LEARNING THROUGH SIMULATION A LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY BRINGS THE GOVERNMENT— AND THE POWER TO ENACT CHANGE—TO LIFE
During a presidential election year, U.S. history class takes on a more palpable intensity. Learning about the way our government works isn’t just conceptual—it’s directly observable in the news, during debates, and at electoral events throughout the year. Understanding the procedural elements of electing representatives and passing laws is an essential step toward becoming an active voting member of the country. Still, some of the material can be quite dry—especially for 8th grade students. So Upper Division history teacher Melissa Villarreal developed a creative way to increase student engagement through a multi-day simulation that mirrors the real legislative process in our government. The simulation ran for the first time last year. “The way bills become laws is really abstract,” she explains. “Common lesson plans teach the procedural steps to turn bills into law, but often lack the more human element
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