The video Person to Person: Legislating Maine was created to illustrate how bills become laws in Maine . It is intended as a basic introduction for middle school students (grades 5-8) to the process of legislation as it is conducted in the State of Maine.
Suggestions for Viewing Person to Person: Legislating Maine
The video runs 28 minutes, making it appropriate for one-time viewing with discussion or as the initial activity in a series of lessons.
This script could be used to introduce the video to your students:
This video has been created in the spirit of Maine: a person-to-person state, where citizens can truly feel that their elected representatives are their friends and neighbors, approachable by anyone who is concerned about the way things are going in the state.
What you will see when viewing Person to Person: Legislating Maine is a brief look at the legislative process in Maine. Some of the complexities have been omitted so that you can gain a basic understanding of how laws are made.”
To provide a context for viewing and discussing the video, you might want to use the Student Guide for Viewing the Video. It includes terms and concepts that are part of lawmaking in Maine – and are mentioned sequentially in the video. The list can be downloaded and printed for students as part of the first class.
Student Guide for Viewing the Video
- Character of Maine
- Selected legislators
- Legislative session dates
- News reporting and access
- Internet access
- Chambers
- Bills
- Revisor's Office
- Standing committees
- Public hearings
- Readings
- Amendments
- Office of Fiscal and Policy Review
- Rules
- Lobbying
- Budget and Appropriations
- General Fund
- Highway Fund
- Enactment
- Governor
- Laws
- Enforcement