The Commonwealth's Capitol
has been restored and extended and is ready for Virginia's
students to visit! In an effort to provide teachers
with new and innovative ways to teach students about the
Virginia General Assembly, the House of Delegates Legislative
Education and Development Office and Senate Legislative Information
Office have compiled program information and guidelines for
those teachers bringing their students to the Capitol. To
insure that your field trip is a success, please take time
to read all of the information provided, and we look forward
to seeing you on Capitol Square.
House Chamber Presentations
Recent renovations, restoration and expansion of the Commonwealth's
Capitol can be seen from the outside of the building all
the way into the House Chamber. We welcome school students
from across Virginia to a experience a "hands on" educational
presentation in the House of Delegates Chamber.
The Learning Experience
When did the Capital move to Williamsburg?
What year did the House of Delegates begin meeting in the
East Wing of the Capitol? What did Nathaniel Bacon do that
makes him a great patriot leader? These questions represent
a small sample of the information students learn as they
participate in a House of Delegates Chamber Presentation.
This program provides students in all grades with a hands-on
learning experience about Virginia’s General Assembly
and the legislative process.
What to Expect
The program is unique because
students are invited into the House Chamber and allowed to
take a seat in a member’s chair. A member of the House
Clerk’s Office Staff speaks to the group. The presentation
includes information on the history of the General Assembly,
the political demographics, the members’ seating arrangement,
and the roles of the Speaker and Clerk.
The Chamber houses many significant
paintings and plaques that are explained to the group, including
Thomas Jefferson’s Statute of Religious Freedom.
After a brief explanation of the
legislative process, the students are led in a mock session
to discuss and vote on legislation. Staff have created mock
bills for use by the students. The topics of the bills presented
range from school uniforms, to the issuance of a driver’s
license, to the length of the school week, depending on the
age of the group.
The bill is distributed to the
students and three volunteers are requested to serve as the
Patron, Clerk, and Speaker. These volunteers use a prepared
script, and staff assist and guide them through the process.
The students debate the merits of the legislation and then
use the actual voting buttons, as a Delegate would, to pass
or defeat the bill. After the mock session, a question and
answer period is provided.
How to Schedule
Since the program began in 1998,
student and teacher response has been overwhelming and participation
in the program has increased each year.
Please note that chamber presentations
may not be scheduled during the legislative session, which
runs from the second Wednesday in January through mid-March.
In addition, due to the popularity of the program, requests
should be submitted as early as possible. Please allow approximately
one hour for the presentation.
If you are interested in
scheduling a presentation for your group you may contact the
Information and Public Relations Office at
877-391-FACT (toll free)
or by e-mail at
hinformation@house.state.va.us
Senate Chamber Presentations
Are you a teacher looking for an innovative way for students
to better understand and interact with state government while
at the same time covering SOL topics in Civics such as explaining
the legislative process, defending positions through discussion
and debate, and the responsibilities of citizenship? Are
you a member of a group that would be interested in learning
more about state government and the role of your state Senator? If
you answered ‘yes’ to either of these questions,
then the Senate of Virginia Chamber Presentation is the answer
for you.
Presentations are given by appointment only in the newly renovated
Senate Chamber in the State Capitol.The Chamber is located
on the west wing of the 2nd Floor.
All visitors will be required to enter through a metal detector
at the Bank Street entrance of the Capitol building. Students
should not bring backpacks.
What is covered in a Chamber Presentation?
Participants will actually become ‘Senators’ during
the presentation. The presentations are lead by a member
of the Senate Clerk’s Staff. Individuals are invited
to sit at the member’s desks and feel what it’s
like to represent the voice of approximately 180,000 constituents
from that seat. The presentation will use the format
of a mock session to better inform the visitor on the legislative
process.
The presentation begins with a brief history of the Senate
and the Chamber, political demographics of the body, organization
and role of the Lieutenant Governor as President of the Senate
as well as the role of the Senate Clerk and finally “How-A-Bill-Becomes-Law”.
After an interactive exercise on elections
and the civic importance of each individual’s vote,
the newly elected ‘Senators’ are
sworn into office and learn what a “day in the life” of
a Senator is like during the General Assembly Session. A
bill is then presented, and ‘Senators’ discuss
and debate the piece of legislation (using the microphones
at the desks) before taking a Passage vote using the electronic
voting equipment. Staff has created mock bills which
cover a range of topics geared to the age and interest of the
group. If you have a particular bill topic that your
group would be interested in debating the merits of, please
make that known when scheduling your presentation. The
presentation closes with a question-and-answer period.
Scheduling a Presentation
Please note that chamber presentations may not be scheduled
during the legislative session, which runs from the second
Wednesday in January through mid-March. In addition, due to
the popularity of the program, requests should be submitted
as early as possible. Please allow approximately one hour for
the presentation.
If you are interested in scheduling a Chamber
Presentation for your group, you may contact the Senate Clerk’s
Office at
(804) 698-7400,
toll free (888) 892-6948 or by
e-mail at information@senate.virginia.gov
Please note that chamber presentations may not be scheduled during the legislative session, which runs from the second Wednesday in January through mid-March.
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