This activity is designed to accompany the contextual essay “Keeping the Faith: African Americans Return to Congress, 1929–1970,” from the Black Americans in Congress website, history.house.gov/exhibitions- and-publications/baic/black-americans-in-congress/. Students have the opportunity to learn more about the Black Americans who served in Congress from 1929 to 1970. Students are encouraged to analyze the role African-American Representatives and Senators played in Congress during this era, as well as the ways in which they may have changed the institution.

This activity is designed to help students understand the process and procedures of the first day of Congress by re-enacting them in the classroom. Students have the opportunity to focus on and retain the key elements of beginning a new Congress, including electing a Speaker, taking the Oath of Office, choosing House Officers, and voting on the House Rules.

This activity is designed to help students understand the process and procedures of the first day of Congress by re-enacting them in the classroom. Students have the opportunity to focus on and retain the key elements of beginning a new Congress, including electing a Speaker, taking the Oath of Office, choosing House Officers, and voting on the House Rules. Students will then participate in legislative business mimicking the U.S. House of Representatives, including being assigned to committees and researching a bill.

This activity is designed to accompany the contextual essay “Permanent Interests: The Expansion, Organization, and Rising Influence of African Americans in Congress, 1971–2007,” from the Black Americans in Congress website, history.house.gov/exhibitions-and-publications/baic/black-americans-in-congress/. Students have the opportunity to learn more about the Black Americans who served in Congress from 1971 to 2007. Students are encouraged to analyze the role African-American Representatives and Senators played in Congress during this era, as well as the ways in which they may have changed the institution.

This activity is designed to help young learners retain a basic understanding of the different roles in the House of Representatives and how they relate to each other by using hand-made puppets to represent each key role. Students will retain each characters identity and function by performing a show using the puppets they create.

What is secession? How did secession of the southern states from the Union during the Civil War affect the Senate and how did the members respond?

Letâus take a tour of Emancipation Hall, the great room on the lower level of the Visitor Center.

Article I creates the two sections of Congress – the Senate and the House – and outlines its powers and limits.

Article I, Section 8, gives Congress the authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the states.

In this lesson, students are introduced to the three functions of government (legislative, judicial, and executive) through a story about an overworked king who must handle all the tasks of government. Next, students are given descriptions of the three functions of government and asked to match tasks to departments (lawmakers, executives, and judges). Finally, students create job descriptions for lawmakers, executives, and judges. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.

Article I, Section 10 of the United States Constitution plays a key role in the American system of federalism by limiting the powers of the states. Under the Article, the states are forbidden from entering into treaties with foreign nations; instead reserving that power to the President of the United States, with the approval of two-thirds of the U.S. Senate. In addition, the states are forbidden from printing or coining their own money and from granting titles of nobility.

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution specifies the “expressed” or “enumerated” powers of Congress. These specific powers form the basis of the American system of “federalism,” the division and sharing of powers between the central government and the state governments.

Show what you know about the U.S. government and important documents using this downloadable crossword puzzle.

Fill in the blanks to complete the First paragraphs or sentences of these Historic U.S. Government Documents.

What is a gag rule? Why was a gag rule imposed by the House of Representatives? What are the implications for the country if the House of Representatives should pass other gag rules?

The Commerce Clause is a provision of the U.S. Constitution (Article 1, Section 8) that grants Congress the power “to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes." This law gives the federal government the power to regulate interstate commerce, which it defines as the sale, purchase, or exchange of commodities or the transportation of people, money, or goods between different states.

The "Necessary and Proper Clause," formally drafted as Clause 18 of Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution and also known as the elastic clause, is one of the most powerful and important clauses in the Constitution. Clauses 1–17 of Article 1 enumerate all of the powers that the government has over the legislation of the country. Clause 18 gives Congress the ability to create structures organizing the government, and to write new legislation to support the explicit powers enumerated in Clauses 1–17.