter 15 - Government for and by
the People
No gum in class. Throw it in the
garbage before class begins!
Bell Activity
Get out your paper from yesterday.
 If you finish your vocabulary early, work on your study guide.
You should be able to answer questions 1-9, 12-29
Your word is “legislature”
Find the word on your blue study guide and complete
the following information for the word.
Find the definition using a glossary.
Use your own knowledge and experience to complete
the rest of the definition.
Where should your backpack be?
Does your work look
something like this?
Word:
legislature
Definition:
Sentence:
Synonym/Example: Antonym/NonExample:
My Understanding: 4 3 2 1
Draw a picture of it:
Does your work look
something like this?
Word:
legislature
Definition: an elected body having
authority to make laws
Sentence: The legislature passed many
new laws during its 2011 session.
Synonym/Example: Antonym/NonSenate, House of
Example:
Representative
military tribunal
My Understanding: 4 3 2 1
Draw a picture of it:
Today we will learn…
• History Objective –
We will be able to
describe how a bill
becomes a law, and
begin to construct
our own laws.
• Language Objective We will listen to how a
bill becomes a law,
how it needs to be
written, and then we
will write our own bill
for the Mock Congress.
• Behavior Objective – Work Ethic: We will stay on
task during the presentation and the bill writing.
Law Writing 101
• Now we will attempt to write our own
bills for the mock congress.
• Look at this sample bill…
Primary - Ballot
Party
Governor
Att. General
Leads the class
government
Expert on school/class
rules
Senators
House of Reps.
Nominating:
1 governor
1 attorney general
1 Senator for every 3 House of Representatives
Ballot – 1st Hour
Party
Governor
Emily P.
Alec
Damian
MoeHaMet
Att. General
Natasha
Austin
Jaden
Ivan
Senators
Taylor E.
Sokhana
Gisselle
Emely V.
Noha
Ian
Farish
Cierra
Myo
House of
Reps.
Mya
Carolee
Paige
Evelyn
Nathan
Darwin
Fernando
Garret
Miguel
Taylor J.
Voting:
1 governor
1 attorney general
4 for the Senate
8 for the House
Ballot – 2nd Hour
Party
Governor
Amelia
Alli
Att. General
Sydnie
Austin
Jayden D
EmilyAnn
Myckenzi
Dakota
Anthony
EhSay
Aaron
Senators
House of Reps.
Molli
Tanya
Alyson
Xiandra
Kaitlyn
Skyler
Cole
Danny
Abel
Brandon
Garret
Ivan
KyahSu
Voting:
1 governor
1 attorney general
4 for the Senate
8 for the House
Ballot – 5th Hour
Party
Governor
Att. General
Senators
House of Reps.
Voting:
1 governor
1 attorney general
Madison
Dylan J
Connor
Haily
Kevin
Dillan D
Rachel
Michaela
Learic
Savannah
Ethan
Jonathan
Trey
Stuart
Taylor
Taleigha
RheAnn
Nicole
Jaileen
Zoe
Kaden
Hugo
Alex
Jovani
Casey
Cody
Braydin
Jayden
4 for the Senate
8 for the House
Ballot – 6th Hour
Party
Governor
Dallin
Kayla
Cheyenne
Att. General
Salvador
Madi
Charlize
Senators
Angel C
April
Will
Bryce
Lexi
Ashlee
Sharon
House of Reps.
Angel P
Wyatt
Ethan
Keisley
Brenden
Adriana
Jason
Emilie
Liam
Hector
Eric
Elizabeth
Zach
Malorie
Lydia
Charlie
Voting:
1 governor
1 attorney general
4 for the Senate
8 for the House
Ballot – 7th Hour
Party
Governor
Noah
Makenna
Att. General
Kadrian
Emily
Senators
Chris
Izzy
Braelin
Dylan
Lucy
Juliette
Genesis
1 attorney
general
Nick
Devan
Trinity
Kyle
Kolton
Jose
Angel
Adrian
Josie
Maddie
Rebecca
Amairany
Lesley
Jake
8 for the
House
House of Reps.
Voting for:
1 governor
4 for the
Senate
Ballot – 8th Hour
Party
Governor
Ana
Jaxon
Logan
Allyssa
Kyran
Aiden
Dmitry
Mckenzie
Senators
Malona
Dennaey
Bennett
Wyatt
Summer
House of
Reps.
Andrea
Laisha
Andrew
Jared
Chaz
Pierce
Melissa
Jordan
ArShay
Taelor
Elizabeth
Att. General
Voting:
1 governor
1 attorney general
4 for the Senate
8 for the House
Mock Congress: Day 3 –
The Simulation
Chapter 15 - Government for and by
the People
Today we will learn…
• History Objective –
• Language Objective –
We will learn about
We will discuss the bills
the legislative process
that are proposed,
by simulating how the
debate what is good
legislature passes laws
and bad about them,
in our Mock Congress.
and try to only pass
well thought-out laws.
• Behavior Objective – Courtesy and Respect:
Follow the rules of the simulations. Remember you
can’t talk unless given permission by the Speaker of
the House or the President of the Senate.
Welcome to the Legislature!
• There is a lot to know about the rules of
lawmaking before we begin the
simulation.
• Everyone needs to read the instructions
for their office. Let’s take three minutes
to silently read about our different jobs.
Welcome to the Legislature!
• First, for those not in the Senate or the
House, you need to find a sponsor in
one of those two groups. Have them
sign the correct line of your bill then
leave the bill with them.
Welcome to the Legislature!
• Now, we need to turn in our bills to the
Clerks. If you are in the House, give
your bill(s) to the Clerk in the House. If
you are in the Senate, give your bill(s)
to the Senate Clerk.
• Listen as we go through a sample bill
and figure out
Mock Congress: Day 4 –
The Simulation
Chapter 15 - Government for and by
the People
Bell Activity
• This is the last day we will be working in the
Legislature. Any laws not passed by the end of
the hour will ‘die’. Put away any folders, books, or
papers. You won’t need them.
• Secretaries, Governor, and Attorney General
must pick up their ‘docket’ from the box for your
hour. Secretaries need to write the docket on the
board!
• Review the rules on the tables until the bell rings.
• Be ready to start as soon as the bell rings.
Only people who have permission from the Speaker or the
President can speak! You lose points for breaking the rule!
The Legislative Process
• Your class will get points for passing good laws,
but will lose them for bad laws.
• Remember all the steps for passing a law.
– Read the bill
– Research the bill – Are there any parts that violate school
rules? You can ask for the Attorney Gen for advice.
– Debate the bill – Talk about all the good and bad in the bill
– Amend the bill (if necessary) – Make changes to improve the
law. Remember that amendments have to be voted on!!
– Take a final Vote – More than 50% is needed to pass.
Don’t vote for bills you don’t like!