Alabama Social Studies SS24.USG.4c
The Standard
- SS24.USG.4
- Describe the role and responsibilities of the legislative branch, including the process of lawmaking, the power of the purse, and the system of checks and balances within Congress.
Outline the process by which a bill becomes a law, including introduction, committee review, floor debate, lobbyist actions, voting in both chambers, and presidential action.
2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students put the steps for a federal bill in order, from introduction through presidential action. They explain what committees, lobbyists, and each chamber do along the way.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can trace a bill through committee review, floor debate, and votes in both chambers to the president. They can explain where lobbyists try to influence lawmakers and why both chambers must approve the same text.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think every bill gets a floor vote or that one chamber can pass a law alone. Some think lobbyists vote on bills or that a presidential veto always ends the bill.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: A bill passes the House, then the Senate passes a changed version. Write what must happen before it goes to the president, name one point where lobbyists could try to influence lawmakers, and give two possible presidential responses.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups index cards labeled introduction, committee, debate, House vote, Senate vote, and president; have them order the cards and mark lobbying points.
Prompt students to write one benefit and one drawback of letting a committee stop a bill before a full vote.
Run a bill relay: teams order shuffled process cards, then draw a veto or amendment card and revise their sequence.
Print the Congress.gov action history for the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act; have pairs mark both chamber votes and the president's signature.
Free download
Printable SS24.USG.4c Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to SS24.USG.4c, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetKeep exploring
Related Standards
- SS24.USG.3b
Summarize the formal process of amending the Constitution of the United States.
- SS24.US1.13b
Compare congressional and presidential Reconstruction plans, including the legislation and constitutional amendments each plan proposed and passed.
- SS24.USG.4
Describe the role and responsibilities of the legislative branch, including the process of lawmaking, the power of the purse, and the system of checks and balan...
- SS24.6.14
Outline the process of selecting political leaders of the United States as established in the Constitution and its amendments.
Turn this exact standard into a lesson
Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.
Also for this standard:Make a WorksheetMake a QuizMake a Sub Lesson