Storybook County Lessons · Lesson 3
Floor Debate and Parliamentary Procedure
The Humpty Dumpty Wall Safety Act
Storybook County Lessons · Lesson 3
Floor Debate and Parliamentary Procedure
The Humpty Dumpty Wall Safety Act
Grades 9 to 12, adaptable for younger students · Four 30-minute sessions
Teacher note. Handouts: 1. The Humpty Dumpty Wall Safety Act; 2. Parliamentary Procedure Cheat Sheet; 3. Amendment Form. Also needed: placards, gavel, timer, and role cards for the witness characters.
The story
The question before the Assembly
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall and had a great fall. All the King's Horses and All the King's Men could not put him together again. Should Storybook County put a guardrail on the wall?
- Humpty Dumpty's household
- All the King's Horses and All the King's Men
- The Wall Owner
- A taxpayer from Nursery Rhyme Village
- A representative of the Egg Producers
Teacher note. These are the character role cards. Each card gives a member a story-based argument to make in debate.
You will be able to
- Follow the chamber sequence from enacting clause to vote.
- Make and respond to the chamber motions.
- Write and move an amendment using the Amendment Form.
- Practice chamber decorum.
Roles in the chamber
- Speaker of the Assembly
- Presides
- Clerk
- Reads the enacting clause, keeps the speakers list, counts votes
- Sergeant at Arms
- Maintains decorum, collects amendment forms, carries them to the Clerk
- Sponsors
- 2 to 3 students. Present and defend the bill
- Assembly Members
- Everyone else. Each has a district and a leaning: con, pro or undecided
Teacher note. The teacher may preside in Session 2 and hand the gavel to a student in Session 3. The Presiding Officer Training lesson gives presiding a fuller treatment.
Bill A-2, Assembly
The Humpty Dumpty Wall Safety Act
Title: An Act to amend Section 5 of the Storybook County Building Code in relation to wall safety.
Purpose: To prevent great falls from public walls by requiring guardrails and creating a Wall Safety Fund.
Section 1. Definitions. "Public wall" means any wall on county property that a person, animal or egg can sit upon. "Guardrail" means a barrier at least eighteen inches high along the top of a public wall.
Section 2. Provisions. Any public wall over three feet in height shall have a guardrail. A Wall Safety Fund is created, financed by a tax of one cent per dozen eggs sold in the county.
Fiscal: Egg tax estimated to raise enough for twelve guardrails per year. Environmental: None.
Effective Date: The first day of spring.
Teacher note. This is Supporting Document 1, shortened. The full bill also says the fund pays for the services of All the King's Horses and All the King's Men, and gives the justification.
Session 1 · 30 min
The Rules of the Room
- Hook5 min
- Cheat sheet walkthrough10 min
- Motion drill10 min
- Decorum5 min
Hook
After the fall, who should have done something?
Teacher note. Read the rhyme first. Then explain that the chamber will now decide.
Order of business for a bill
- Clerk reads the enacting clause
- Author's opening (reserve time for summation)
- Technical questions (non-debatable)
- Debate: alternate con and pro, start and end with con
- Amendments
- Summation
- Vote
Teacher note. Cheat sheet walkthrough, 10 minutes with the next slide. Teach the sequence and each motion with one example line.
When you are recognized
- Say: "Thank you, Speaker. [Name], [District]."
- Address the chamber, or
- Ask a series of questions through the Chair, or
- Make one motion, declared at the start: "I rise to make a motion"
- You may not yield your time to another member
Motions and points
- Point of Order
- The rules are being broken. Interrupts. The Chair rules.
- Point of Information
- A question to the Chair about procedure or the bill's status. Not debate.
- Point of Personal Privilege
- Comfort or safety of the chamber. Not for arguing.
- Motion to Amend
- Submitted on the Amendment Form. Two per bill.
- Motion to Extend Debate
- Adds speakers. Majority vote.
- Previous Question
- End debate and vote now. Two-thirds, only after one full round of debate.
- Division
- Demand a standing count when the voice vote is unclear. The Chair orders the count.
Teacher note. From the Parliamentary Procedure Cheat Sheet (Supporting Document 2). Passage is by simple majority, by placard and voice; the Clerk breaks ties.
