Hawley Elementary School fourth grade students were treated to a lesson on the state government when Connecticut Historical Society Coordinator of Youth and Family Programs Corinne Swanson visited the school on Thursday, January 5.

Ms Swanson gave a presentation in each of the fourth grade classrooms. She told students in Gina Shanahan's class, currently overseen by long-term building substitute Kim Whitmore, during one presentation, that the representatives and senators in the state government "are the people who write and read the laws."

Ms Swanson described different aspects of the state's government through activities and speaking with students. For one activity she had students pretend to be members of the House of Representatives, a senator, and a judge from the Connecticut Supreme Court.

"Now we are going to talk about how they all work together," said Ms Swanson.

The students helped her portray the process of how a bill becomes a law, by passing a rolled up paper "bill" between them as Ms Swanson explained the process.

Later students participated in a mock-election process to vote for their own governor. Ms Swanson also oversaw the students participating in a mock trail to demonstrate how the judicial branch works.