What is Capitol Classroom+???
We realize many teachers’ class schedules do not align with the legislature while it is in session, so we created Capitol Classroom PLUS – a flexible alternative to Capitol Classroom. Like Capitol Classroom, Capitol Classroom PLUS centers around a lobbyist tracking actual bills through the legislative session and guiding students through the process to show how it all really works. The difference is that rather than scheduled Zoom meetings, the sessions are divided up into separate content streams to better fit your curriculum schedule and easily sharable across multiple classes. After the legislative session concludes we package the content from Capitol Classroom+ into Curriculum Kits offering teachers an option to teach the legislature anytime – This is a popular option for FALL CLASSES!!
Meet your Lobbyists: Your Guides through the Legislative Session
The content stream at the heart of Capitol Classroom PLUS is the lobbyist guide who provides updates from an insider’s perspective on the legislative session. The lobbyist covers an important issue and provides intel on actual bills moving through the process, referencing the journey through committee hearings and the politics at play. We offer two lobbyist guided tracks, one designed for middle school and another for high school. Along the way, students will receive an authentic perspective into the legislative process and learn the importance of public engagement and the tools that are available to do so effectively.
Your Legislative Toolkit:
The Legislative Toolkit is comprised of two video series that guide the class through the basics of the legislative process. Each of these series are included in both the middle school and high school tracks.
Civics 101 in 120 Seconds with Parliamentarian Mike Hoover, explains the nuts and bolts of the legislative process covering topics from fiscal committees to decorum on the Senate Floor.
The Legislative Navigator, with lobbyist Melissa Gombosky, shows how the public can participate in the legislative process by accessing essential tools on the Washington State legislative website. She covers essentials from How to Look Up a Bill to How to Identify Your Legislator.
Find it all in the Capitol Classroom PLUS Community Forum
Bringing it all together. We have created a private community forum where our teachers, volunteer lobbyists and the Capitol Classroom team can come together, access the Capitol Classroom+ curriculum and easily post comments and share ideas all in a very user-friendly format. The Capitol Classroom+ forum is the main venue to access the full 6 week Capitol Classroom+ lesson plans, ask questions directly to our Capitol Classroom team and discuss the content with our small, vibrant community.
Great for teaching in the FALL!!
A little more about the CC+ Curriculum Kits
Each kit is compiled from the Capitol Classroom+ ‘22 content with week by week lesson plans including the Lobbyist Updates, Civics 101 and the Legislative Navigator videos, weekly student notebooks, and links to relevant TVW coverage, such as highlights from public testimonies, executive actions and floor debates.
The 6 week curriculum kits are available for FREE inside the Capitol Classroom+ community forum:
- You will receive access to both Middle School and High School curriculum kits inside the Capitol Classroom+ community forum, where all the content streams are laid out in an easy to view format. We recommend starting here to get familiar with the content as it is super easy to navigate!
- Each Curriculum kit is also available on Google Drive. You will be given access to the entire curriculum folder on Google Drive after signing up with your email. Feel free to download the course materials and customize them as you wish before sharing them with your students. **All we ask is: If you would like to share our FREE content with fellow teachers please ask them to sign up for access so that we know how many teachers are using the materials.