COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: October 2002

Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's "Communicator" - a
web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to
enhance civic education and improve the understanding of Congress --
http://www.webcommunicator.org

********************************************
NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
********************************************

<<<Professional Development Opportunity>>>

Do you have a lesson plan idea?  The Dirksen Center currently offers a
library of lesson plans posted on CongressLink --
http://www.congresslink.org/LessonPlanIntro.htm -- and is seeking new
lessons to publish and expand its library.  The Dirksen Center will pay
between $100 and $350 to teachers who submit approved lesson plans using
CongressLink resources and features and who follow a few guidelines.

Example:  Suppose we want to post a lesson plan that teaches about
federalism or a type of government in which the power is divided between
the national government and other governmental units using CongressLink
resources and features.  The learning objectives or skills could
include: (1) students will consider how the national government should
relate to the states, (2) students will explore the role played by
different branches of government in shaping that relationship, and (3)
students will understand the political implications of changes in the
federal structure.

While the Constitution addresses only the relationship between the
federal government and the states, the American people are under
multiple jurisdictions.  Students could make conscious value judgments
based on clearly defined criteria about these multiple jurisdictions.

As an example, take a look at this CongressLink lesson plan - "Checks
and Balances: The Line Item Veto" --
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/lineitem.html   In this lesson,
students cite evidence from primary sources, constructing a position on
the Line-Item Veto Amendment.  While writing a persuasive letter to
their Congress Member, demonstrating their knowledge, understanding, and
mastery of the concepts of checks and balances, students will refer to
facts and frequently asked questions such as "Do any forms of government
in Federalism use the line-item veto?" --
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/lineitem.html#faqs

If you are interested in creating a lesson that teaches about federalism
or have other lesson plan ideas, contact Frank Mackaman at:
mailto:fmackaman@...

************************************************************************
<<< VOTING AND ELECTIONS: THE EXPANSION OF SUFFRAGE>>>

It is a citizen's responsibility in a democratic society to vote in
elections.  Large numbers of Americans were denied this right for many
years.  If you are looking for resources that will help your students
track the expansion of voting rights in America, you will want to visit
The Dirksen Center's Web suite --
http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org

The Constitution -- http://www.congresslink.org/resourc.html --
specifies responsibility for setting residency requirements and other
qualifications for voting to the states.  In the late 18th century, for
example, some states limited the right to vote to white male property
owners - poor white men, women, and slaves were excluded.

Amending the Constitution would be one way to change suffrage
requirements.  How does one go about doing that?  A CongressLink lesson
plan - "Amending the Constitution" --
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/amends.html -- will give you
good ideas.

In the late 19th century, such leaders as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth
Cady Stanton started the long campaign for women's suffrage which
culminated in the 19th Amendment (1920).  Find "Charters of Freedom" on
AboutGovernment at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/electionsvoting.htm

The Women's Suffrage Movement highlighted a time in America when women
spoke up and demanded the right to vote.  Test your knowledge about the
suffrage movement era from 1848 to 1928 by taking one of three different
online multiple-choice quizzes.  Find "Suffrage Movement and the
Amendments" at:
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/amendments/2_amendments.htm

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 completed another chapter in the struggle
to guarantee the right to vote to all citizens.  For a summary, see "A
Case History: The 1964 Civil Rights Action - Historical Pressure for
Legislative Action at:
http://www.congresslink.org/civil/essay.html#history

Senator Robert Byrd, the unofficial historian of the Senate, described
the tactics used in the unsuccessful filibuster against the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, an effort to restrict the right to vote for minorities --
http://www.congresslink.org/notes.html#byrd

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 took further steps.  Read a brief overview
of the circumstances leading to the passage of the act, including links
to historical documents found in Everett Dirksen's Papers at:
http://www.congresslink.org/voting1965.htm

<<<Featured Project>>>

The right to vote is the right to determine who governs.  In Everett
Dirksen's day, voter registration requirements made it difficult, if not
impossible, for some people to vote.  Our featured project this month is
Everett Dirksen's "The Problem of Voting Rights VFI-65/3/15-1" --
http://www.dirksencenter.org/recordings/videoembed-5b.htm   This video
segment features Dirksen discussing the importance of ensuring the right
to vote.  QuickTime is required to view the video segment.  If you do
not have QuickTime installed, open the appropriate self-extracting
installer file from the link provided --
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download -- and follow that program's
instructions.  Download time could take approximately 5-10 minutes for
the video segment, depending on the speed of individual computers.

<<<Voting Venture: Have a Voice, Have a Say, Choose an Answer>>>

1.  Which obstacle to voting was outlawed by constitutional amendment?

A) Poll taxes
B) Literacy taxes
C) Residency requirements
D) Good character tests
E) Grandfather clauses
F) Candidates who are not worth voting for anyway

2. The United States has slowly expanded the _____ (another term for
"vote") to include African Americans, women, Native Americans, and
adults under age 21.

A) Referendum
B) Split ticket
C) Suffrage or franchise
D) Open elections

Possible Essay Question:

In the 1820s, America is often referred to as an age of mass democracy.
Why?  Is universal manhood suffrage better than having property
qualifications for voters?  State your best case for property
qualifications.  Have you considered other qualifications such as age,
literacy, citizenship, and residency?  Do you believe that everyone
should have the right to vote (e.g., convicts, drug dealers)?  Why?

Answers to September's issue of "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" link here:
http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0902ans.htm

Hope you are enjoying the fall weather! Encourage your colleagues to
subscribe to the Communicator. If you have questions, comments, or
suggestions, contact Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@...
***************************************************
NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over
8,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below
to help us with list editing:

TO CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: If your old address will become inactive,
unsubscribe using your old address, and follow the instructions below.
Your e-mail address will be deleted from our mailing list.

TO SUBSCRIBE to the Communicator, please follow these instructions: Send
an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase -
"subscribe Communicator" - in the body of the message. Your e-mail
address will be added to our mailing list.

