Name: ______Period: ______
Washington State Government Web Quest
1. Go to this website:
Click on the tab that says “Legislative.”
Each legislative district contains about the same number of people. Click the magnifying glass to see the Puget Sound Districts.
Why are there so many small districts in the Puget Sound? (Hint: read the underlined sentence above.)
Why are the districts east of the Cascades so large?
How many legislative districts are there in WA? (Hint: Scroll to the bottom of the map and read the paragraph.)
2. Go to this website:
Click on the map in at least 5 different legislative districts. This map gives you information on the people who represent us in Olympia and make laws for WA State.
How many Senators are in each district?
How many Representatives are in each district?
Enter your address in the box provided.
What district # do you live in?
Who is the Senator from your district?
Who are the Representatives from your district?
3. Now click the circle next to Congressional right above the map. These people represent WA State in Congress in Washington, D.C. They make laws for the U.S.
What district # do you live in?
Who are the Senators?
Who is the Representative?
4. Go to this website.
Read the first paragraph of the section called “Legislative Branch.”
What is the most important job of this Branch?
How many U.S. Senators does each state have? How many Senators are there total in the U.S. Senate?
What are some important tasks that are completed by the Senate?
What determines how many U.S. Representatives each state has?
How many Representatives are there total in the U.S. House of Representatives?
Bonus Question: How many U.S. Representatives does Washington State have?
5. Go to this website:
Read about the Governor’s job and then click on the Governor link.
What is the job of this office?
Who is the Governor of WA?
6. Go back to
Scroll down to Superintendent of Public Instruction. Read about the Superintendent’s job and then click on the Superintendent link.
What is the job of this office?
How many school districts are in the state of Washington?
How many students are public schools in the state of Washington?
(Click Link Now!) Who is the Superintendent? (Hint: look at picture on top right side)
7. Go to this website.
Read the short essay.
Checks and balances are an important part of what document?
What does the system of checks and balances limit in each of the branches of government?
Paragraph 3 describes a “veto.” What is a governor or president doing when s/he vetoes a bill?
What can Legislative Branch do if a Governor or President has vetoed a bill?
Bonus Question #2: Who is the mayor of Aberdeen? (Google Search)
Reflection on WA Government:
What did you learn about Washington State’s Government during this web quest? List at least 3, and explain why each idea is important to our government.