Legislative Branch Activities Bundle | Congress for Civics & American Government

This Legislative Branch Activities Bundle is the perfect resource for your Civics or American History unit on the powers of Congress and the Legislative Branch! Reading passages and a matching activity introduce the powers and responsibilities of the United States Congress, including the tricky Elastic Clause. An engaging Powers of Congress Comic Strip one-pager challenges your students to be creative and show off their comprehension of the key concepts. Finally, a How A Bill Becomes a Law board game offers an interactive, extremely fun lesson on the steps of the law-making process! These resources are sure to be a hit with your middle or high school Civics, American History, or American Government students.

Aligned to Florida State Standards for 7th Grade Civics, SS.7.C.3.3: Articles I, II, and III of the United States Constitution, this bundle includes:

✯ Legislative Branch Article & Review

• This six-page article breaks down the main powers and responsibilities of the Legislative Act, including qualifications for office, the Enumerated powers, the system of checks and balances, three types of congressional committees, and how a bill becomes a law. A three-page review has students organize their notes into graphic organizers and asks comprehension questions about the text.

✯ Powers of Congress: The Elastic Clause Article & Matching for Civics

• The Elastic Clause can be a tricky concept for students to grasp, so this article goes more in depth into the Necessary and Proper Clause and how Congress has applied it. The matching activity then pairs real-life examples of the Elastic Clause in action to Congress’s respective Powers. 

✯ Powers of Congress Newspaper Matching Activity

• This scenario matching activity has students match newspaper headlines of Congressional actions to the Enumerated Powers of Congress. In this hands-on activity, students make connections between real-life events and the responsibilities of the Legislative Branch. 
• Teacher Testimonial: “This was a wonderful resource and it was so helpful in working with my students who have disabilities.” — Cynthia M.

✯ Powers of Congress Comic | One-Pager for Civics & American History

• This creative one-pager is a great way to cap off your Legislative Branch unit! Students illustrate the powers of Congress in an attractive comic strip. Rubric and example drawing included!

✯ How A Bill Becomes A Law Game:

• This super fun board game takes students through the legislative process as they follow a bill through committee, floor debates, floor votes, conference committees, and the presidential veto process. How many bills can your students pass before time runs out? A reflection worksheet is included. 
• Teacher Testimonial: “My students loved playing this game! It was a great way to show them the complexity of the law-making process.” — Greta H. 

The resources in this bundle are presented as non-editable PDFs and include Answer Keys. The Legislative Branch Article & Review, Powers of Congress Comic Strip One-Pager, and Elastic Clause Article also have digital versions available through TPT Easel, which can be assigned directly to Google Classroom or shared with your students via a link!

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