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We the People Hearings
Performance Assessment in Action
Participants hold a simulated congressional hearing as the culminating activity for the We the People program. The entire class, working in cooperative teams, prepares and presents statements before a panel of community representatives who act as congressional committee members. Students then answer questions posed by the committee members. The format provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles while providing teachers with an excellent means of assessing performance.
Teachers may engage their students in the simulated hearing activity at the following levels:
- Elementary and middle school level classes may conduct noncompetitive hearings in front of a classroom or auditorium-size audience with community members acting as judges.
- Teachers at the high school level may conduct a noncompetitive hearing, but are encouraged to participate in the nationwide competitive program. High school competition begins at the congressional district level with teams from each school vying for the district championship. District winners go on to compete at a statewide hearing, and state champions travel to Washington, D.C., in the spring to represent their state in the We the People national finals.
More than 1200 high school students and their teachers participate annually in the We the People national finals. While in Washington, students also have an opportunity to visit historic sites and meet with members of Congress and other dignitaries.
"We the People students scored significantly higher than comparison students on knowledge of core values and democratic principles, knowledge of constitutional limits on governmental institutions, and knowledge of the rights and responsibilities associated with democratic citizenship."
We the People Evaluation Report, RMC Research Corporation, November 2007
Simulated Congressional Hearing Resources
(Note: The following files are PDF files and require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
District Level Hearing Questions
High School
Middle School
Elementary School
State Hearing Questions
Academic Year 2009-10
[Questions for Previous Years]
National Hearing Questions
Academic Year 2008-09
[Questions for Previous Years]
More Resources
Tips for Preparing Students for a Simulated Congressional Hearing
Rules for High School Competition
Group Score Sheet
Class Summary Score Sheet
Tiebreaker Compilation Score Sheet
Scoring Guide
Scoring Criteria
Group Score Sheet Explanation By Margaret Branson
District Level Class Roster(2009-10)
State Level Class Roster(2009-10)
National Level Class Roster(2009-10)
Press Releases
National Finals 2007-08
State Competitions 2007-08
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Center for Civic Education 
