Procedures

• INTRODUCTION:

  Begin class by having the students view video clips 1 and 2 (listed below) and answer the questions that are associated with them. Discuss the answers with the class and address any misconceptions.

• VIDEO CLIP 1: Constitutional Foundations for the House and the Senate (2:09)

  • What were the proposed ideas for Congress in the Virginia Plan?

  • How was Congress structured in the Connecticut Plan which was also known as the Great Compromise?

  • Which types of states did the House of Representatives favor?

  • Which types of states did the Senate favor?

• VIDEO CLIP 2: The Great Compromise and the Differences between the House and the Senate (3:01)

  • Describe the significance of the Great Compromise which was also known as the Connecticut Plan.

  • How do the Senate and the House differ in terms of the number of members from each state?

  • How do the Senate and the House differ in the process in which members were originally chosen? How did this change?

• APPLICATION:

  Have the students learn about the major differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate by viewing each of the following videos. Students should use the handout below to take notes and determine the differences relating to:

  • Size
  • Number of members per state
  • How members are chosen, terms
  • Leadership
  • Rules and efficiency.

  This part of the lesson can also be adapted to use as a jigsaw activity.

  HANDOUT: Differences between the House and the Senate (Google Doc)

• DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE:

  • VIDEO CLIP 3: Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) on the Differences Between the House and the Senate (3:36)

  • VIDEO CLIP 4: Minority Leader Schumer on the Differences Between the House and the Senate (2:41)

  • VIDEO CLIP 5: Senate Majority Leader McConnell on the Difference Between the House and the Senate (2:47)

  • VIDEO CLIP 6: The Rules Committees in the House and the Senate (2:16)

  • VIDEO CLIP 7: The Filibuster Rule in the Senate (2:06)

  • VIDEO CLIP 8: The Senate and the House as Institutions- Senator Blunt (R-MO) (1:55)

• SUMMARY:

  Similar to the comparisons that were mentioned in the video clips (e.g. football v. track team, bucket of crabs, cooling saucer), have the students write three separate statements that highlight the differences between the House and the Senate. For each statement, have them explain why this comparison illustrates the differences between the two institutions. Have each student present their favorite to the class.

• EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  Political Cartoon- Create a political cartoon that reflects one of the differences between the House and the Senate. In addition to the cartoon, provide a paragraph explain how this cartoon reflects this difference.

  Constitution Clips Scavenger Hunt- Pick 3 specific differences between the House and Senate that you found in the video clips. Search through the Constitution and find the part of the Constitution that it is either mentioned or alluded to. Provide a quote of that part of the Constitution and explain how it caused that difference.

• ADDITIONAL PROMPTS:

  • How is the Senate becoming more like the House?
  • How are the Senate and the House different? What are the reasons for this?
  • Why did the founders make the Senate and the House different?