Legislative learning with board games

Students in Mrs. Kristi Sines’ 6th Grade Civics class have been learning about our government and the, often difficult, legislative process of creating and passing a law. Sines challenged her students to create a board game illustrating the steps of this difficult task.

“My goal of the project is for students to have fun as they learn about the legislative process turning a bill into a law. Students spent approximately two weeks learning about the process for how a bill becomes a law through classroom simulations, notes, activities, reading comprehension activities, videos and assessments,” Sines explained. “As a culminating project to the unit, students assembled into groups and created a board game showcasing the meticulous details of how a bill becomes a law.”

Game requirements include an accurate depiction of the steps in the bill-making process; and steps required in both the House of Representative and the Senate. Sines asked that students make a game that emphasizes the obstacles and challenges our lawmakers face each day.

Students were graded on their ability to show the process from the introduction of a bill to the final passage and eventual signing of the bill by the President of the United States; creativity; clear and concise directions and rules; and illustration of the process.

“The students were engaged in their learning and hands on in every aspect of the project. The students were given ten school days to work on this project. For me personally, my favorite element of the project is watching the students evaluate their peers’ board games and positively interacting as they play each others’ games,” Sines added. “The students were in control of every creative element from conception to the overall game design. My overall goal for the project was for students to become engaged in their learning and to make the process of how a bill becomes a law applicable in their daily lives.”

Now in the fifth year of this project, Sines says she is always impressed with the efforts of the students and their knowledge of the Legislative branch of our government