TO UNSUBSCRIBE from the Communicator, please follow these instructions:
Send an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase
-"unsubscribe Communicator" -- in the body of the message. Your e-mail
address will be deleted from our mailing list.

If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel at
mailto:ckoeppel@...

For Release:

CONTACT:
Frank H. Mackaman
The Dirksen Congressional Center
301 South 4th Street, Suite A
Pekin, IL 61554
309.347.7113
309.347.6432 FAX
fmackaman@...
http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org

***Congressional Research Awards Announcement***

DEADLINE: Proposals must be postmarked no later than February 1, 2003

The Dirksen Congressional Center invites applications for grants
totaling $35,000 in 2003 to fund research on congressional leadership
and the U.S. Congress. The competition is open to individuals with a
serious interest in studying Congress. Political scientists, historians,
biographers, scholars of public administration or American studies, and
journalists are among those eligible. The Center encourages graduate
students to apply and awards a significant portion of the funds for
dissertation research. Undergraduate or pre-Ph.D. study, research teams
of two or more individuals, and organizations are not eligible.

There is no standard application form. Applicants are responsible for
showing the relationship between their work and the awards program
guidelines. Applications are accepted at any time. All application
materials must be postmarked on or before February 1, 2003. Awards will
be announced in March 2003. Complete information about eligibility and
application procedures may be found at The Center's Web site:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantcongresearchaward.htm  Frank Mackaman
is the program officer mailto:fmackaman@...

The Center, named for the late Senate Minority Leader Everett M.
Dirksen, is a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational
organization devoted to the study of Congress and its leaders. Since
1978, the Congressional Research Awards (formerly the Congressional
Research Grants) program has paid out $553,592 to support 306 projects.

Is anyone reading this group that has completed AYAHistory recently
that could answer some questions?  I am currently in the process and
need some advice!   Thanks!

Hi Debby,
I certified in aya-ssh this year.  I'll help if I can.  Lauri Elam

"debby_barto " wrote:

> Is anyone reading this group that has completed AYAHistory recently
> that could answer some questions?  I am currently in the process and
> need some advice!   Thanks!
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

For Release:

CONTACT:
Frank H. Mackaman
The Dirksen Congressional Center
301 South 4th Street, Suite A
Pekin, IL 61554
309.347.7113
309.347.6432 FAX
mailto:fmackaman@...
http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org

Congressional Research Awards Announcement

DEADLINE: Proposals must be postmarked no later than February 1, 2003

The Dirksen Congressional Center invites applications for grants
totaling $35,000 in 2003 to fund research on congressional leadership
and the U.S. Congress. The competition is open to individuals with a
serious interest in studying Congress. Political scientists, historians,
biographers, scholars of public administration or American studies,
journalists, and research teams of two or more individuals are among
those eligible. The Center encourages graduate students to apply and
awards a significant portion of the funds for dissertation research.
Undergraduate or pre-Ph.D. study and organizations are not eligible.

There is no standard application form. Applicants are responsible for
showing the relationship between their work and the awards program
guidelines. Applications are accepted at any time. All application
materials must be postmarked on or before February 1, 2003. Awards will
be announced in March 2003. Complete information about eligibility and
application procedures may be found at The Center’s Web site:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantcongresearchaward.htm Frank Mackaman
is the program officer mailto:fmackaman@...

The Center, named for the late Senate Minority Leader Everett M.
Dirksen, is a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational
organization devoted to the study of Congress and its leaders. Since
1978, the Congressional Research Awards (formerly the Congressional
Research Grants) program has paid out $553,592 to support 306 projects.

Greetings!
The following just goes to show you that there is life and fun after
the year of diligent work:
I've already received e-mails asking me about the WCPO Bachelorette
contest where I discussed National Board Certification and our
practice of teaching during the interview. I decided it would be more
efficient to share the how and why with everyone at once rather than
answering the same questions.
How:  A couple of my students wanted to nomminate me for the dating
TV show "Shipmates."  I said, "No, that's not my style."  They asked
me if I would do a contest on www.wcpo.com.  I said possibly if they
focus on history class.  Before I knew it, I was reading an e-mail
from Andrea Canning of WCPO that said my students nominated me
because "she is special to us and we want someone special for her."
Why:  The students wer sincere about what they wrote and excited by
the prospect of being interviewed on TV.  Andrea explained to me that
they needed a teacher and I thought that if it could help show the
positive side of our profession and our students then I should do
it.  There is no prize for winning this polling... they don't even
promise a date! ; )
Following is the link to the site to vote for the only teacher in the
contest, Jane Jordan:
http://www.wcpo.com/specials/2003/valentines/stories/bachelorette_poll
.html
You can also vote via phone at 513-852-4017

Thank you and best wishes  on your National Board Certification
endeavors!

Greetings!
The link from the previous message has changed.  Following is the new link:

http://www.wcpo.com/specials/2003/valentines/stories/bachelorette_poll.html
Many thanks!


> Topics in this digest:
>
>       1. NBCT
>            From: "miamiujj <jordan_j@...>" <jordan_j@...>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 1
>    Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 05:26:14 -0000
>    From: "miamiujj <jordan_j@...>" <jordan_j@...>
> Subject: NBCT
>
> Greetings!
> The following just goes to show you that there is life and fun after
> the year of diligent work:
> I've already received e-mails asking me about the WCPO Bachelorette
> contest where I discussed National Board Certification and our
> practice of teaching during the interview. I decided it would be more
> efficient to share the how and why with everyone at once rather than
> answering the same questions.
> How:  A couple of my students wanted to nomminate me for the dating
> TV show "Shipmates."  I said, "No, that's not my style."  They asked
> me if I would do a contest on www.wcpo.com.  I said possibly if they
> focus on history class.  Before I knew it, I was reading an e-mail
> from Andrea Canning of WCPO that said my students nominated me
> because "she is special to us and we want someone special for her."
> Why:  The students wer sincere about what they wrote and excited by
> the prospect of being interviewed on TV.  Andrea explained to me that
> they needed a teacher and I thought that if it could help show the
> positive side of our profession and our students then I should do
> it.  There is no prize for winning this polling... they don't even
> promise a date! ; )
> Following is the link to the site to vote for the only teacher in the
> contest, Jane Jordan:
> http://www.wcpo.com/specials/2003/valentines/stories/bachelorette_poll
> .html
> You can also vote via phone at 513-852-4017
>
> Thank you and best wishes  on your National Board Certification
> endeavors!
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>

COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: February 2003

Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's "Communicator" - a
web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to
enhance civic education and improve the understanding of Congress --
http://www.webcommunicator.org

********************************************
NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
********************************************

<<< CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Congress in the Classroom 2003 >>>

Congress in the Classroom is a national, award-winning education program
now in its eleventh year. It is sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional
Center located in Pekin, Illinois, in cooperation with Bradley
University, Peoria, Illinois, and is dedicated to the exchange of ideas
and information on teaching about Congress.

Congress in the Classroom is designed for secondary school teachers and
community college faculty who teach U.S. history, American government
civics, political science, social studies, or related subjects. Between
30 and 35 teachers from throughout the country are selected each year to
take part in the program. Nearly 200 applied for last year's workshop.

The 2003 program theme will be "An Overview of Congress." Individual
sessions will be offered on such topics as: (1) The case for
representative democracy, (2) What you can learn about Congress Members
from statistics, (3) How Members make decisions, (4) How does a bill
become a law? Not the way the textbooks say, (5) How does one lead
Congress? and (6) The Media and Congress. Participants will also gain
experience with The Center's educational Web site, CongressLink -
http://www.congresslink.org -- which features online access to lesson
plans, student activities, historical materials, related Web sites, and
subject matter experts. Throughout the program, participants will work
with national experts as well as colleagues from across the nation. This
combination of first-hand knowledge and peer-to-peer interaction will
present new ideas, materials, and a professionally enriching experience.

The workshop will take place from July 28 through July 31, 2003, on the
campus of Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois. Congress in the
Classroom is free to participants. Teachers who are selected for the
program will be required to post a $100 deposit which will be refunded
in full once they have completed the program. Participants also have the
option of purchasing one hour of graduate credit from Bradley
University. We expect the per hour charge for graduate credit to be from
$435 - $450.

Those teachers who are not selected for the program will have an
opportunity to register for the Web-based Congress in the Classroom
course.

The deadline for applications is March 15, 2003. Enrollment is
competitive and limited to thirty-five. Selection will be determined by
The Center. Individuals will be notified of their acceptance status by
April 1, 2003.

Take a look at The Dirksen Center Web site -
http://www.dirksencenter.org/progcongressinclassroom.htm#what -- to see
what participants say about the program. If you are interested in
registering for the Congress in the Classroom 2003 workshop, you can
complete an online registration form found at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/CiCapplication.htm

**********************************************************************
<<< THE POWERS OF CONGRESS >>>

Congress has both specific and implied powers under the Constitution.
The amendment process, as well as Congress's own legislative action, has
expanded these powers. Visit The Dirksen Center's Web suite -
http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org - to help your students learn
about the powers of Congress and to understand how Congress, and the
other two branches of the federal government, has exercised those powers
given in the Constitution.

The Framers of the Constitution wanted to strengthen Congress. The
Articles of Confederation did not give enough power to Congress to
support the new nation. Find "The Powers of Congress" on our
AboutGovernment site at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

Under Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, Congress is given 27
specific powers that are commonly known as the "enumerated powers." Our
CongressLink featured lesson plan offers an opportunity to present the
powers of Congress creatively, allowing the students to justify which
Congressional powers they believe are most important. Find "2, 4, 6, 8 .
. . Who Knows What's in Article I, Section 8? (or Powers of Congress)"
at: http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/HCPowers.htm

Implied powers derive from the right of Congress to make all laws
"necessary and proper" to carry out its enumerated powers. Implied
powers are not stated directly in the Constitution. In 1819, the Supreme
Court upheld the concept of implied powers in the landmark case,
"McCulloch v. Maryland." Learn more about this Supreme Court case that
relied on the elastic clause to justify a national bank. Find "McCulloch
v. Maryland (1819) - Landmark Supreme Court Cases" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/judicialbranch.htm#supremecourt

In addition to the legislative powers of Congress enumerated in the
Constitution, there are limitations on congressional powers (Article I,
Section 9) -- http://www.congresslink.org/notes.html#nine The U.S.
Constitution -- http://www.congresslink.org/resourc.html -- also
enumerates the powers prohibited to the states (Article I, Section 10)
-- http://www.congresslink.org/article1.htm

<<< Featured Project >>>

Our featured project this month is a WebQuest developed by The Dirksen
Center to introduce students to the concept of "influence" or "power" in
Congress. Find "WebQuest: How Influential is Your Member of Congress?"
at: http://www.congresslink.org/WebQuests/CongressionalPowerIndex.htm

Knowing about Congress could be considered an effective lobbying tool.
Find out how much you already know, or learn as you go, using the online
flashcards that you can flip through, print in a variety of formats with
custom fonts and font sizes, or download to a Palm Pilot or Windows CE
device. Find "Knowing About Congress" at:
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/senate/2_senate.htm

<<< Congressional "Brain" Power >>>

1. Congress took advantage of one of its implied powers when, in the
_____ _____ Act of 1973, it tried to regulate when the President could
send U. S. troops into combat on foreign soil.

