Educator Resources for How a Bill Becomes a Law

There ought to be a law ... In this BrainPOP movie, Tim and Moby will teach you about the complicated process by which a bill becomes a law! Discover who can come up with an idea for a law, how that idea gets into Congress, and where a bill comes into the picture. You’ll learn about the roles committees play, as well as how many votes a bill has to get in each house to pass. You’ll also learn what happens when a bill finally gets to the President, including what happens if he or she doesn’t like it. You’ll also find out how Congress can push a bill through if the President decides to veto. Finally, you’ll see why the process is so complicated. Got an idea for a law? Now you’ll know what to do with it!

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Lesson Plans

Parliamentary System Lesson Plan: Determining a Government for a New Country

Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12

Checks and Balances Lesson Plan: Branches of Power Game

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Government Functions Lesson Plan: Checks and Balances Game

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8

U.S. Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Powers Lesson Plan: Branches of Government Game

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, K-3

BrainPOP & the Common Core »

How a Bill Becomes a Law Common Core State Standards Alignments

Grade: 04

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3

Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

Grade: 05

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3

Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

Grade: 06

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.3

Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).

Grade: 07

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3

Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

Grade: 06, 07, 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

Grade: 06, 07, 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.4

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

Grade: 06, 07, 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.3

Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

Grade: 06, 07, 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7

Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.3

Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.4

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.9

Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.

Grade: 11-12

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.8

Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses).

Grade: 11-12

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.9

Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.