TEACHER MATERIALS
How do state senators and their constituencies influence each other?
“Snap Judgement – Senators”
In this activity, the students will participate in a simulation that will make them think about the process of identifying allies among their state senators (in terms of addressing a specific community problem).
Slides are provided for this activity, but keep in mind that the senators displayed in it are Nebraska senators, and they may no longer be serving. We recommend replacing the photographs with current senators from your own state.
“Investigating My District’s Senator”
In this activity, the students will research their district’s state senator to learn more about his/her priorities and goals, with the end goal of creating a “case file” for him/her. They will fill out a senator case file template according to provided instructions.
Senator case file instructions
Creating and Filtering an Archive
In this activity, the students will research more state senators and create case files that contain information about their priorities and goals. Just as in the previous activity, the students will fill out a case file template according to provided instructions. After creating case files for various state senators, the students will work together to categorize and rank them based on their level of interest in water quality issues. This part of the activity can be structured multiple ways; the document included below contains instructions for these different options.
Adding to the Case Files – Background Information
In this activity, the students will add information to the senator case files they created during the first part of this inquiry. As in previous activities, the students will fill out a case file template according to provided instructions.
Senator case file instructions
Adding to the Case Files – Describing the Senator’s District
In this activity, the students will finish their senator case files. As in previous activities, the students will fill out a case file template according to provided instructions.
Senator case file instructions
Motivating Senators Reflection Part 2
In this activity, the students will use the case file archive they created to answer questions about motivational factors for state senators. Each student will choose a senator and answer the questions on a handout, using the corresponding case files to inform their answers.