Representation in Congress

Students learn why Congress is composed of a House of Representatives and Senate and how each house is structured. Then they learn how congressional districts are created and what gerrymandering is. Finally they examine the role of compromise in politics.

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.

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 Representation in Congress:

Attributions
Item Description

Engage

Overview

In this experience, students learn why Congress is composed of a House of Representatives and Senate and how each house is structured. Then they learn how congressional districts are created and what gerrymandering is. Finally they examine the role of compromise in politics.

Objectives

Explain the bi-cameral structure Congress.
Analyze the political concepts of gerrymandering and compromise.

A Joint Session of Congress in the Chamber of the House of Representatives

The legislative branch of the U.S. government—Congress—contains two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate. In this lesson you will learn why Congress is divided into two houses. You will also explore how members of Congress are distributed among the states and how congressional districts boundaries are drawn.

Objectives

Explain the bi-cameral structure Congress.
Analyze the political concepts of gerrymandering and compromise.

How much do you know about your state’s representation in Congress?

How many representatives does your state have in Congress?

A) 1
B) 2
C) between 10 and 20
D) more than 20
E) I don't know.

List the names of a senator or representative from your state. To list more than one, separate each one with a comma like this: John Smith, Mary Jones. If you aren’t sure, write Don’t know.

Post your answer

To find the name of your area’s representative in Congress, students can use the link in the Student Pack: Find Your Representative.

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

The Complete List of Learning Experiences in The Federal Government Unit.