Lesson 1 "The Congress"

Turn to page 71 look at the picture on those pages read about it and the short introduction to Chapter 4

Scan Pages 72-74; focus on the blue boxes, which contain the key vocabulary terms.

Scan Pages 72-74 for pictures and diagrams, read each of the captions.

Read Pages 72-73 (take notes of important ideas)

Do you know the answers to the questions on page 74? (See Key Points below for help)

Do you know the vocabulary words? (See Key Points below for help)

Take the quiz on Lesson 1 "The Congress" (You may use the book, notes and Key Points for help on the quizzes. NOT ON TESTS!)

Review answers on the quiz and print it out. This will be very useful when you are studying for the test.

Lesson 1 Key Points

Vocabulary Terms

Representative - a member of the House of Representatives; a person who is given the power to act for others.

Serve - to spend a period of time carrying out a duty.

President pro tempore - senator elected by the Senate to lead when the vice president is absent.

Citizen - a person given certain rights, duties, and privileges because he or she was born in or chooses to live in a certain place.

Resident - a person who lives in a place.

Term - a period of time something lasts.

Section Review Answers

1. 2,6
2. 435, 2
3. Population
4. vice president
5. law
6. Example answer: Yes, because times change and the people need to ensure that their elected representatives in congress will be sensitive to new challenges and needs; No, because the experience and seniority accumulated by a member of Congress are valuable assets,a and members should be ale to continue to serve if they win election.
7. Example: In order to represent the people fairly and responsibly, senators and representatives need to be familiar with the particular local conditions and interests of those who elect them to public office.

Did you learn these Objectives?

Are you able to name the two parts of Congress?

Can you describe the qualifications needed to be a senator or representative?

Can you tell the length of a term for a senator and a representative?

Lesson 2 "How Congress Does its Work"

Read the Biography of Four People Who Served on P75.

Scan Pages 76-82; focus on the blue boxes, which contain the key vocabulary terms.

Scan Pages 76-82 for pictures and diagrams, read each of the captions.

Read Pages 76-81 (take notes of important ideas)

Do you know the answers to the questions on page 82? (See Key Points below for help)

Do you know the vocabulary words? (See Key Points below for help)

Take the quiz on Lesson 2 "How Congress Does its Work" (You may use the book, notes and Key Points for help on the quizzes. NOT ON TESTS!)

Review answers on the quiz and print it out. This will be very useful when you are studying for the test.

Lesson 2 Key Points

Vocabulary Terms

Session - the period of time each year when Congress meets.

Adjourn - to bring a meeting to an end.

Economic depression - a time of low business activity and high unemployment.

Regulate - to control or direct

Impeachment - a charge of wrongful conduct of a public official.

Resign - to announce that a person is leaving a job.

Acquit - to drop the charges of a crime.

Floor leader - a political party leader in Congress.

Bill - a suggested new law.

reject - to refuse to accept

pocket veto - an indirect veto of a bill by the president not acting on it.

permanent - lasting a long time or forever

Standing committee - a permanent committee that considers certain topics

Subcommittee - a smaller part of a standing committee

Joint Committee - a committee made up of members of both parts of Congress.

Select committee - a house or Senate committee that is set up for a limited time.

Conference committee a committee that settles Senate and House differences in a bill.

Seniority system - appointing people to jobs based on years of service.

Section Review Answers

1. A
2. B
3. D
4. A
5. B
6. The day Congress adjourns is usually different because senators and representatives must vote on a date to adjourn. This ensures that all of the work is finished.
7. You should have emphasized the fact that much of legislative business is so technical and specialized that it is best handled by small groups of legislators and their staffs.

Did you learn these Objectives?

Can you name the duties of Congress?

Are yo able to explain how a bill becomes a law?

Are you able to describe how the work of Congress is done by committees?

Lesson 3 "Powers of Congress"

Scan Pages 83-84; focus on the blue boxes, which contain the key vocabulary terms.

Scan Pages 83-85 for pictures and diagrams, read each of the captions.

Read the three paragraphs on First Amendments Rights on page 53

Read Pages 83-84 (take notes of important ideas)

Do you know the answers to the questions on page 85? (See Key Points below for help)

Do you know the vocabulary words? (See Key Points below for help)

Take the quiz on Lesson 3 "Powers of Congress" (You may use the book, notes and Key Points for help on the quizzes. NOT ON TESTS!)

Review answers on the quiz and print it out. This will be very useful when you are studying for the test.

Lesson 3 Key Points

Vocabulary Terms

Power - the right to take action; the right to decide.

Function - the act or operation expected of a person or group.

Defend - to protect from attack or harm.

Military - Having to do with war or the armed forces.

Requirement - a quality that is needed or demanded

Admit - to allow or permit to enter.

Standard - a rule or model that is set to control quality, size, or how something is done.

Restrict - to limit.

elastic clause - a part of the Constitution that gives Congress power to make laws as needed.

Flexible - Easily bent or changed.

Section Review Answers

1. taxes
2. programs
3. measures
4. defend
5. power
6. declare
7. citizenship
8. Congress
9. marriage
10. laws
11. Your answer might include the country has grown in size and population; the needs of the people have also changed.
12. Example Answer: Yes, because the United States has a responsibility to support human rights and also to consider its own strategic interests throughout the world; No, because the United States should not interfere in the internal affairs of other counties, and we should not endanger the safety of our military forces by placing them unnecessarily in harm's way.

Did you learn these Objectives?

Can you explain what Congress can do according to the Constitution?

Are you able to list the restrictions made on Congress by the Constitution?

Are you able to describe the elastic clause of the Constitution?

 Preparing for Chapter 4 Test

Turn to Page 86 and read the article "CAN-SPAM Act of 2003".

Turn to Page 87 and read the Chapter 4 summary.

On page 88-89 you will find the Chapter 4 review, complete the review.

Check your answers with those in the Key Points.

Take the Chapter 4 Test "The Legislative Branch"

Review the answers then print the results for your records.

Chapter 4 Review answers

1. Representatives; Senate
2. elected
3. two; population
4. committee
5. veto
6. session
7. Speaker
8. a
9. c
10. a
11. c
12. c
13. The three branches of federal government are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Congress is the legislative branch.
14. A senator serves a six-year term and a representative serves a two-year term.
15. A senator must be at least 30 years old, a citizen for nine years, and a resident of the state he or she represents. A representative must be at least 25 years old, a citizen for seven years, and a resident of the district in the state he or she represents.
16. Students should list at least there of these steps: the steps a bill must take are: it is introduced in the House or Senate: It is given a number nd title and refereed to a committee; it is read and approved or rejected, then sent to the other house if accepted; if approved by both houses, it is sent to the president; if rejected by either house, the bill does not become a law.
17. The most important work of Congress is to make laws. Students must list at least two of the following things Congress does not have the power to do: Congress cannot pass a law that the Supreme Court decides goes against the Constitution; it cannot make laws that take away rights fro the Bill of Rights; it cannot make laws about marriage, elections, and education; and it cannot take money from the federal government without passing laws to do so.
18. The elastic clause is important because it allows Congress to make necessary laws as needed.
19. The president might call a special session of Congress to complete unfinished session of Congress to complete unfinished work, deal with an emergency, or solve a serious problem that comes up after Congress has adjourned.
20. The president might use a pocket veto to avoid having to take a stand.