A) Reapportionment
B) War Powers
C) Civil Rights

2. The last clause of Article I, Section 8 gives Congress its _____.

A) expressed powers
B) implied powers
C) enumerated powers
D) power of the purse

3. True or False: The elastic clause is used to justify wide expansion
of government authority.

<<< Student Web Activity >>>

Congressional powers are used to conduct investigations and for
legislative oversight. The history of Congressional oversight dates back
to the 1792 investigation of the government's handling of the Indian
Wars. Teachers, have your students conduct further research to learn
about other cases of Congressional oversight investigations. You could
have them create an annotated time line of these events using a poster
board or presentation software. Along with the date, suggest that they
write a brief summary of the background and highlights of the
investigation. It would be really cool if they included pictures or
illustrations to make their timeline more visually appealing. Your
students will find these Web sites helpful:

(1) Find "The General Principles of Congressional Oversight" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

(2) Find "Committees of the House of Representatives" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

(3) Find "The Weakening of Congressional Oversight" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

Answers to January's issue of "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" link here:
http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0103ans.htm

Happy Valentine's Day! Encourage your colleagues to subscribe to the
Communicator. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, contact
Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@... Your feedback makes a
difference!
***************************************************
NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over
9,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below
to help us with list editing:

TO CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: If your old address will become inactive,
unsubscribe using your old address, and follow the instructions below.
Your e-mail address will be deleted from our mailing list.

TO SUBSCRIBE to the Communicator, please follow these instructions: Send
an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase -
"subscribe Communicator" - in the body of the message. Your e-mail
address will be added to our mailing list.

TO UNSUBSCRIBE from the Communicator, please follow these instructions:
Send an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase
-"unsubscribe Communicator" -- in the body of the message. Your e-mail
address will be deleted from our mailing list.

If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel at
mailto:ckoeppel@...

Greetings!

Thank you to everyone for their kind words and support for me in this
WCPO contest for which my students nominated me.  It's been
heartening to hear from people about the strong network of support we
have within our professional community!
The contest eliminated 3 of the 9 last night, and now the remaining 6
are starting back at zero votes with 3 more being eliminated next
Wed. night.  Consequently, please feel free to vote again with a call
to (513)852-4017, or on-line at:
http://www.wcpo.com/specials/2003/valentines/stories/bachelorette_poll
.html

If you are having problems voting on-line, you can call Liz Foreman at
(513)852-4069.
Many thanks!
Jane Jordan

COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: February 2003

Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's "Communicator" - a
web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to
enhance civic education and improve the understanding of Congress --
http://www.webcommunicator.org

********************************************
NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
********************************************

<<< CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Congress in the Classroom 2003 >>>

Congress in the Classroom is a national, award-winning education program
now in its eleventh year. It is sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional
Center located in Pekin, Illinois, in cooperation with Bradley
University, Peoria, Illinois, and is dedicated to the exchange of ideas
and information on teaching about Congress.

Congress in the Classroom is designed for secondary school teachers and
community college faculty who teach U.S. history, American government
civics, political science, social studies, or related subjects. Between
30 and 35 teachers from throughout the country are selected each year to
take part in the program. Nearly 200 applied for last year's workshop.

The 2003 program theme will be "An Overview of Congress." Individual
sessions will be offered on such topics as: (1) The case for
representative democracy, (2) What you can learn about Congress Members
from statistics, (3) How Members make decisions, (4) How does a bill
become a law? Not the way the textbooks say, (5) How does one lead
Congress? and (6) The Media and Congress. Participants will also gain
experience with The Center's educational Web site, CongressLink -
http://www.congresslink.org -- which features online access to lesson
plans, student activities, historical materials, related Web sites, and
subject matter experts. Throughout the program, participants will work
with national experts as well as colleagues from across the nation. This
combination of first-hand knowledge and peer-to-peer interaction will
present new ideas, materials, and a professionally enriching experience.

The workshop will take place from July 28 through July 31, 2003, on the
campus of Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois. Congress in the
Classroom is free to participants. Teachers who are selected for the
program will be required to post a $100 deposit which will be refunded
in full once they have completed the program. Participants also have the
option of purchasing one hour of graduate credit from Bradley
University. We expect the per hour charge for graduate credit to be from
$435 - $450.

Those teachers who are not selected for the program will have an
opportunity to register for the Web-based Congress in the Classroom
course.

The deadline for applications is March 15, 2003. Enrollment is
competitive and limited to thirty-five. Selection will be determined by
The Center. Individuals will be notified of their acceptance status by
April 1, 2003.

Take a look at The Dirksen Center Web site -
http://www.dirksencenter.org/progcongressinclassroom.htm#what -- to see
what participants say about the program. If you are interested in
registering for the Congress in the Classroom 2003 workshop, you can
complete an online registration form found at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/CiCapplication.htm

**********************************************************************
<<< THE POWERS OF CONGRESS >>>

Congress has both specific and implied powers under the Constitution.
The amendment process, as well as Congress's own legislative action, has
expanded these powers. Visit The Dirksen Center's Web suite -
http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org - to help your students learn
about the powers of Congress and to understand how Congress, and the
other two branches of the federal government, has exercised those powers
given in the Constitution.

The Framers of the Constitution wanted to strengthen Congress. The
Articles of Confederation did not give enough power to Congress to
support the new nation. Find "The Powers of Congress" on our
AboutGovernment site at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

Under Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, Congress is given 27
specific powers that are commonly known as the "enumerated powers." Our
CongressLink featured lesson plan offers an opportunity to present the
powers of Congress creatively, allowing the students to justify which
Congressional powers they believe are most important. Find "2, 4, 6, 8 .
. . Who Knows What's in Article I, Section 8? (or Powers of Congress)"
at: http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/HCPowers.htm

Implied powers derive from the right of Congress to make all laws
"necessary and proper" to carry out its enumerated powers. Implied
powers are not stated directly in the Constitution. In 1819, the Supreme
Court upheld the concept of implied powers in the landmark case,
"McCulloch v. Maryland." Learn more about this Supreme Court case that
relied on the elastic clause to justify a national bank. Find "McCulloch
v. Maryland (1819) - Landmark Supreme Court Cases" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/judicialbranch.htm#supremecourt

In addition to the legislative powers of Congress enumerated in the
Constitution, there are limitations on congressional powers (Article I,
Section 9) -- http://www.congresslink.org/notes.html#nine The U.S.
Constitution -- http://www.congresslink.org/resourc.html -- also
enumerates the powers prohibited to the states (Article I, Section 10)
-- http://www.congresslink.org/article1.htm

