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Middle-school civics inquiry

Trace Public Requests and Government Decisions

Current teacher guidance: 2 November 2026. Student tasks retain their stated core editions. Use the current stage choices and matching guide below.

Changes in the current files · 2 November 2026
  • The teacher guide includes annotated fictional sound, partial and error responses, with concrete teaching actions and evidence to seek next.
  • Browser printing keeps task prompts with their response space; the underlying tasks retain their stated editions.

Prepare the materials

Prepare this lesson or activity

Recommended selection edition 0.1.2. Original source files retain their displayed editions.

Use the matching guide to choose a response to the work you observe. Clarify access and task wording first; one response is not a diagnosis. Keep independent work, later tasks and answers aside until their intended use.

Current teacher guidance: 2 November 2026. Student tasks retain their stated core edition; use the matching current guide linked here. Earlier files are kept separately in the archive.

Audience / fit
Middle-school civics
Teaching or planning target
Help students trace who asks a government institution to act, distinguish a proposed bill from an enacted law, and explain what the sources leave open. Includes models, practice, checks and focused next tasks.
Essential prerequisites
Read or listen to short attributed source passages. Explain an answer using an accurate source detail. Order dated documents with supplied context.
Preparation
Read Start Here and select source pages; preparation time depends on the selected route.
Use time
Two 35–45-minute lessons Planning estimate; adjust for your class.
Materials
Selected attributed source passages and context, student tasks, paper and pencil or an established response method; the separate teacher guide.
What to print
Print the chosen activity. Follow the source or reveal instructions beside it.

Evidence to notice: Look for a traceable connection between the public request, responsible decision maker and supplied source evidence.

Preview the actual student page
Student page 1: Starting task
Actual student PDF page 1 of 1: Starting task. This page belongs to the named task; a teaching stage may intentionally show a model. Keep the matching teacher answers and reserved tasks separate.

Start with the selected task

Matching teacher guide and answers — keep separate: Matching teacher guide and answers · 8 pages.

Compare the observed response with the guide’s criteria. Clarify access and wording, then use its conditional directions to choose an activity below. Follow-up and later tasks are not interchangeable test forms.

Teaching stages, response practice and later checks

Starting tasks

Teaching and guided practice

Independent responses

  • Independent inquiry · 2 pages
    PDF · Read in browser

    Use the source selection for this stage; keep checks and later source selections for their separate occasions.

    Source cards for this stage only: source pages

    Editable source cards for this stage: source pages

    Browser source cards for this stage: source pages

    Merced original source: source pages

    Original Act source pages for sections 1–2: source pages

  • Short check · 1 page
    PDF · Read in browser

    Use the source selection for this stage; keep checks and later source selections for their separate occasions.

    Source cards for this stage only: source pages

    Editable source cards for this stage: source pages

    Browser source cards for this stage: source pages

    Widows and Orphans original: source pages

    Original Act source pages for sections 1–2: source pages

Focused teaching responses

Follow-up checks

  • Follow up check · 1 page
    PDF · Read in browser

    Use the source selection for this stage; keep checks and later source selections for their separate occasions. This selection contains Massachusetts, not Maine. Keep the Maine selection for the later revisit.

    Source cards for this stage only: source pages

    Editable source cards for this stage: source pages

    Browser source cards for this stage: source pages

    Massachusetts original page 1: source pages

    Massachusetts original page 2: source pages

    Original Act source pages for sections 1–2: source pages

Later tasks — reserve for another occasion

  • Later revisit · 1 page
    PDF · Read in browser

    Use the source selection for this stage; keep checks and later source selections for their separate occasions.

    Source cards for this stage only: source pages

    Editable source cards for this stage: source pages

    Browser source cards for this stage: source pages

    Maine original — reserve until the later task: source pages

    Original Act source pages for sections 1–2: source pages

Teacher files — separately

Archived page guidance and source files · Write a local teaching plan

Choose a teaching move from the response

Choose from the response

Choose the next teaching move

Describe what the learner said, wrote or showed. Check access, wording, prerequisites and calculation before interpreting it. A single response is not a diagnosis. Record support and prior exposure; a helped or rehearsed task is practice.

Keep institution/recipient, action, document status and supporting detail/limit separate. Prepare the linked source dependencies for the independent inquiry. Reserve the later Maine card and original image for the later revisit. Different tasks and familiar sources do not establish broad civics transfer. Prepare only the selected source-card entry and original images for each phase; the card files combine several sources. Keep sources for later assessment, including the Maine entry, concealed.

Start with the supplied materials

Observe, clarify and select one response

All four components are clear on these sources.

Teaching move: Use a different precise Merced source detail for another explanation, recording its familiar-source status.

Read the matching teacher directions; keep answers with the teacher.

Recipient and requested actors are mixed up.

Teaching move: Use Next tasks page 1: model one Graffort action, let the learner name the other, then recheck Massachusetts.

Read the matching teacher directions; keep answers with the teacher.

A request or bill is treated as enacted law.

Teaching move: Use the status task on Next tasks page 2; inspect heading/date and the map condition, then recheck status.

Read the matching teacher directions; keep answers with the teacher.

The main distinctions are secure and a further demand is appropriate.

Teaching move: Use the additional-record question on Next tasks page 2; require the specific connection each proposed record would test.

Read the matching teacher directions; keep answers with the teacher.

