Firearms 2023 Unit This all-in-one curriculum about the Washington State Legislature details not only the intricacies of how a bill becomes a law, but also how Washingtonians can get involved in the process. This allows students to understand all the steps to become civically engaged while also tracking a topic of interest. For this curriculum kit, the bill is SB 5078: Protecting public safety by establishing duties of firearm industry members. Organizing Concepts: legislative process, exploration of social issues and perspectives, citizen action, lobbying, transparency. Compelling Questions: More About This Curriculum Kit: Here, educators will find 2023 Capitol Classroom PLUS content condensed into a seven week Curriculum Kit, complete with formatted, easy to follow lesson plans. Each week requires only 1-2 class periods to complete the entire curriculum map. Each lesson plan comes with both a Curriculum Guide and a Student Notebook. The kit follows a Firearms Bill addressing firearms accountability, from its introduction in the 2023 Legislative Session. Educators will find videos of session content, explanations about the legislation from a dedicated volunteer lobbyist, and interviews with stakeholders all collated into a streamlined unit without many of the unexpected twists and turns that the legislative session often entails. By using this curriculum, students learn not only how legislation is passed in Washington State but also how members of the community can become involved. There are suggested discussion questions for each video, classroom activities, and options for summative assessments that engage students in their local community by examining the effects of this new legislation.
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The Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854 is still alive today. In this video, we follow WA State Teacher of the Year ’22 Jerad Koepp (Wukchumni) as he visits the traditional lands of the Nisqually people in search of the treaty tree. As he explores the history, Jerad also learns from Nisqually and other Native American leaders about the language, history, and importance of the Medicine Creek Treaty. Help your students reflect and answer questions for classroom discussion or summative assessment with this 15 min documentary and Viewer’s Guides linked below. Student Viewer’s Guides
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Each week of the legislative session, Legislative Pages research, and bring questions to Democrat and Republican leadership, getting you both sides of the issues in this 5-7 min video shorts series. Each accompanied by a 20 min lesson plan or – Have a full class period? Give your students a deeper understanding of the legislative committee process with the Legislative Committees Lesson Plan. THE 2024 SERIES ENVIRONMENT Overview: During the 2024 session, Legislative Pages (students ages 14-16) had the opportunity tointerview legislators from both the Majority party and the Minority party about issues of interest.In this lesson, students will learn about where the Majority Party, currently the Democrats, andthe Minority Party, currently the Republicans, stand on two important policies surroundingHousing and Homelessness: affordable housing and housing availability. Essential Questions: 20 minute The Environment Lesson Plan HOUSING Overview: During the 2024 session, Legislative Pages (students ages 14-16) had the opportunity tointerview legislators from both the Majority party and the Minority party about issues of interest.In this lesson, students will learn about where the Majority Party, currently the Democrats, andthe Minority Party, currently the Republicans, stand on two important policies surroundingHousing and Homelessness: affordable housing and housing availability. Essential Questions: 20 minute Housing Lesson Plan MENTAL HEALTH Overview: During the 2024 session, Legislative Pages (students ages 14-16) had the opportunity tointerview legislators from both the Majority party and the Minority party about issues of interest.In this lesson, students will learn about where the Majority Party, currently the Democrats, andthe Minority Party, currently the Republicans, stand on two important policies surrounding HealthCare: youth mental health care, and social media’s effect on mental health. Essential Questions: 20 minute Mental Health Lesson Plan EDUCATION Overview: During the 2024 session, Legislative Pages (students ages 14-16) had the opportunity tointerview legislators from both the Majority party and the Minority party about issues of interest.In this lesson, students will learn about where the Majority Party, currently the Democrats, andthe Minority Party, currently the Republicans, stand on two important policies surroundingHigher Education: declining enrollment and barriers to access. Essential Questions: 20 minute Higher Education Lesson Plan LAW ENFORCEMENT Overview: This lesson plan for middle and high school civics focuses on the current issues of staffing shortages and police pursuits in law enforcement. During the 2024 session, Legislative Pages (students ages 14-16) had the opportunity tointerview legislators from both the Majority party and the Minority party about issues of interest.In this lesson, students will learn about where the Majority Party, currently the Democrats, andthe Minority Party, currently the Republicans, stand on two important policies surrounding LawEnforcement: staffing shortages and police pursuits. Essential Questions: 20 minute Law Enforcement Lesson Plan TRANSPORTATION Overview: During the 2024 session, Legislative Pages (students ages 14-16) had the opportunity tointerview legislators from both the Majority party and the Minority party about issues of interest.In this lesson, students will learn about where the Majority Party, currently the Democrats, andthe Minority Party, currently the Republicans stand on two important Transportation Policies:safety and sustainability on public transportation and treaty obligations to remove culvertsprohibiting fish passages. Essential…
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In addition to civics modules and lesson plans, Teach With TVW also produces documentaries to help students understand how their state government works by taking a deeper look into issues affecting the state.
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Civics 101 in 120 Seconds(ish) Introducing Your Soon-To-Be Favorite Parliamentarian: Mike Hoover Get the scoop on what makes the Legislature tick!
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Watch full episodes of TVW CONNECTS. This student-driven Q&A series connects students across Washington with state leaders to ask questions about current issues. This is an excellent tool for teachers to integrate into their civics curriculum and help their students become better-informed citizens as they learn from “the source” how our political system works, and the issues it faces.
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