[WSCSS] Communicator Update: February 2009

Thu Feb 26 12:50:25 EST 2009

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COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: February 2009
 Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's Communicator-a web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to improve the understanding of Congress: http://www.webcommunicator.org 
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
* CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: CONGRESS IN THE CLASSROOM® 2009 * 
People Who Served in Congress 
Congress Defined 
*New* Lesson Plan: Introducing the Freshman Class of the 111th Congress 
*New* WebQuest: Leading the 111th Congress 
*New* Project: Abraham Lincoln and the Illinois Congressional District 
*New* Editorial Cartoons 
Internet Research Project Idea 
State of the Union Multiple-Choice & Trivia 
Postscript Information 

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: CONGRESS IN THE CLASSROOM® 2009 
* Deadline: April 15, 2009 * 
Congress in the Classroom is a national, award-winning education program now in its 17th year. Developed and sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional Center, the workshop is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information on teaching about Congress. 
We designed Congress in the Classroom for high school or middle school teachers who teach U.S. history, government, civics, political science, or social studies. Forty teachers will be selected in 2009 to take part in the program. All online applications must be received by no later than April 15, 2009. We will notify individuals of our decisions by April 30, 2009.

Although the workshop will feature a variety of sessions, the 2009 program will focus on two themes:  (1) developments in the 111th Congress, and (2) new resources for teaching about Congress. The workshop consists of two types of sessions: those that focus on recent research and scholarship about Congress (and don't always have an immediate application in the classroom) and those geared to specific ways to teach students about the federal legislature.
Throughout the program, you will work with subject matter experts as well as colleagues from across the nation. This combination of firsthand knowledge and peer-to-peer interaction will give you new ideas, materials, and a professionally enriching experience. 
"Until now so much of what I did in my class on Congress was straight theory-this is what the Constitution says," noted one of our teachers. "Now I can use these activities and illustrations to help get my students involved in the class and at the very least their community but hopefully in the federal government. This workshop has given me a way to help them see how relevant my class is and what they can do to help make changes in society."
The 2009 workshop will be held Monday, July 27 - Thursday, July 30, at Embassy Suites, East Peoria, Illinois. 

The program is certified by the Illinois State Board of Education for up to 22 Continuing Education Units. The program also is endorsed by the National Council for the Social Studies. 
Participants are responsible for (1) a non-refundable $155 registration fee (required to confirm acceptance after notice of selection) and (2) transportation to and from Peoria, Illinois. Many school districts will pay all or a portion of these costs. 
The Center pays for three nights lodging at the headquarters hotel (providing a single room for each participant), workshop materials, local transportation, all but three meals, and presenter honoraria and expenses. The Center spends between $30,000 and $35,000 to host the program each year. 
What follows are the sessions planned for the 2009 edition of Congress in the Classroom®. Please re-visit the site for changes as the program develops.
The View from Capitol Hill
Aaron Schock, freshman member of the House of Representatives from Illinois's 18th congressional district INVITED

Congressional Insight
A team-oriented, highly interactive simulation of a Congress member's first term CONFIRMED

The Ten Most Important Things to Know About the U.S. House of Representatives
Raymond Smock, Director of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies, Shepherd University and former Historian of the House CONFIRMED

The Ten Most Important Things to Know About the U.S. Senate
Betty K. Koed, Assistant Historian, U.S. Senate Historical Office CONFIRMED

How We Developed the Art and History Sections of the New Capitol Visitor Center
Maria Marable-Bunch and Carol Beebe, Public Programs Division, Capitol Visitor Center CONFIRMED

Resources for Teachers from the House of Representatives
Kathleen Johnson, Historical Publications Specialist, Office of History and Preservation, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives CONFIRMED

Teaching with Primary Sources:  The Library of Congress's Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program
Cindy Rich, Project Director, Teaching with Primary Sources, Eastern Illinois University CONFIRMED 

What Do Our Students See When They Look at Congress?
Jeffrey Bernstein, Department of Political Science, Eastern Michigan University CONFIRMED

The Congressional Glossary Project
Michael Kirby, FedNet CONFIRMED

Evaluating the New President:  What Factors Account for Success in the Oval Office?
Frank H. Mackaman, The Dirksen Congressional Center CONFIRMED

How to Get Your Point Across to Congress Members
Stephanie Vance, Advocacy Associates, Washington, DC CONFIRMED

The Influence of the Internet on Political Information and Engagement
Julie Barko Germany, Director, Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet, The George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management CONFIRMED

Setting Up a Congressional Office
Congressional Management Foundation INVITED 
Take a look at The Dirksen Center Web site - http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm -- to see what participants say about the program. 
* Registration * 
If you are interested in registering for the Congress in the Classroom® 2009 workshop, you can complete an online registration form found at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/programs_CiCapplication.htm.

PEOPLE WHO SERVED IN CONGRESS
Sketches of famous and not-so-famous Senators and Representatives  
Robert C. Byrd (D-WV). In the history of the Republic, Byrd has served longer than all but one Member of Congress. First elected in 1958, Byrd became the longest serving Senator in the history of the Republic in June 2006 and, in November 2006, he was elected to an unprecedented ninth consecutive term in the Senate. During his tenure, his colleagues have elected him to more leadership positions than any other Senator in history. Throughout his career, Byrd has cast nearly 17,800 roll call votes -- a 98.7 percent attendance record in his nearly five decades of service in the Senate.
Sources: 
http://byrd.senate.gov/