Look again after teaching

After the supplied teaching and guided practice, give the selected independent task without its answers. Use its explanation to choose a response above.

After selected response teaching and another learning opportunity, use the unused follow-up task.

Return on a later occasion

Reserve these tasks until their intended use. They have different demands; do not treat them as equivalent tests or proof of broad mastery.

Return to preparation and all formats · Complete teacher guide and answers

Archive: Additional formats, earlier editions and teaching guidance

Earlier guidance and source files are retained as historical records. For classroom teaching and printing, use the current stage files and matching guides above. Older guidance, timing and layouts are superseded; some retained browser/Word files have limited writing space or sparse extra pages. Keep historical student files with their historical keys and do not mix editions.

Is this the right resource?

Audience / fit
Middle-school civics
Teaching or planning target
Help students trace who asks a government institution to act, distinguish a proposed bill from an enacted law, and explain what the sources leave open. Includes models, practice, checks and focused next tasks.
Essential prerequisites
Read or listen to short attributed source passages. Explain an answer using an accurate source detail. Order dated documents with supplied context.
Preparation
Read Start Here and select source pages; preparation time depends on the selected route.
Use time
Two 35–45-minute lessons Planning estimate; adjust for your class.
Materials
Selected attributed source passages and context, student tasks, paper and pencil or an established response method; the separate teacher guide.
What to print
Use the stage-specific student choices below and the matching teacher guide. Give independent, new-evidence and later-assessment pages only at their intended stage.

Start teaching

Context and initial source cards · PDF (4 pages)

Starting task · PDF (1 page)

Lessons and guided practice · PDF (3 pages)

Independent inquiry · PDF (2 pages)

Read the starting and print guide · PDF (2 pages)

Complete teacher guide, answers and alternatives · PDF (5 pages)

Start with the context and initial source cards plus the starting task. Teach with the guided-practice selection, then give the independent inquiry. Keep the later source cards and later-revisit prompt unseen until that assessment. A request, a proposed bill and an enacted law are different kinds of evidence; none alone establishes the effect on every group.

Editable Word, browser copies and other files

Print and adapt for your own planning and classroom use; printed copies may be shared within your classroom or school team, provided the source is not sold. Keep attribution and resource-specific notices. For redistribution and third-party materials, read the Terms of Use. Recommend this resource using its page link.

Browse free resources · Start the Hetch Hetchy inquiry

Help students trace who asks a government institution to act, distinguish a proposed bill from an enacted law, and explain what the sources leave open. Includes models, practice, checks and focused next tasks.

For selected Grades 6–8 learners who can read or listen to short attributed sources and explain an answer with a detail. All files are free; no account or payment is required.

Teach the civic distinction

Model a request about an existing permit, compare executive and legislative requests, then read an August 1913 proposed bill beside the December approved Act. Students explain the legal grant and map-approval condition without assuming construction occurred. Two 35–45 minute lessons are planning estimates.

Choose a stage and format

Give only the stage being used. Keep later tasks and all teacher keys with the teacher until needed.

Archive: Formats and all files

Earlier guidance and source files are retained as historical records. For classroom teaching and printing, use the current stage files and matching guides above. Older guidance, timing and layouts are superseded; some retained browser/Word files have limited writing space or sparse extra pages. Keep historical student files with their historical keys and do not mix editions.

Complete reference files may include teaching, independent tasks, later evidence or teacher answers. Keep them with the teacher; use the separate stage selections above for handouts.

Student materials

Begin with the starting task and context packet. Use the independent Merced inquiry and separate Widows and Orphans check after teaching. Give only the selected next task; save the Massachusetts follow-up and Maine revisit for later.

Teacher preparation answers and response guidance

  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Start a Hetch Hetchy civics inquiry: Printable PDF · Adaptable HTML text
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Teach and respond to the civics inquiry: Printable PDF · Adaptable HTML text
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Plan the next civics teaching step: Printable PDF · Adaptable HTML text
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Source credits and classroom copying: Printable PDF · Adaptable HTML text

Original sources

The source packet supplies readable paraphrases and exact short excerpts. Full scans and the government PDF are available here and in the classroom ZIP, so the tasks do not require archive-site access.

  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Graffort Original 1
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Hypatia Original 1
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Hypatia Original 2
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Maine Original 1
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Massachusetts Original 1
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Massachusetts Original 2
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Merced Original 1
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Raker Act
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Raker Bill Original
  • Additional files · teacher preparation

    Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

    Widows Original 1

Related teaching

Sources and classroom use

Additional files · teacher preparation

Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

The six National Archives petition and resolution records state Use: Unrestricted. The congressional bill and enacted statute are federal government works. The packet identifies originals, dates and item records; its source cards are attributed paraphrases with short exact excerpts. Keep credits with classroom copies. Read source credits and reuse guidance.

Selected petitions do not represent everyone affected, and none supplies an Indigenous-authored position on this bill. National Park Service background supplies limited context about longstanding Indigenous use of the valley. A request does not prove official action; an authorization does not prove construction or benefits. Classroom effectiveness has not been established.

Original teaching text may be copied or adapted for classroom use under the Terms of Use. Keep answers with the teacher. Report a resource issue.

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Report a resource issue · Open an issue email

Do not include student names or identifiable work in an issue report. Page revision: 2 November 2026; classroom files retain their own editions.