<<< Featured Project >>>

Our featured project this month is a WebQuest developed by The Dirksen
Center to introduce students to the concept of "influence" or "power" in
Congress. Find "WebQuest: How Influential is Your Member of Congress?"
at: http://www.congresslink.org/WebQuests/CongressionalPowerIndex.htm

Knowing about Congress could be considered an effective lobbying tool.
Find out how much you already know, or learn as you go, using the online
flashcards that you can flip through, print in a variety of formats with
custom fonts and font sizes, or download to a Palm Pilot or Windows CE
device. Find "Knowing About Congress" at:
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/senate/2_senate.htm

<<< Congressional "Brain" Power >>>

1. Congress took advantage of one of its implied powers when, in the
_____ _____ Act of 1973, it tried to regulate when the President could
send U. S. troops into combat on foreign soil.

A) Reapportionment
B) War Powers
C) Civil Rights

2. The last clause of Article I, Section 8 gives Congress its _____.

A) expressed powers
B) implied powers
C) enumerated powers
D) power of the purse

3. True or False: The elastic clause is used to justify wide expansion
of government authority.

<<< Student Web Activity >>>

Congressional powers are used to conduct investigations and for
legislative oversight. The history of Congressional oversight dates back
to the 1792 investigation of the government's handling of the Indian
Wars. Teachers, have your students conduct further research to learn
about other cases of Congressional oversight investigations. You could
have them create an annotated time line of these events using a poster
board or presentation software. Along with the date, suggest that they
write a brief summary of the background and highlights of the
investigation. It would be really cool if they included pictures or
illustrations to make their timeline more visually appealing. Your
students will find these Web sites helpful:

(1) Find "The General Principles of Congressional Oversight" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

(2) Find "Committees of the House of Representatives" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

(3) Find "The Weakening of Congressional Oversight" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

Answers to January's issue of "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" link here:
http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0103ans.htm

Happy Valentine's Day! Encourage your colleagues to subscribe to the
Communicator. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, contact
Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@... Your feedback makes a
difference!
***************************************************
NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over
9,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below
to help us with list editing:

TO CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: If your old address will become inactive,
unsubscribe using your old address, and follow the instructions below.
Your e-mail address will be deleted from our mailing list.

TO SUBSCRIBE to the Communicator, please follow these instructions: Send
an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase -
"subscribe Communicator" - in the body of the message. Your e-mail
address will be added to our mailing list.

TO UNSUBSCRIBE from the Communicator, please follow these instructions:
Send an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase
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If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel at
mailto:ckoeppel@...

For Release:

CONTACT:
Frank H. Mackaman
The Dirksen Congressional Center
301 South 4th Street, Suite A
Pekin, IL 61554
mailto:fmackaman@...
Phone: (309) 347-7113
Fax: (309) 347-6432

<<< CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Congress in the Classroom 2003 >>>

Congress in the Classroom is a national, award-winning education program
now in its eleventh year. It is sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional
Center located in Pekin, Illinois, in cooperation with Bradley
University, Peoria, Illinois, and is dedicated to the exchange of ideas
and information on teaching about Congress.

Congress in the Classroom is designed for secondary school teachers and
community college faculty who teach U.S. history, American government
civics, political science, social studies, or related subjects. Between
30 and 35 teachers from throughout the country are selected each year to
take part in the program. Nearly 200 applied for last year's workshop.

The 2003 program theme will be "An Overview of Congress." Individual
sessions will be offered on such topics as: (1) The case for
representative democracy, (2) What you can learn about Congress Members
from statistics, (3) How Members make decisions, (4) How does a bill
become a law? Not the way the textbooks say, (5) How does one lead
Congress? and (6) The Media and Congress. Participants will also gain
experience with The Center's educational Web site, CongressLink -
http://www.congresslink.org -- which features online access to lesson
plans, student activities, historical materials, related Web sites, and
subject matter experts. Throughout the program, participants will work
with national experts as well as colleagues from across the nation. This
combination of first-hand knowledge and peer-to-peer interaction will
present new ideas, materials, and a professionally enriching experience.

The workshop will take place from July 28 through July 31, 2003, on the
campus of Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois. Congress in the
Classroom is free to participants. Teachers who are selected for the
program will be required to post a $100 deposit which will be refunded
in full once they have completed the program. Participants also have the
option of purchasing one hour of graduate credit from Bradley
University. We expect the per hour charge for graduate credit to be from
$435 - $450.

Those teachers who are not selected for the program will have an
opportunity to register for the Web-based Congress in the Classroom
course.

The deadline for applications is March 15, 2003. Enrollment is
competitive and limited to thirty-five. Selection will be determined by
The Center. Individuals will be notified of their acceptance status by
April 1, 2003.

Take a look at The Dirksen Center Web site -
http://www.dirksencenter.org/progcongressinclassroom.htm#what -- to see
what participants say about the program. If you are interested in
registering for the Congress in the Classroom 2003 workshop, you can
complete an online registration form found at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/CiCapplication.htm

Greetings!

Thank you to everyone for their kind words and support for me in this WCPO
contest for which my students nominated me.  It's been heartening to hear
from people about the strong network of support we have within our NBCT
community.

The contest eliminated 3 more last night, and now the remaining 3 are
starting back at zero votes with the final winner being announced next Wed.
night, Feb. 19th.   Consequently, please feel free to vote again with a call
to (513) 852-4017, and/or on-line at:
http://www.wcpo.com/specials/2003/valentines/stories/bachelorette_poll.html

Many thanks!
Jane Jordan
jjordan@...
====================================================
e-mail:  jordan_j@...
http://www.hccanet.org/mhs/jjordan.html
====================================================

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<<< FINAL CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Congress in the Classroom 2003 >>>

*** DEADLINE: March 15, 2003 - Only 3 Days Remaining! ***

The Dirksen Congressional Center invites high school and college faculty
to attend Congress in the Classroom 2003, a national, award-winning
education program now in its eleventh year. The program is sponsored by
The Dirksen Congressional Center located in Pekin, Illinois, in
cooperation with Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, and is dedicated
to the exchange of ideas and information on teaching about Congress.

