Grade 4 Fall History - State History as a Framework Unit: Indigenous Homelands, Contact and Sovereignty, Statehood, Geography, Government, Economy, Symbols, and the State Archive (Concrete Example: California; Localizable to Any State or Province)
History · CIV G4 (D2.Civ.3.3-5; D2.Civ.6.3-5; CA HSS 4.5.4; TEKS 4.15; NYS 4.6) hist.g4.f.civ.bill_becomes_law

Trace a real or simulated bill through the state-level bill-to-law process

Trace a real (currently active) or simulated bill through the 6-step state-level bill-to-law process (MG-12 diagram): (1) idea proposed; (2) bill drafted and introduced in chamber of origin; (3) committee hearing with public comment; (4) floor vote in chamber of origin; (5) sent to second chamber, repeat 3-4; (6) governor signs or vetoes. Identify a real currently-active state bill (state legislature website) and trace its current step. Apply CIV concepts: bill, statute, committee, floor vote, public comment, veto.

Mastery threshold
85%
Min instances
8
Typical minutes
50
Spaced intervals (days)
1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60
Prereqs
Successors
Common misconceptions
  • Conflating bill with statute (bill = before signing; statute = after signing)
  • Missing the public-comment step (where children can participate)
  • Treating the governor's veto as the end of the process (legislature can override)

Exercise pool (3)

Diff Stem Type
2 Trace the 6 steps of state bill-to-law on the 6-step poster. Apply to ONE real currently-active state bill (LOCALIZE). 6 step diagram
2 At which step of the bill-to-law process can a 9-year-old citizen participate? What can they do at that step? child participation step
4 Choose ONE real currently-active state bill from the state legislature website. Trace its current step and predict its next step. Write... trace real bill