×
<< BACK TO THE TEACH HUB

Why Do We Have A House And Senate, Anyway?

Lesson Plan

Students learn why there are two houses of Congress and discover how a bicameral legislature ensures that all states have a voice in bills. Together, the class creates a school cell phone policy and experiments with different voting groups that demonstrate why the bicameral compromise was necessary. Students also examine how things might be different today if there were just a House or a Senate. 

Got a 1:1 classroom? Find fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials here.

Pedagogy Tags

Teacher Resources

Get access to lesson plans, teacher guides, student handouts, and other teaching materials.

Why Do We Have A House And Senate, Anyway? - Senate vs House Lesson Plan - Vocabulary
Why Do We Have A House And Senate, Anyway? - Senate vs House Lesson Plan - Cell Phone Policy Activity
Why Do We Have A House And Senate, Anyway? - Senate vs House Lesson Plan - Large States vs Small States

Related Resources

  • Game

    Branches of Power

    Learn to control all three branches of the U.S. government!
    View
  • Lesson Plan

    Can You BILL-ieve It? (Infographic)

    How does a bill become a law? Follow this decision tree through the life and death of a bill in Congress.
    View
  • Lesson Plan

    Congress in a Flash!

    Need to teach the legislative branch in a hurry? This lesson is designed to cover the basics in a single class period. Students learn what Congress is, what the Constitution says about the legislative branch, and how a bill becomes law. They analyze some actual language from the Constitution, compare the House and the Senate, and simulate the lawmaking process by reconciling two versions of the same fictional bill.iCivics en español! Student and class materials for this lesson are available in Spanish.
    View kami
  • Lesson Plan

    First Branch: Legislative

    What does the legislative branch do? In this overview lesson, students explore the structure and function of the legislative branch, including Article I powers. Students examine Congress’ bicameral structure and compare and contrast the House and the Senate in how and who they serve.iCivics en español! Student and class materials for this lesson are available in Spanish.
    View kami
  • Lesson Plan

    Gerrymandering: Where Do We Draw the Line? (…

    Where do we draw the line? Find out how redistricting turns into gerrymandering, and how gerrymandering negatively impacts people in those districts.
    View
  • Game

    LawCraft

    Jump into the law making process of Congress.
    View
  • Lesson Plan

    LawCraft Extension Pack

    Make your students’ game play more meaningful by using our activity and assessment set designed specifically for LawCraft. This easy-to-use Extension Pack helps you give context and purpose to the game, as well as reinforce and assess the game concepts. That means deeper learning for students, and best practices around game-centered learning for you!  This Extension Pack uses a Google Slides deck and is designed for use with projectors or interactive whiteboards. 
    View kami
  • Lesson Plan

    Leadership & the Agenda (Infographics)

    Members in the House and Senate decide who will take on important leadership roles. In these printable infographics, teach students about how party leaders shape the congressional agenda. Separate infographics are provided for the House of Representatives and the Senate, and they can be combined for students to compare and contrast!Looking for more? Pair these infographics with our mini-lesson on Congressional Leadership. iCivics en español! A version of this infographic is available in Spanish along with a Spanish Teacher’s Guide.
    View
  • WebQuest

    Legislating for Holiday

    What does it take for a bill to become a law? In this WebQuest, students will learn that the process is not easy as they follow the history of the landmark legislation that established Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday as a federal holiday. Students will discover how a bill becomes a law and evaluate the impact that public lobbying can have in the process.
    View
  • WebQuest

    Making Laws

    Do you ever wish you could make the rules? Well, there are people whose job it is to make the rules for this country. These rules are called laws, and the people who make them are members of Congress. In this WebQuest, you'll get an introduction to your members of Congress and what they do. Maybe someday this will be you! 
    View

See how it all fits together!

View Scope and Sequence