As citizens, it’s important for students to understand how their government works. One aspect of the government that often confuses students is the allocation of House seats by state. Here’s a guide for teaching your students about this topic.
The United States House of Representatives is made up of 435 voting members. These members are allocated to each state based on their population size, determined by the Census that’s taken every ten years. Each state is guaranteed at least one House member, and the remaining seats are distributed among the states based on their population.
When teaching about House seats, it’s important to emphasize that this allocation method is meant to ensure fair representation in the government. The more people living in a state, the more members that state will have in the House.
One activity to help students understand House seats by state is to have them research the number of representatives in their home state. Students can use their state’s population size to predict how many representatives should be allocated, and then compare their prediction to the actual number of representatives. This will give students a better sense of how population size affects representation in the House.
Another activity to consider is highlighting the importance of the Census. The Census is the tool used to determine population size, which in turn is used to distribute House seats. Encourage your students to learn more about the Census, how it’s conducted, and why it’s important. This will help them understand the correlation between population size and political representation.
Lastly, it’s important to teach your students about gerrymandering and how it can affect the distribution of House seats. Gerrymandering is the process of manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts to favor a particular political party or group. This practice can be used to alter the number of House seats allocated to a state. By teaching students about gerrymandering and its effects, they’ll be better equipped to understand the importance of fair electoral districts.
