Rules & Expectations

Class Constitution

Warm up: Why we study Government?

• Think- Write- Pair- Share: – What is government?– List all of the services government provides– What society might be like if there were no form

of government?– Discuss the roles that government plays in our

society

Government

• A government is the system by which a state or community is governed or organized

Government

Service from Government• Electricity• Education• Environmental protection• Fire service• Health care• Law enforcement• Military• Public broadcasting• Public library• Public transportation• Public housing• Social services• Town planning• Waste management• Water supply network

Our governmentFederal ( national) USA

State California

Local Riverside CountyMoreno Valley

Government

Federal State Local

place services of government under what you believe to be the correct column ( who provides that service)

Establishing a Class Constitution

Think-Write-Pair-ShareIssues that effect learning in class

• brainstorm: Think ( individually) & write on your card all the issues that effect learning in a classroom.

• Share & discuss with partner• Class discussion

Small Group Debate

• groups of four students: Develop a written rule for the five most important classroom issues according to the wishes of your group.

This means each group must first prioritize their agenda, and then they must develop a rule that is realistic and that has a suggested set of consequences. The five most important classroom issues are …Issue Rule Consequence

• You will vote on competing bills, and like the President, the teacher has veto power (and can also reject part of a bill as in a "line item" veto).

Debate

• Debate them in class. Discuss the votes for 5 minutes privately in order to "trade votes" and lobby each other.

Lobby = attempt to influence decisions made by officials in the government

• Vote on the bills. You will vote on competing bills, and like the President, the teacher has veto power (and can also reject part of a bill as in a "line item" veto).

• Amend them to fit school policies and procedures.

Amendment

• Amend them to fit school policies and procedures.

• Develop them into a class constitution.

Class Constitution

• Develop them into a class constitution.

Ratification

• Approval– Each class represent a state – We need ¾ approval in order to ratify the

constitution.

• Debate them in class. Allow students to discuss the votes for 5 minutes privately in order to "trade votes" and lobby each other. Have students vote on the bills. Amend them to fit school policies and procedures. Develop them into a class constitution.

• Note: the process must be repeated for each class you have. As Chief Executive, you can integrate the best of each classes' bills into one document, and then present the final document for "ratification" to the individual classes later. The teacher must have final approval over all bills.

• Another note: If you have a Class Constitution in place, the same process can be done to "amend" the existing constitution. Have each class become a "state" holding a constitutional convention. When 3/4 of all the classes vote in favor of a constitution, it is ratified. Keep the teacher's veto power, but indicate that this is a major difference between the simulation and reality because the President has no place n the amendment process.