Students investigate how their voices can influence local, Maryland, and federal policy by studying congressional powers, lobbying, political parties, and the path a bill takes through committees, debate, compromise, voting, and revision. Working individually and in committees, they research a community issue, weigh diverse perspectives, and draft a feasible, fair bill with an abstract, policy timeline, summary, and formal letter to a legislator. Peer-created rubrics, committee hearings, reflective journals, and feedback from classmates, advocacy partners, and legislative staff guide revisions while strengthening research, civic writing, collaboration, and persuasive communication. The project culminates in a Committee Hearing Expo and submission of each final bill-and-letter package to a legislator’s office for an authentic audience and possible response.

Students will explain congressional powers, lobbying, political parties, and how bills move through committees, debate, voting, revision, and enactment at local, Maryland, and federal levels. They will investigate a community issue using multiple credible sources, synthesize diverse perspectives, and evaluate whether a proposed policy is fair, feasible, and evidence-based. Through committee hearings and floor debate, students will build on others’ ideas, communicate persuasively, share leadership, negotiate compromises, and use peer, advocacy partner, and legislative staff feedback to revise their work. Students will independently produce a legislator-ready abstract, policy timeline, bill, and formal letter, then present the proposal at a hearing expo and reflect on how feedback, personal values, and civic participation shaped the final package.

Students will individually create a civic writing portfolio containing a research brief, bill abstract, policy timeline, and realistic demonstration bill addressing a community issue. At checkpoints, they will produce annotated drafts, peer-assessment rubrics, committee testimony notes, and revisions based on peer, advocacy partner, and legislative staff feedback. They will maintain reflective journals examining how their beliefs, confidence, and engagement with diverse perspectives change during research, debate, and compromise. The final product will pair the revised bill and summary with a formal letter to a local, state, or federal legislator and a revision reflection, then be presented at a Committee Hearing Expo.

Begin with a fast-paced mock committee hearing on a current Maryland issue, assigning students roles as legislators, advocates, and constituents to sort arguments into support, concern, and compromise. Students then examine printed excerpts from sample bills and annotate how congressional powers, committees, lobbying, political parties, debate, and voting shape a bill’s path into law. A Maryland legislator, council member, or staff member answers student questions and explains what makes a proposal workable, fair, and responsive to community needs. Each student closes by writing a one-page “Bill Builder” brief that identifies an issue, proposes a legislative solution, and explains how their voice could influence local, state, or federal policy.

Students host a Committee Hearing Expo, presenting their bill, abstract, evidence, policy timeline, and key compromises at small stations. Peers, teachers, local advocates, and a Maryland legislator, council member, or staff member rotate among stations, ask questions, and provide written feedback on clarity, fairness, and feasibility. Students then revise and mail a legislator-ready package containing the final bill, summary, formal letter, and reflection on how feedback shaped their work. The class closes with a public gallery of the bills and a celebration of responses received from legislative offices.