Congress in the Classroom is designed for secondary school teachers and
community college faculty who teach U.S. history, American government
civics, political science, social studies, or related subjects.

The 2003 program theme will be "An Overview of Congress." Individual
sessions and presenters for the program can be viewed at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/progcongressinclassroom.htm#titles

The workshop will take place from July 28 through July 31, 2003, on the
campus of Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois. Congress in the
Classroom is free to participants.

Those teachers who are not selected for the program will have an
opportunity to register for the Web-based Congress in the Classroom
course.

The deadline for applications is March 15, 2003. Enrollment is
competitive and limited to thirty-five. Selection will be determined by
The Center. Individuals will be notified of their acceptance status by
April 1, 2003.

Take a look at The Dirksen Center Web site -
http://www.dirksencenter.org/progcongressinclassroom.htm -- to learn
more and see what participants say about the program. If you are
interested in registering for the Congress in the Classroom 2003
workshop, you can complete an online registration form found at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/CiCapplication.htm

COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: March 2003

Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's "Communicator" - a
web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to
enhance civic education and improve the understanding of Congress --
http://www.webcommunicator.org

********************************************
NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
********************************************
<<< Congratulations! >>>

The Dirksen Center congratulates the 2003 Congressional Research Awards
recipients for receiving grants to study such topics as congressional
intervention in defense budgeting, congressional oversight of the
executive branch, and campaigns for the U.S. House. In addition,
historians will explore the culture of violence in Congress in the
antebellum years and the influence of incumbents in selecting
congressional candidates at the turn of the 20th century.

Recipients this year include Ph.D. candidates and faculty from the
University of California at Berkeley, the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, North Carolina State University, Yale University, the
University of Iowa, and Michigan State University, among others.

The Dirksen Center will distribute $35,862 in Congressional Research
Awards to eleven projects in 2003. Since 1978, The Center has awarded
over $585,000 to more than 315 research projects.

A complete list of this year's Congressional Research Award recipients
is posted at http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantcongresearchaward.htm

<<< Family Site of the Day >>>

World Village has cited Congress for Kids as the "Family Site of the
Day" -- http://www.worldvillage.com/sitereviews/family.html?id=2059

********************************************************
<<< THE ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS >>>

The Reapportionment Act of 1929 fixed the number of members of Congress
and recognized that adding more seats to the House as the population
grew would make it unwieldy. Resources posted on The Dirksen Center's
Web suite - http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org - will help your
students learn more about the organization and leadership of Congress.

Every ten years, after each federal census, adjustments are made in the
number of congressional districts - a process known as redistricting and
reapportionment. Our CongressLink featured lesson plan will teach
students about a census, help them understand the constitutional basis
for it, learn how the census relates to congressional reapportionment
process, and will help them understand and evaluate Democratic and
Republican census proposals. Find "The U.S. Census: Enumeration and
Representation" at: http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/census.html

State legislatures usually draw congressional district lines, but
federal courts sometimes draw districts when the original plans lose a
constitutional challenge. The majority party, to maximize the chances
for its candidates to win elections, often draws the boundaries.
Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts approved a bill in 1812
creating such an oddly shaped district that his critics called it a
"gerrymander." Learn more about gerrymandering and how it relates to the
reapportionment and redistricting of congressional seats by completing
the printable worksheet posted on Congress for Kids. Find "Congressional
Districts: 108th Congress" at:
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/houseofrep/2_legislativebranch.htm

Members of Congress represent their constituents in different ways once
elected to office. Some see themselves as delegates, obligated to vote
the way the majority of the people in their districts want. Others
consider themselves trustees, taking the views of their constituents
into account but using their own best judgment or their conscience to
vote. How do members of Congress make decisions about the votes they
cast? To answer this question, CongressLink presents an interactive
exercise using vectors that illustrates the process of congressional
decisions. Find the PowerPoint presentation, "Understanding
Congressional Decisions Through Vectors" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/sitefeatures.htm#decision

In elections, members of Congress have a clear advantage over
challengers who want to unseat them. Do your students know why sitting
members of Congress are almost always re-elected? Have them visit our
AboutGovernment hot link of the month to learn why. Find "Why Are
Sitting Members of Congress Almost Always Re-Elected?" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

The composition and powers of Congress and the qualifications necessary
for election are set forth by Article I of the U.S. Constitution --
http://www.congresslink.org/article1.htm Yet there is no legal or
constitutional job description for a member. Each one defines their
individual duties and priorities. Find "What Members of Congress Do"
at: http://www.congresslink.org/WhatMembersDo.htm

Newly elected members of the House of Representatives meet at the
beginning of each two-year congressional term to organize and select
their leaders. Members of both parties hold organizational meetings
where they elect their own leadership, adopt internal rules for how
their party will operate, and draft their version of the institutional
rules for the House. Find "Congressional Leadership Information" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/leadershipbasics.htm Teachers, you may want
to show your students what challenges congressional leaders face by
using the CongressLink lesson plan, "Making Congress Work Through
Leadership." Find this lesson at:
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/FMldr3.html

<<<Featured Project>>>

Our featured project this month is a $5,500 Michel Civic Education Grant
awarded to Susan Potter on behalf of the Washington State Historical
Society, the Olympia School District, and the Washington State
Redistricting Commission. Susan's project, "Redistricting and
Reapportionment: Curriculum Guide and Apportionment Game" is designed to
teach legislative and congressional redistricting and reapportionment to
students in grades 4 - 12 by developing a curriculum guide, a board
game, a Web site featuring a virtual game, and a video that addresses
the complex issues of redistricting and reapportionment. Learn more
about this project and others at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm#2001

Do you have a project? Submit a grant proposal! For more information
about how to submit a Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grants proposal,
please visit: http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm Final
proposals for our next round of competition must be received by May 1,
2003. If you have questions about the Robert H. Michel Civic Education
Grants, contact Frank Mackaman at mailto:fmackaman@...

