State of the Union

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/state-of-the-union

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary audience?A joint session of Congress, but also broadcast to the entire nation
2. What is the key function?To inform Congress, propose legislative measures, and shape national discourse
3. What is the State of the Union Address?It is a speech the President gives to Congress and the people to talk about how the country is doing and what they want to do next.
4. Why does the President give the State of the Union?The Constitution says the President must tell Congress how the nation is doing and suggest laws, so the speech lets the President share that information and ask for help making new laws.

Joint Session of Congress: A formal meeting of both the House of Representatives and the Senate convened for specific purposes, such as the State of the Union.
Legislative Agenda: The set of policies and laws that a president or political party aims to have enacted during their term.
Presidential Mandate: The authority or perceived right to govern, often derived from electoral success and public support for the president's platform.