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Robert_C._Byrd 
African-Americans in Congress:  Robert Carlos De Large (1842-1874).  Robert Carlos De Large was born on March 15, 1842, in Aiken, South Carolina. Although some records indicate De Large was born a slave, he likely was the offspring of free mulatto parents. De Large's father was a tailor, and his Haitian mother was a cloak maker. After the Civil War, De Large worked for the Republican state government as an agent in the Freedmen's Bureau. He became an organizer for the South Carolina Republican Party, serving on important committees at several state conventions. His election to the House in 1870 was contested, and his seat was declared vacant by the House in January 1873. De large lost his bid for re-election in March.
Sources:  
Black Americans in Congress at: http://baic.house.gov/member-profiles/profile.html?intID=3

Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress:  http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=D000208
Women in Congress:  Florence P. Kahn (1866-1948). Succeeding her husband, Florence Prag Kahn used charisma and humor to carve out her own political accomplishments as a California Representative (R, 1925-37). Going well beyond her husband's service on the Hill, Kahn quickly earned the respect of her colleagues; according to one contemporary observer, "Congress treats her like a man, fears her, admires her, and listens to her." Kahn used her successful career as an example of why the Republican leadership should encourage women to participate in party politics. At age 58, she became the first Jewish woman elected to Congress, and was re-elected with little opposition five times. She lost the 1936 election bid as Democrats swept into office as part of the landslide reelection of Franklin Roosevelt as president. 
Sources:
Women in Congress at http://womenincongress.house.gov/ 

Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress:  http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=K000002 

CONGRESS DEFINED
Words and phrases that describe congressional processes 
Pocket Veto. A pocket veto is when the President fails to sign a bill within the 10 days allowed by the Constitution. Congress must be in adjournment in order for a pocket veto to take effect. If Congress is in session and the president fails to sign the bill, it becomes law without his signature.
Source:
http://www.c-span.org/guide/congress/glossary/alphalist.htm

* NEW LESSON PLAN * INTRODUCING THE FRESHMAN CLASS OF THE 111TH CONGRESS 
In this lesson, students become aware of certain characteristics (i.e., ethnicity, age, gender, and political party affiliation) of the 65 freshman members of the 111th House of Representatives (2009-2010) and determine if these new members are representative of the public as a whole. Students will gain an understanding of the sociopolitical and sociological nature of Congress, an important aspect of "representation" and related to the unit What Every Student Should Know About Congress. 
Find Introducing The Freshman Class Of The 111th Congress at http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_freshclass_111th.htm

* NEW *  WEBQUEST: LEADING THE 111TH CONGRESS 
Introduction for Teachers
Newly elected President Barack Obama will depend on the Democratic leadership in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to pass his legislative programs. The Democrats hold substantial majorities in both bodies. They outnumber Republicans 256 to 178 in the House and 58 to 42 in the Senate (the numbers may vary during the Congress because of departures, special elections, etc.). The leaders of both parties will play key roles as the nation confronts the current economic cataclysm, the war on terror, and the strain on the federal budget.

The Task for Learners
You are a free-lance writer who has been commissioned by a national monthly magazine to report on the leaders of the 111th Congress. You have decided that your "angle" will be this: what qualities or shared experiences do these leaders have, and how will these factors shape their approach to leadership in Congress?

Find WebQuest: Leading the 111th Congress at: http://www.congresslink.org/print_teaching_webquests_leading111th.htm 

  * NEW PROJECT * ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE ILLINOIS CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 
As part of the Bicentennial Celebration of Abraham Lincoln, the Dirksen Congressional Center is pleased to present a version of the Lincoln legacy through the eyes of two members of Congress, Everett McKinley Dirksen and Robert H. Michel, who later represented the central Illinois congressional district that once sent Lincoln to the House of Representatives.
Find Abraham Lincoln And The Illinois Congressional District at: http://www.dirksencenterprojects.org/#abraham

* NEW EDITORIAL CARTOONS* 
The Dirksen Congressional Center recently announced the completion of the Editorial Cartoon Collection project: http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/index.htm.
The editorial cartoons and related lesson plans from The Dirksen Center will teach students to identify issues, analyze symbols, acknowledge the need for background knowledge, recognize stereotypes and caricatures, think critically, and appreciate the role of irony and humor.
This month we have posted five new cartoons:
Caption: Republican Leaders Respond to the State of the Union http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron31-40.htm #40

Caption: Everett Dirksen http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron41-50.htm #43

Caption: Senate Republicans Dispute Vietnam Policy http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron41-50.htm #44

Caption: Republicans and Vietnam http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron41-50.htm #45

Caption: 1968 Campaign  http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron41-50.htm #47 
We now have a total of 64 cartoons posted!

INTERNET RESEARCH PROJECT IDEA 
Ask your students to gather data about their senators and representatives (e.g., committee assignments, subcommittee assignments, lengths of time in office, and major bills sponsored). Have them refer to the following Web sites posted on AboutGovernment -- http://www.aboutgovernment.org/print_uscongress.htm 
U.S. House of Representatives (links to House members' offices) 
U.S. Senate (links to Senators' offices) 
The Library of Congress 
Roll Call (online version of Capitol Hill newspaper) 
Center for Responsive Politics (information on the role of money in politics) 
Instruct students to identify the various roles of their legislators and evaluate how well they are representing their constituents based on the information they gather. 

STATE OF THE UNION MULTIPLE-CHOICE & TRIVIA 
Practice makes perfect!  See how many multiple-choice questions you can get correct.  Take the State of the Union Trivia Quiz at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/execbranch_job1/1_presjob_1.htm 
Trivia: There's a first time for everything. Can you match the U.S. First Lady with one of her firsts?
What First Lady was the first to cast a vote for her husband for President?

Helen Taft 
Edith Wilson 
Florence Kling Harding 
Grace Coolidge 
*Find the answer in next month's issue.
Answer to January 2009's Fun, Facts, and Trivia: http://www.webcommunicator.org/classroomresources/funfactstrivia_ans0109.htm

POSTSCRIPT INFORMATION 
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