Minimum Wage

Explore a bill to gradually raise the federal minimum wage.

Minimum Wage

What steps should the federal government take to alleviate poverty in the United States? Is now the time for a nationwide increase in the minimum wage? In this lesson students will learn about worker protections on the federal and state level, and explore whether the government should require employers to pay their workers more. Will increasing the minimum wage lift Americans out of poverty? Or will it force companies to raise their prices and employ less people? Will a minimum wage increase strengthen American?s buying power or will it put more goods and services beyond the reach of low-income workers? Students will explore these questions and more as they debate The Pay Workers a Living Wage Act.

I. Explore the Issue

Use this lesson plan to explore the issue and prepare to conduct a Senate debate on a related bill.

Introduce the Issue

Use the Explore the Issue sheet to discuss the issue with the students.

Ask the following questions to facilitate the discussion:

  • What is this issue about?
  • Which groups of people or states might be affected by this issue?
  • Can you predict some positions that people affected by the issue might take?

Materials

Explore the Issue handout
Provide one copy to each student

Conduct a Bill Building Conversation

Create small groups. Assign 5?6 students to each group.

Remind students that lawmakers seek to address national issues through legislation or bills. A bill is a collection of ideas that address an issue. Lawmakers can vote on a bill to make it a law. The various ideas in a bill are called provisions.

Inform students that tomorrow they will look at a bill to address the issue of raising the minimum wage. Today they will discuss some provisions that might go into a bill about adjusting the minimum wage over a period of time.

Review the directions on the Bill-Building Conversation worksheet. Give students ten minutes to discuss and select provisions in their groups using the worksheet as a guide.

Have groups share about the provisions they selected in their discussion.

Materials

Bill Building Conversation worksheet
Provide one copy to each student

II. Create a Senate Profile

Become a Senator

Have students select a state to represent as a Senator in the bill debate. Ask them to think about how raising the minimum wage might affect the interests of their constituents, or the people they represent, and how they might best represent their state.

For example, it may make sense for students to research the current minimum wage in their state and if they can find it, how many people would be affected by an increase.

Similarly, students should select a political party or choose to be independent and consider their party?s interests as they form their position on the issue. Students may choose to represent the party of the current Senator in their chosen state or may create a fictional profile.

Have students fill out their Senator Profile table tents with their name, the state they chose to represent, and a political party. In the Platform section, students should briefly describe the position(s) they are representing for their constituents. Students can display these table tents at their seats during the debate.

As time allows, or for homework, have students research how the issue affects the people of their chosen state.

Materials

Senate Profile Table Tent

Provide one copy to each student

Close

Ask students to share their chosen state and party affiliation. Share with students that they will be considering and debating a bill on raising the minimum wage.

Homework (optional)

Assign students to read the full bill and the supporting articles listed under Additional Resources to gain additional context.

III. Preview the Bill

Introduce and Preview the Bill

Introduce yourself as the Presiding Officer for this Senate session to consider a bill on raising the minimum wage. Tell students you will swear them in as new Senators. Have students recite the Senate Oath of Office. Students will take on the role of a Senator from the state they chose and begin to consider, and then vote on, the bill before them.

Use the Bill Preview to discuss the bill with students. Ask questions to facilitate the discussion:

  • What problem prompted this bill?
  • Which groups of people or states will be affected if the bill passes?
  • Can you predict arguments for and against the bill?

Materials

Senate Oath handout
Provide one copy to each student or project on a screen

Bill Preview Handout
Provide one copy to each student or project on a screen

Open the Floor for Prepared Statements on the Bill

Review the Senate Decorum handout with the students. Select two students to serve as the Senators who will deliver the pro and con speeches. As the Presiding Officer, ask the student Senators to read the prepared speeches.

Note: Choose to assign either the Pro and Con Speeches or the Abridged Pro and Con Speeches. The Pro and Con Speeches are written at a 10th grade level and are Lexile 1200?1300. The Abridged Speeches are written at a 7th grade level and are Lexile 1000?1100.

Materials

Senate Decorum Handout
Provide one copy to each student or project on screen
Pro Speech
One copy of the speech or abridged speech for student speaker
Con Speech
One copy of the speech or abridged speech for student speaker

IV. Deliberate and Vote

Deliberate

Create small groups. Assign 5?6 students to each group. Have each group decide if they can agree to vote together for or against the bill or if their views are varied within the group. Have students discuss some of the facts that support their position on the bill.

Alternative: Have students meet in small groups by caucus, or share interests and positions on the bill to discuss how they will speak in favor of or against the proposed legislation.

Debate and Vote on the Bill

Open the floor to a final debate on the bill. Remind students of the state they selected to represent in the vote.

Have students participate in a debate on the bill. Begin by asking if any Senators would like to make a statement about the bill and then recognize Senators to speak.

Call for a vote on the bill. Announce that the Senate will move to a vote on the bill. Have students raise their hands to vote for or against the bill.

Announce the final vote.

Wrap Up

Give students an Exit Ticket or prepare them to complete the Reflection Essay for homework.

Exit Ticket: Write Press Release
Write a short press release (1?2 paragraphs) from your Senate office. Describe the bill and the issue the bill is trying to address. Write about whether you support the bill, want it revised, or reject the bill and why your position is important. Give 2?3 valid reasons for your position including the impact on the country and your constituents. Be sure to include a clear and interesting title, emphasize your main position, and maybe even include a quote from you or one of your senate colleagues.

Exit Ticket: Write an Op-Ed
Write an op-ed, or argument essay describing the bill and why you support or do not support it. Describe the issue the bill is trying to address. State whether you support the bill, want it revised, or reject the bill. Research the issue using additional resources to support your position, giving at least three valid reasons. Acknowledge and address the opposing arguments to your position using reason and evidence. Be sure to include a clear and interesting title and emphasize your main position.

Online Presentation

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Materials

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Cast your Vote

Massachusetts Results

320
Total Votes

Yay

80%

Nay

20%

US Results Overall

5150
Total Votes

Yay

60%

Nay

40%

US Senate

100
Total Votes

Yay

75%

Nay

25%

Voting Results