Motion drill
Which motion fits?
- "The room is too cold to think."
- "The speaker is arguing during technical questions."
- "We have heard enough; let's vote."
- "I can't tell if the ayes won."
- "What vote does an override need?"
Teacher note. Read each scenario; students call out the motion. Answers in order: point of personal privilege, point of order, previous question, division, point of information.
Decorum
- Wait for recognition
- No applause after a bill fails; controlled applause after a bill passes
- Do not name other members in debate
- Do not reference other bills
- No props, no placard waving
- Argue the bill, not the person
Teacher note. Post these rules for the rest of the lesson. 5 minutes.
Session 2 · 30 min
Debate, Round One
- Call to order3 min
- Author's opening4 min
- Technical questions5 min
- Debate14 min
- Pause and debrief4 min
Call to order
Teacher note. The presiding officer opens, the Clerk reads the enacting clause, and the sponsors approach.
Author's opening
Sponsors: state the problem and the fix. Reserve time for summation.
Technical questions
One series of questions. Ask what the bill does, not whether it should pass.
Teacher note. The session plan says one series of three; the cheat sheet says a series is two in the chamber. Pick one and tell the class.
Debate
Alternate con and pro, one minute each, beginning with con.
Teacher note. Character role cards are used here. Example from All the King's Horses: "We spent an entire afternoon trying to put him together again; a guardrail costs less than our overtime."
Pause and debrief
Which motions were used? Were any used wrongly?
Teacher note. Hold the bill over to the next session. The Chair announces: "The Assembly stands in recess."
Session 3 · 30 min
Amendments and the Vote
- The Amendment Form5 min
- Draft and move10 min
- Closing debate and previous question8 min
- Summation and final vote5 min
- Decorum check2 min
Two kinds of amendment
Friendly
- The sponsors accept it
- No vote needed
Unfriendly
- One con speech, one pro speech
- The chamber votes, majority wins
Teacher note. Amendments add or delete specific words in a specific section. Limit: two per bill. 5 minutes.
Supporting Document 3
Amendment Form
Bill Number: __ Section to be amended: __
Moved by: __ District: __
Type: Friendly / Unfriendly
Change: Add words / Delete words / Replace words
Exact text to delete:
Exact text to insert:
Reason (one sentence):
Sponsors accept as friendly: Yes / No. Chamber vote: Adopted / Failed
Draft and move
With a partner, draft one amendment to the Wall Safety Act.
- Lower the wall height from three feet to two
- Replace the egg tax with a fee on wall owners
- Exempt castle walls
Teacher note. The Sergeant at Arms collects forms. The Chair selects two, reads each, and asks the sponsors whether it is friendly. If not, allow one con and one pro speech and a vote.
Closing debate
One more con and pro. Then: "I move the previous question."
Teacher note. The Chair explains that previous question needs a two-thirds vote after the first round of debate. The chamber votes on ending debate.
Summation and final vote
- Sponsors sum up
- Vote by placard and voice
- If close, a member calls for division and the Clerk counts a standing vote
Teacher note. The Chair announces the result and taps the gavel twice.
Say it
This bill is passed and will be sent to the Governor.
The Speaker, after two gavel taps
Teacher note. If it fails: "This bill is defeated." Decorum check, 2 minutes: spirit fingers if it passed, silence if it failed.
Session 4 · 30 min
Second Bill, Student-Run
- Full run25 min
- Wrap-up5 min
Full run
- Opening: 2 minutes
- Questions: 3 minutes
- Debate: 10 minutes
- Amendments: 5 minutes
- Summation and vote: 5 minutes
Teacher note. Use a bill from the Committee Hearing lesson, or Sample Bill C, the beanstalk bill. A student presides with no teacher prompts.
Before you go
- The one motion I now feel confident making.
- The one motion I still find confusing.
Teacher note. Wrap-up, 5 minutes. Support: give speech starter cards and let the teacher preside throughout. Challenge: let members choose sides after the opening, and require each speaker to respond to the previous speaker's point first.
The Assembly stands adjourned
Next: Lesson 4, Presiding Officer Training
Eyes up here
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