Cognitive Domain: Bills and Laws - Essay Example

Order 297492 Topic:  463/2 Presented By Reuben Singogo of School: Time Allocated: 80 minutes Grade Eight (8) Age Mixed Subject: Social Studies Intelligence (Ability): Mixed Topic: How Bills Become Laws Aim(s) Students should be encouraged to understand how different governments change Bills into Laws; and increase awareness of the issues that affect their lives and how they can provide in put into their countries’ political process. Specific Objectives By the end of the lesson, students will be able to (a) identify the steps by which a Bill becomes a law; (b) describe the steps by which a bill becomes a law; (c) identify at least three issues that affect their country today; (d) explain the problems or conflicts that make them issues; and (e) identify their district, local government and local or national representatives to whom they can take those issues. Teaching and Learning Aids The Flow Chart Diagram, A Film on Parliamentarians Discussing Bills Pre-requisite Knowledge Students already know the meanings and differences of Bills and Laws; and that each society or country is governed by a set of laws that determine the conduct of people and other operations. PRESENTATION Introduction (5 Minutes) The teacher recaps the previous lesson by asking students the following questions orally. (i) Define a Bill? (ii) State the meaning of a Law. (iii) Which of the two, a Bill or a Law is stronger than the other? (iv) What is the importance of Laws? (v) How are Bills made? Development Step Teacher’s Activities Students’ Activities 1 5 mins. Asks learners to state the steps that are followed to make Bills become laws State the steps one by one (see the answers at the bottom of this plan) 2 5 mins Consolidates the answers which students make in the step one task They listen and make corrections 3 15 mins Puts learners in groups of (say five) and asks them to discuss what happens at each stage of making bills become laws They listen and go into their groups to discuss the task as the teacher supervises. They write down the answers they discuss 4 10 mins Asks group leaders to present their findings and consolidates their answers as they present using the lesson notes and the flow chart diagram Present their findings and make corrections as the teacher consolidates their effort 5 10 mins Asks learners to go into their groups again and discuss at least three issues that affect their country today and explain the problems that make them issues. Listen and go into their groups to discuss the task 6 10 mins. Asks students to watch a Film on how Committees or Parliamentarians debate on different Bills They listen, watch the films and relate to what they are learning 6 10 mins Asks learners to present their findings and makes consolidation on the issues using the lesson notes Listen and make corrections 7 5 mins Asks learners to identify their district, local government officials and other local special interest representatives to whom they can present their issues to help solve the problems of their society or country Listen and identify the representatives individually as the teacher consolidates their answers Conclusion (3 minutes) The teacher asks the following oral questions to the students to find out how much they have captured. (i) State the steps that are followed in order to make bills become laws. (ii) Describe what happens at the following stages of changing bills into laws: (iii) How can you deal with issues that affect your community or country? (iv) What will happen if you don’t deal with the issues that negatively affect your community or country? (v) Name at least two issues that affect your community and explain the problems that they cause. Consolidation (2 minutes) The teacher gives the following home work to the students. “Identify any issues that affect your community. Describe the issue and state the threats it poses to the people or environment. Then write a letter to one of the community representatives so that he or she can take the issue further to the next stage for intervention.” Self-evaluation LESSON NOTES HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW Different countries have different ways of how they change bills into laws. However such ways are almost similar to the one explained here. The first stage is the introductory stage where anybody (you, me, the president, etc) can write a bill. After writing it, it must be introduced to any representative who takes it to a Member of Parliament or Congress (House or Senate). The Member of Parliament will take it to the other legislators (co-sponsors) who, if they support the bill, will prepare and take it to the Parliament (Senate or House) or several other Parliament ally Committees, The committee(s) will discuss the bill further and see if it would be convenient with the National Budget and other similar issues. If approved, the bill proceeds to another stage of the legislative process known as “review”. If not approved, the bill dies or is rejected. The review committee (or Subcommittee) takes the bill for further study and public hearings. Different personalities such as government officials, the industry experts and the general public contribute their input. The Subcommittee makes changes and amendments where possible, and finally recommends the bill back to the full committee for approval. The Committee or assembly revises the deliberations and recommendations of the subcommittee. The committee may conduct further review and public hearing or vote of the report from the subcommittee. After this stage, the bill’s report is published. The report includes the purpose of the bill, its impact on existing laws, budgetary considerations and others. A date is also set when the bill can be fully tabled before all parliamentarians (House, Senate or legislature) with the guidance of the Speaker. Here, there will be debate and voting for and against the bill. If endorsed, the bill becomes enrolled and sent to the President for signing it into a Law. He may also reject the bill if he considers it not feasible. On the other hand, if the President rejects the bill, the Congress can override the President’s veto and force the bill into a law as long as a majority agrees. A REFLECTION ON THE LESSON AND CONTENT This lesson fits the level of students because it is based on the standards of the American education as indicated by David Rojo. The lesson content is taken from www.thomas.loc.gov/home/lawsmade.bysec/formsofaction.html#bills and http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Reference/queens-e.html. Further than that, the lesson also develops from known to unknown. Firstly, the students are exposed to familiar content then taken to abstract work. The objectives are also set in a manner that makes them achievable and in line with Clark (2007), Bloom (1956) and Dave (1975). The methodology used also incorporates the fact that students are of different abilities (intelligences). For example, through group discussion, some students with lesser abilities tend to relax and become free to contribute. In this case, the lesson is very much participatory. Furthermore, the lesson incorporates visual aids that simplify some complex processes. The questioning assessment styles also incorporate questions at both lower and higher levels of thinking just like Blooms Taxonomy stipulates in http://krummefamily.org/guides/bloom.html. REFERENCE “Categories in the Cognitive Domain”: krummefamily.org; June, 1995; 12th May, 2009; http://krummefamily.org/guides/bloom.html Donald Clark, D (2007): “The Cognitive Domain”; nwlink.com; 5 June, 2007; 12th May, 2009; http://www.nwlink.com/~Donaldclark/hrd/bloom.html Bloom B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Co Inc. Dave, R. H. (1975). Developing and Writing Behavioural Objectives. (R J Armstrong, ed.) Educational Innovators Press http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Reference/queens-e.html http://www.awesomelibrary.org/Library/Materials_Search/Lesson_Plans/Social_Studies.html Read More