Updating Old Questions: A Congress At School?
Here’s a series of questions from a worksheet a teacher sent in:
- What powers does legislative branch have under the US Constitution?
- What powers does the executive branch have?
- What powers does the judicial branch have?
By now you know the drill. Each question is low-level. There are no follow-up questions, as Questions 2 and 3 don’t build on Question 1. My most brilliant student is just re-stating already-known facts.
What I’d Do Differently
Let’s imagine that at our school, a principal and student council share power equally. If the principal is the executive branch, the student council would be like the legislative branch.
- Like the US Congress, your legislative branch is bicameral. Which groups will the two houses represent? (K-2 and 3-5 students? Teachers? Parents?) What are the names of the two houses?
- If your school’s legislative branch is similar to the United States’ version, what responsibilities would your school’s legislative branch have?
- What advantages would this system have over the current system with just a principal in charge? What disadvantages would it have?
- Overall, would this system be more fair than the current system?
- Write a story about a school with a congress to show these advantages and disadvantages in action.
- Bonus: How would you implement a judicial branch at school?
Now, I know I’m on the right track when I’m excited to see what my students come up with. Not so much with those original three question, right? it’s going to be dozens of the same responses. With this sequence, my most brilliant students have the room to wow me. And not just with a colorful final project. No, I’m interested to see my students’ thinking.