The framers designed the United States Senate to be a check on the president, to be part of the checks and balances written into the Constitution. A short video introduces viewers to the roles given to the Senate.

Concepts

the three branches of government, the legislative branch, the united states senate, the constitution, checks and balances, bicameral representation, the house of representatives, ratification of the united states constitution

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Have groups research instances where the Senate rejected proposals put forth by recent presidents

Classroom Considerations

• Part of the C-Span bell ringer series

Pros

• Includes links to a lesson plan and another bell ringer
• Discussion questions and a vocabulary list are included

Cons