In Session: Exploring the Legislative Process Through the Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly convened on January 11 for the 2023 legislative session, providing an excellent opportunity for students to learn and explore the legislative process. Browse this week’s Homeschool Living for online resources, interactive lesson plans and ideas, and even games to help you teach your student the purpose and function of the legislative branch and how the legislative branch works.
Legislative Process Facts & Fun
Kids in the House is an educational website provided by the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. It offers information on topics such as the U.S. House of Representatives, the legislative process, and House history.
The Virginia General Assembly website is a great research resource for older students. Find information about your state representatives, bills that are currently on the floor, and even watch live-streaming videos of committee meetings and debates.
At congress.gov you can browse current bills and even search by topic. Encourage students to research a bill that is of interest to them, and track its progress through legislation.
Part of HEAV’s mission and purpose is to promote and protect home education in Virginia by working with the Department of Education and legislators, having a presence during the Virginia General Assembly sessions, and providing up-to-date information. You can find all of HEAV’s legislative updates here.
This article by Dr. Arthur Robinson, “Teaching Government Right,” was originally published in Practical Homeschooling magazine. In it, he outlines his compelling reasons and methods for teaching government as part of a homeschool curriculum.
This teacher guide from Storyboard That provides resources and instructions for guiding students through a storyboard presentation on a bill they’ve researched. The project is geared toward students in grades six through twelve.
Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government includes fun games and graphics geared toward younger students, and offers lesson plans and activities on topics such as how laws are made, the branches of the U.S. government, and federal versus state government.
