Simulated Congressional Hearings

Overview

The virtual congressional hearings take place from early May to mid-June. We are seeking government officials, school system personnel, community members and others who exemplify real-world applications of social studies instruction. This is a great opportunity for you to be involved in an inspiring and uplifting event that showcases what our students have learned. It would be an honor to have you participate.  During the 2022 school year, judges will get to join virtually.  This means you can volunteer from the comfort of your own home or office!

This event is a performance assessment that culminates our fifth-graders' year of social studies instruction. Your role will be to listen to students, ask questions, and provide feedback. You do NOT need to be a constitutional scholar to be a great judge. It will be the students' job to teach you. We will provide all the training you need on the morning of the event. The civic participation of community members is critical to the success of the program.

You will have the pleasure of hearing four to five student groups present their expert testimonies.  Each group of judges will have a lead judge who will lead the group.

   Each hearing is divided into five parts.  The questions asked for the prepared presentation and suggested judge follow-up questions can be found here.

  • Introductions
  • Students’ Prepared Presentations (4 minutes)
  • Follow-up Questions to the students – these questions will be given to you. (6 minutes)
  • Feedback (5-10 minutes)
  •  Closing – Shake hands and congratulate the “experts”

Each Simulated Congressional Hearing is scheduled from approximately 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m (schedules vary by school). For information about all elementary schools, including school profiles, addresses, and more, visit the elementary school overview page.

 

IMPORTANT:   ONLY those that complete the online form will be eligible to judge.  It is not enough to just tell the someone at the individual school.  Spaces are limited and will be assigned on a first come basis; however, there will be a waiting list should a school become full and you are still interested in judging.

Thank you for considering this request to impact students’ understandings and experiences in social studies. For additional information you can contact: Kimberly_Eggborn@hcpss.org

 

 

The official webpage of the Howard County Public School System's Simulated Congressional Hearings (SCH). During the SCH, students assume the roles of Constitutional experts and prepare speeches using supporting current events. They present these speeches before a panel of judges, followed by a question and answer session.