<<< Learning Legislation Lingo >>>

1. The U.S. states of the Southwest and West have gained
representatives, and those of the Northeast and Midwest lost them,
through the process called _____ that followed the last few federal
censuses.

2. True or False: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states may not
place a legal limit on how many terms their elected congressional
representatives may serve.

3. Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed into law an 1812 elections bill that
included a salamander-shaped congressional district sure to elect
Republicans to office. As a result, strategically designed election
districts are now called _____s, and the act of drawing such districts
is called _____ing.

4. A representative who considers it his or her job to express the
district will of voters back home is often called a _____, whereas one
who emphasizes his or her own best judgment is often called a _____.

Answers to February's issue of "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" link here:
http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0203ans.htm

That's it for March! Spring is here! Encourage your colleagues to
subscribe to the Communicator. If you have questions, comments, or
suggestions, contact Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@...
Your feedback makes a difference!
***************************************************
NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over
10,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below
to help us with list editing:

TO CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: If your old address will become inactive,
unsubscribe using your old address, and follow the instructions below.
Your e-mail address will be deleted from our mailing list.

TO SUBSCRIBE to the Communicator, please follow these instructions: Send
an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase -
"subscribe Communicator" - in the body of the message. Your e-mail
address will be added to our mailing list.

TO UNSUBSCRIBE from the Communicator, please follow these instructions:
Send an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase
-"unsubscribe Communicator" -- in the body of the message. Your e-mail
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If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel at
mailto:ckoeppel@...

For Release:

CONTACT:
Frank H. Mackaman
The Dirksen Congressional Center
301 South 4th Street, Suite A
Pekin, IL 61554
309.347.7113
309.347.6432 FAX
mailto:fmackaman@...
http://www.dirksencenter.org

<<<Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grants Announcement>>>

***DEADLINE: May 1, 2003***

The Dirksen Congressional Center invites applications for grants
totaling $35,000 in the two selection rounds, October 2002 and May 2003,
to help teachers, curriculum developers, and others improve the quality
of civics instruction, with priority on the role of Congress in our
federal government. Areas of interest include designing lesson plans,
creating student activities, and applying instructional technology in
the classroom.

Teachers (4th through 12th grades), community college faculty, and
college and university faculty are eligible as are teacher-led student
teams and individuals who develop curriculum. Priority will be given to
the following disciplines: history, government, social studies,
political science, and education.

Institutions and organizations are eligible under certain conditions.
Inter-institutional consortia and other groups of individuals may apply,
but grant funds may not be used to defray indirect costs or overhead
expenses. The funds are intended solely to produce "deliverables" of use
to classroom teachers.

Final proposals must be e-mailed or postmarked by no later than May 1,
2003. Complete information about eligibility and application procedures,
can be found at The Center's Web site --
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm  The Center does not
provide an application form. You may find it helpful to review the
sample grant proposal at --
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelcivicsample.htm  Frank Mackaman
is the program officer -- mailto:fmackaman@...

The Center, named for the late Senate Minority Leader Everett M.
Dirksen, is a private, non-partisan, nonprofit research and educational
organization devoted to the study of Congress and its leaders. The
Center created the Michel Civic Education Grants to fund practical
classroom strategies to improve the quality of teaching and learning
about civics, with a particular emphasis on the role of Congress in the
federal government. The goal of education in civics, we believe, is
informed, responsible participation in political life by competent
citizens. Current levels of political knowledge, political engagement,
and political enthusiasm leave much to be desired. Part of the solution
rests in better instructional practices.

COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: April 2003

Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's "Communicator" - a
web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to
enhance civic education and improve the understanding of Congress --
http://www.webcommunicator.org

********************************************
NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
********************************************

<<<Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grants>>>

***DEADLINE: May 1, 2003***

The Dirksen Congressional Center invites applications for grants
totaling $35,000 in the two selection rounds, October 2002 and May 2003,
to help teachers, curriculum developers, and others improve the quality
of civics instruction, with priority on the role of Congress in our
federal government. Areas of interest include designing lesson plans,
creating student activities, and applying instructional technology in
the classroom.

Teachers (4th through 12th grades), community college faculty, and
college and university faculty are eligible as are teacher-led student
teams and individuals who develop curriculum. Priority will be given to
the following disciplines: history, government, social studies,
political science, and education.

Institutions and organizations are eligible under certain conditions.
Inter-institutional consortia and other groups of individuals may apply,
but grant funds may not be used to defray indirect costs or overhead
expenses. The funds are intended solely to produce "deliverables" of use
to classroom teachers.

Final proposals must be e-mailed or postmarked by no later than May 1,
2003. Complete information about eligibility and application procedures
can be found at The Center's Web site --
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm. The Center does not
provide an application form. You may find it helpful to review the
sample grant proposal at --
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelcivicsample.htm. Frank Mackaman
is the program officer -- mailto:fmackaman@...

<<< Congratulations CongressLink! >>>

"Tech Learning: The Resource for Education Technology Leaders" -
selected CongressLink as the site of the day based on its functionality,
content, design and organization, and use of technology. Find this
citation:
www.techlearning.com/content/outlook/webpicks/archive/2003/3-10.html
Selection criteria can be found at:
http://www.techlearning.com/content/outlook/webpicks/criteria.html

<<< Clickschooling Citation >>>

"Clickschooling: Curriculum Ideas for Homeschoolers" - searches the
Internet to recommend one educational Web site each day: Monday-Math;
Tuesday-Science; Wednesday-Language Arts; Thursday-History and Social
Studies; Friday-Virtual Field Trips, and Weekends are for electives -
art, music, foreign languages, and more. Congress for Kids, falling
under the history and social studies category, was recommended as the
site of the day on March 13.

