Topic: What do we need the Senate for?

Author: Anna Rabiega

Addressee:

8th grade primary school student.

Core curriculum:

XI. Democracy in the Republic of Poland.

The student:

3) explains the principle of the republican form of government; presents the election method and fundamental competences of the President of the Republic of Poland; finds information about the political life of former presidents elected in the general election, and about the activities of the incumbent President of the Republic of Poland.

The general aim of education:

The student presents the principles of the political system of the Republic of Poland.

Learning outcomes:

The student:

• characterizes the role of the Senate in the law‑making process.

• analyzes the competencies and responsibilities of the Senate, as well as the conditions required to become a senator.

• explains the pros and cons of the existence of the Senate in the Polish political system.

• presents the history and the reasons of the creation of the Senate after the fall of communism.

Key competences:

• communicating in a foreign language,

• digital competence,

• learning to learn,

• social and civic competences.

Teaching methods:

• discussion,

• brainstorming,

• teaching conversation using movie, interactive exercises,

• pros and cons discussion.

Forms of work:

• self‑learning,

• group work,

• whole‑class activity.

Material & equipment needed:

• computers with loudspeakers/headphones and internet access, headphones,

• multimedia resources from the e‑textbook – chapter: W Senacie Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, What do we need the Senate for?,

• interactive whiteboard/blackboard, felt‑tip pen/a piece of chalk.

Lesson plan overview (Process):

Introduction:

1. The teacher presents the goal of the lesson: You will learn what the role of the Senate in the legislative process is. You will also assess whether this chamber of parliament is needed.

2. The teacher asks the students: What do you think is happening in the Senate building? What do senators do? He asks the students to look at the photo gallery from the „What do we need the Senate for?” abstract and consider the purposes, for which senators use the presented rooms and places. The teacher informs students that they will be brainstorming and explains the method if necessary. The students are expected to gather as many ideas as possible within 5 minutes. Selected/willing students write them on the board. Then the teacher, together with the class, verifies the recorded information and, if necessary, completes it in a teaching conversation. He asks one of the students to summarize and answer the question: What do senators in the Senate do?

Implementation:

1. The teacher informs the students that in a moment they will see a presentation „The Senate in the law‑making process” from the abstract. He asks that during the screening they pay special attention to the senate's competences in the legislative process and note them, because after the presentation they will discuss this topic.

2. The teacher initiates a discussion about the competences of the Senate in the legislative process, by asking: What happens to an act of law when it reaches the Senate? Students discuss and then selected/willing students write on the board the four possible actions of the Senate towards the act, which comes from the Sejm:

• the Senate adopts the act,

• the Senate rejects the act in its entirety,

• the Senate adopts amendments to the act,

• the Senate does not perform any activities.

Then the teacher asks the students what the future of the act in each of the cases mentioned is. He verifies and completes the answers provided during a teaching conversation.

3. The teacher divides the class into two groups. He informs the students that they are to prepare for a discussion on the elimination of the Senate from the political system. The task of the first group is to prepare arguments for the dissolution of the senate, and the second – for maintaining the upper house of the parliament. The teacher also gives guidance that opponents, when preparing for the discussion, can use the abstract or other Internet sources, draw on the arguments from Exercise 3, e.g. maintaining the Senate is expensive or it is inscribed in the Polish parliamentary tradition, etc. The teacher asks the students to creatively develop suggestions from the table and look for their own arguments. The teacher also determines the time to prepare.

4. Before starting the discussion, the teacher sets out with the students the rules according to which it will be conducted. For example, do not interrupt the statements of other participants, you have to respect the time set for the statement, etc.

5. The students discuss, alternating between pros and cons. The teacher moderates the discussion.

6. After the discussion, the teacher asks one or several students to summarize it. If necessary, he complements the information. Then he asks the students to think about their position regarding the Senate, and which arguments convinced them. He orders a vote: who is in favor of keeping the Senate, and who is favor of its dissolution. Depending on the result of the vote, the teacher indicates the winning group whose arguments were more convincing.

Summary:

1. The teacher informs the students that as a review of the information gathered during the class, students will do Exercise 2 from the abstract – they will complement the text describing the activities and powers of the Senate. Then, together with the teacher, they will discuss possible difficulties they have encountered.

2. The teacher asks a willing student to summarize the lesson from his point of view. He asks other students if they would like to add something to their colleague's statements.

3. Homework proposal:

a. Write a short note on the role of the Senate in the legislative process. Describe its competences. Give three arguments for maintaining the Senate and three for its elimination.

b. Listen to the abstract recording to review the material and new vocabulary. Then do the vocabulary exercise at the end of the chapter.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

What do we need the Senate for?

The most important responsibility of the Senate is to approve bills passed by the Sejm. The Senate has 30 days to do so after the bill is submitted by the Sejm. If the Senate does not take any action within the time, the bill is considered to be adopted according to the wording submitted by the Sejm, and it is submitted to the President for signature. The Senate may also adopt the bill without amendment. In this case the bill is submitted to the President for signature as well. If the Senate adopts amendments, the bill returns to the Sejm. The Senate may also resolve upon a complete rejection of the bill. Then the bill is returned to the Sejm, too. Watch a presentation “The Senate in the law‑making process”, and carefully follow the path of a bill in the Senate.

For years now there has been a discussion in Poland, whether the Senate is actually necessary. Those opposing the Senate stress that the decision to create the chamber was made during the Round Table Talks (Okrągły Stół) in 1989 in a specific political situation. The communists only agreed to a partially free elections to the Sejm – 65% of the seats were supposed to be reserved for them. Elections to the Senate were to be completely free. The “Solidarity” movement won 99 out of 100 seats in the Senate. This came as a shock to the communists, and was a clear manifestation of the political will of the society. However, is any of this important today? To prepare for the discussion on the subject, solve the exercise.