Name_____________________________________

OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

Candidate, you will be using these documents to record your answers to questions asked during the candidacy. Print these pages and use to record your responses. Each section is clearly labeled. Please write answers legibly and remember to check your spelling.

The Constitution

1. What three things does the Constitution create?______________________________________________________

2. What year was the Constitution written? Where did The Framers meet to approve the document?______________________________________________________

3. The Constitution lists some key rights. What is a right? Why are rights important?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Who were two of The Framers who wrote the Constitution?______________________________________________________

5. Give two reasons why The Framers wrote the Constitution.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Why did some people not like the Constitution when it was first written?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. What is the Bill of Rights? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Name three things that the Bill of Rights protects.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. What is an amendment?______________________________________________________

10.Why do you think that The Framers added a way to make changes to the Constitution?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Bill of Rights

1. Which of the Bill of Rights gives you the right to a fast trial with a jury of ordinary people in your area?______________________________________________________

2. Please write the first amendment to the Constitution in your own words.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Do you think the first amendment is important? Why?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Which of the Bill of Rights says that no one can search you, your house, or your things unless they can prove that you have committed a crime?______________________________________________________

5. Please write the second amendment to the Constitution in your own words.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Do you think that the second amendment is important? Why?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Why do you think that the Founding Fathers believed the second amendment was important to add to the Constitution?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. If you were a Founding Father, is there any amendment that you would have left out of the Bill of Rights? Why?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Is there an amendment that you would have added? What would it be?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Amendment 10 says that anything that the Constitution doesn’t say that Congress can do should be left up to the States or to the people of the United States. Why do you think the Founding Fathers would add this?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Branches

of

Government

Branches of Government

1. How many branches of government are there?

2. What does the Legislative Branch do?

3. What does the Judicial Branch do?

4. What does the Executive Branch do?

5. What does the Congress do and who is represented in Congress?

6. Who are the President and Vice President of US? Give one fact about each.

7. How many Senators are in each state?

8. How do they decide how many House of Representatives are in each state? How many are in your state?

Branches of Government Mobile

Directions:

You should have:

8 clasps, 1 long piece of paper, 3 medium pieces of paper (red, white, blue), 8 yellow stars, 1 hanger, Stick of glue

1. Get your long piece of paper and write “Three Branches of Government” on it.

2. Use your clasps to clasp it to your hanger.

3. Now get your medium pieces of paper and write “Executive” on one, “Legislative” on the other, and “Judicial” on the last one.

4. Connect these to the bottom of the hanger, using your clasps

5. Cut out all of the stars

6. Now write the items on the sheet on each of your stars.

7. Then match the stars to the correct branch and glue the stars on the piece of paper with the correct branch on it.

8. Review previous activities to make sure you match the stars to the correct branch.

9. Look at the Graphic Organizer if you need.

How to make an idea a law

How your idea can become a lawBefore you have a law you must have a bill.

Bill- an idea that is written, talked about, and voted upon by the legislative branch of government. Many bills become law.

Step 1. Think of something you want to make law.

Write it down here: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Look at the list below.

Which one does your idea match best?

Health and safety (bicycles, toys, automobiles, roads, air travel, vaccines etc.)

Education (school buildings, school playgrounds, students, teachers, subjects, etc.)

Business (small business, corporations, starting a business)

The Environment (recycling, care for animals, the air, water and earth, global warming)

Taxes and Revenue (money the government uses to pay is expenses)

On the Side bar of the web quest Click How to make your Idea a Law

Go to the web quest by clicking the picture that looks like this:

Now click on one of the categories (the areas listed above) and type your idea into the text box. Example:

Then click the bar like this one that says Submit Your Idea.

If a Senator likes your idea they may want to use it.

Now click this bar

You should see an Assembly Bill number like this:

write the assembly Bill no.

Here: Assembly Bill No. __________________.

Now Click the bar to send to a committee

Your idea must go through a few committees. Choose two more committees by clicking the down arrow, and highlighting the commettees you want. See the example below:

Then Click Here

Does your bill pass the first committee? Yes No

Does it pass the next two committees? Yes No

If it did, it is time to move your bill to the assembly!

Congratulations!

If there are 80 members in the assembly you will need more than half of them to vote for your bill. Type the number of votes you need to

pass your bill in the text box, like this:

Click the bar that looks like this to see how they voted.

How did your bill do?

Write in how many Ayes (Yes) ________ How many Noes (No) ____________.

Is your bill good for California?

If it is then send it to the Governor’s office. This is the last step in making your idea law.

Click here to send it to the Governor

down arrow

Did your idea become Law? ______________

Copy and paste your new law onto a word document and print it out. Staple it to the last page of your official documents.

The law should look a lot like this:

Your Idea Becomes A Law BILL NUMBER: AB 2950 CHAPTERED September 19, 2011

BILL TEXTFILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE September 19, 2011FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE September 19, 2011APPROVED BY GOVERNOR September 19, 2011PASSED THE ASSEMBLY September 19, 2011PASSED THE SENATE September 19, 2011INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member LeBear September 19, 2011

An act related to EducationTHE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:playgrounds should be at every school

Letter to the President

1. Click on the link: http://pbskids.org/democracy/presforaday/ Answer question one in Official Documents.

2. Click Apply for the Job!

3. Submit your job application for the President of the United States. You are going to pretend to be the President for the day.

4. Go through each scenario that your secretary gives you and answer the questions she asks you. Read through the information that is given after you answer the questions.

5. When you get to the Important New Page, on the top of the webpage click “File” and then “Print” when the box comes up click “print” again. This is for you to take home.

6. Click on the link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama Answer question 2 in Official Documents

7. Click on the link:http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/interactive-tour Answer question 3 in Official Documents 8. Click on each of the Red Balloons, and read about that room.

Letter to President Questions

1. List at least 3 things you found interesting, about the role of the president, and the things you did when you were President for the day.

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2.

3.

2. Write at least 3 things you found interesting about President Barack Obama.

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2.

3.

3. List at least 3 things that you saw in the White House that you found interesting.

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2.

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Throughout the Webquest you have learned about the Constitution, the Branches of Government, how an idea becomes a law, and about our President, Barak Obama. You will be writing a letter to the President, Barack Obama. In your letter you will need to include:

___ 3 things you found interesting about The White House while on the interactive tour.

___ 3 things you found interesting about our President, Barack Obama.

___ The law that you have created.

___ What you think is the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights and Why?

___One thing you learned about the Branches of Government.