Simulated Congressional Hearings

We the People has a built-in authentic performance assessment: simulated congressional hearings. The simulated hearings allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles. Students can evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues.

Format of Simulated Congressional Hearings

Students act as expert witnesses and "testify" their constitutional knowledge in the format of simulated congressional hearings. A volunteer judging panel comprised of adults from the community will hear the students present, ask follow-up questions, and offer feedback.

Judges' Resources

Hearing Questions

Conduct Hearings Online

How Does a Hearing Work?

During a hearing, groups of students engage in a structured format that includes a four-minute oral response segment, during which they can refer to their notes.

Subsequently, a judging panel poses follow-up questions to the students, who must respond without notes for six minutes. The follow-up questions relate to the students' presentations and associated content. Using a scoring rubric, these judges evaluate both the prepared oral presentation and the responses to follow-up questions.

How Do You Host a Simulated Congressional Hearing?

You can host your simulated congressional hearings in your classroom or at your school. Here are the steps to do so:

1. Select a Topic or Unit

Choose a specific unit or topic from the curriculum you want students to focus on during the Simulated Congressional Hearing. The unit or topic could be related to a particular section of the Constitution or a specific theme.

2. Form Student Teams

3. Research and Preparation

4. Develop Oral Presentations

5. Create a Panel of Judges

6. Set a Date and Location

7. Establish Rules and Format

8. Practice Rounds

9. Simulated Congressional Hearing Event

10. Evaluation and Feedback

11. Debrief and Reflection

12. Awards or Recognition

Want to Know More?

How Do Students Prepare for a Simulated Congressional Hearing?

A class is divided into small groups based on the number of units in the curriculum. Each group typically has 3-6 students, depending on the class size.

Each group works collaboratively to prepare answers to all the questions for the unit.

Students review materials in the We the People textbook and research other materials, preparing a four-minute response to the question for each unit and getting ready to answer follow-up questions related to the initial question.

Students should prepare a presentation answering all parts of their question so that, when read, it is four minutes at most. Students may use the text or any other reference materials to prepare a response to their question. Questions may ask students to form and explain their own opinions.

Responses may be written on paper or note cards. They do not need to be memorized.

What Questions Do Students Answer for the Simulated Congressional Hearing?

How Do You Compete in State or National Competitions?

The Center hosts two competitions yearly based on the simulated congressional hearing format. The first is the National Finals, now in its fifth decade, which brings to Washington, D.C., high school students from across the country who've won state competitions or placed as wildcard runners-up. The National Invitational is a dynamic virtual competition for middle and high school students.

State Coordinators organize regional and state-level competitions and can help you take your team from the classroom to the next level of experiential learning.

Find Your State Coordinator

Have More Questions?

We are happy to answer any questions about organizing simulated congressional hearings in your classroom or participating in competitions. The best way to reach us is via email.