Lesson Plan - She Inspired a New Law

Learning Objective

Students will understand how a student in Illinois inspired lawmakers in her state to pass a law protecting young business owners.

Text Structure

Sequence

Content-Area Connections

Civics; Government

Standards Correlations

CCSS: R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.5, R.6, R.7, R.8, R.10, L.4, SL.1

NCSS: Civic Ideals and Practices 

TEKS: Social Studies 5.15, 6.13

1. Preparing to Read

Watch a Video: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Discuss: Why do you think the passage of a new law requires many steps? Why are those steps important?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know. 

  • entrepreneur
  • sponsor


Set a Purpose for Reading
Draw attention to the “As You Read” question and have students look for details about Hayli’s role in the law’s passage.

2. Close-Reading Questions

1. Why is a new law in Illinois called Hayli’s Law?
The law is called Hayli’s Law because it was inspired by Hayli Martenez, a student who had her lemonade stand shut down because she didn’t have a permit. The law states that kids under 16 in Illinois no longer need a permit to sell lemonade and other drinks.
R.2 Main Idea & Key Details

2. What is the meaning of addressing? What clues in the article help you know?
Addressing means “speaking to.” The phrases “speak in support of the bill to a committee of state senators” and “my voice started to quiver” are clues.
R.4 Word Meaning

3. Hayli says “Don’t let anyone stop your dreams.” What does she mean?
Hayli means that kids shouldn’t give up if someone tries to discourage them from reaching their goals.
R.1 Make Inferences

3. Skill Building

FEATURED SKILL: Compare and Contrast
Use “Levels of Government” to have students compare powers held by the federal government and state governments. 
R.7 Reading a Diagram

Text-to-Speech