Student congress is a speech activity in which students act as a legislative assembly, write and debate bills, and learn parliamentary procedure. It allows the teacher to make points about advocacy, ethics in persuasion, contemporary issues, and the workings of a democracy at the same time that students develop a feeling of control and mastery, practice lessons from social studies classes, develop leadership skills, and become better advocates of their ideas. During the activity, each student should (1) write a bill or resolution, (2) prepare and deliver an authorship speech, (3) act as presiding officer, (4) act as sergeant at arms, (5) act as clerk for one class session, and (6) deliver a minimum of 15 debate speeches on bills. Students can begin to write bills on their own while the teacher continues to teach them how to conduct the student congress on a daily basis, including such items as call to order, attendance, call for old business, call for new business, and the close of the session. At the same time, the teacher should interweave instruction on various motions that need to be made during the sessions. When students have learned to conduct the congress, they then elect a presiding officer for the next session. Meanwhile, the teacher acts as the parliamentarian; grading speeches, keeping records, and judging conduct. (Appendixes contain standards of conduct, information on bills and resolutions, a table of motions, a sample ballot, and a sample critique sheet.) (JL)