********************************************************
<<< Government Printing Office -- GPO >>>

The United States government is well represented on the Internet. Many
government agencies have designed Web sites to disseminate information
and advertise products and services. Physical access to U.S. Government
Documents is important. In the age of the Internet, the complexity of
access can be navigated and achieved with the assistance of resources
posted on The Dirksen Center's Web suite -
http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org.

U.S. government documents are essential in supporting teaching and
research in many academic departments, schools, and programs. Through
the Government Printing Office (GPO) and its predecessor agencies, the
government provides online access to a variety of information since
1790. Find our AboutGovernment hot link, "Government Printing Office
(GPO)" at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

"GPO Access" is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).
It links the public, at not cost, to electronic information available
from all three branches of the federal government. This reliable and
timely service can be found at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/. "GPO
Access" includes the Congress Record, the official daily record of the
floor proceedings of the House and Senate. It reports on all floor
debates, including material submitted by the members in support of their
positions on various bills and issues of the day. The GPO publishes the
Congressional Record and offers an online, searchable database for 1995,
1996, and 1997. Find "The Congressional Record via GPO Access" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/websites.htm

"GPO Access" also contains over 1,900 databases. Those that pertain to
Congress are listed below:

(1) Congressional Bills - Contains all published versions of each bill
of Congress

(2) Congressional Directory - The official directory of the U.S.
Congress, prepared by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP).

(3) Congressional Hearings - Meetings of a committee or subcommittee to
take testimony in order to gather information and opinions on proposed
legislation, conduct an investigation, or review the operation or other
aspects of a federal agency or program.

(4) Congressional Record - The official record of the debates and
proceedings of the House and Senate.

(5) Congressional Record Index - Serves as the index to the
"Congressional Record."

(6) GAO Reports - Contain reports on audits, surveys, investigations,
and evaluations of federal programs conducted by the General Accounting
Office (GAO).

(7) History of Bills - Lists legislative actions on bills that are
reported in the "Congressional Record."

(8) House Journal - The official record of proceedings of each
legislative day in the House of Representatives.

(9) Public Laws - Contains laws signed by the President.

(10) United States Code - The codification by subject matter of the
general and permanent laws of the United States.

To link to resources that detail these legislative applications, find
"Government Printing Office" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/websites.htm

Teachers can use many of these sources in combination. For example, the
Congressional Bills, History of Bills, Congressional Record, Public
Laws, and United States Code sources can be used to obtain a detailed
history of a bill. The "GPO Access" Training Manual is available on the
Internet in PDF format and includes a section that demonstrates how
various sources relate to each other. On page 47 of this training
manual, you will find an example of how to use "GPO Access" to obtain to
detailed history of a bill or to track legislation currently proposed in
Congress. Download the training manual at:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/help/trainingbk/index.html

Teachers, do your students know that the executive branch of our
government is made up of more than two hundred different agencies and
corporations? These agencies and corporations administer government
programs in all areas of American life. We know many of these agencies
and corporations by their acronyms. Have your students polish up their
familiarity with the acronyms' names by taking the "Acquired American
Acronyms" quiz on Congress for Kids at:
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/executivebranch/2_execbranch.htm

<<< Featured Project >>>

This month our featured project is a $4,000 Robert H. Michel Civic
Education Grant awarded to Plainville High School in Connecticut. This
project, "Curriculum Units for Civics and American Government Courses,"
developed a comprehensive concept-based curriculum for both the civics
course and the American government course at Plainville High School.
Each curriculum unit will include Performance Based Learning and
Assessment tasks that engage students in learning about government.
Teachers will be able to determine what the students know and how they
apply their knowledge about the critical concepts in civics and
government. Learn more about this project and others at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm#2002

Do you have a project? Submit a grant proposal! For more information
about how to submit a Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grants proposal,
please visit: http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm

<<< Department Dim or Agency Able? >>>

1. What U.S. government department or agency gathers strategic
information about other countries, evaluates it, and passes it on to the
president?

A) General Services Administration
B) Central Intelligence Agency
C) Environmental Protection Agency
D) Bureau of Labor Statistics

2. Lobbyists for school administrators try writing letters, testifying
at agency hearings, and other ways to influence the decisions of what
U.S. government department or agency?

A) Department of Labor
B) Commerce Department
C) Department of Education
D) Food and Drug Administration

3. The United States Secret Service, which provides protection for the
president, vice president, and other officials, is a branch of the
_____.

A) Department of Justice
B) Department of Treasury
C) Department of Defense
D) Department of Labor

4. The main difference between private and government corporations is
that _____

A) One has a board of directors and the other has executive officers.
B) Investors support private corporations and Congress supports
government corporations.
C) One reinvests profits and the other returns them to taxpayers.
D) Private corporations are flexible and government corporations are
rigid.

Answers to the March issue of "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" link here:
http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0303ans.htm

That's all for April! Encourage your colleagues to subscribe to the
Communicator. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, contact
Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@... Your feedback makes a
difference!
***************************************************
NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over
10,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below
to help us with list editing:

TO CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: If your old address will become inactive,
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Send an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase
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COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: April 2003

Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's "Communicator" - a
web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to
enhance civic education and improve the understanding of Congress --
http://www.webcommunicator.org

********************************************
NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
********************************************

<<<Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grants>>>

***DEADLINE: May 1, 2003***

The Dirksen Congressional Center invites applications for grants
totaling $35,000 in the two selection rounds, October 2002 and May 2003,
to help teachers, curriculum developers, and others improve the quality
of civics instruction, with priority on the role of Congress in our
federal government. Areas of interest include designing lesson plans,
creating student activities, and applying instructional technology in
the classroom.

Teachers (4th through 12th grades), community college faculty, and
college and university faculty are eligible as are teacher-led student
teams and individuals who develop curriculum. Priority will be given to
the following disciplines: history, government, social studies,
political science, and education.

Institutions and organizations are eligible under certain conditions.
Inter-institutional consortia and other groups of individuals may apply,
but grant funds may not be used to defray indirect costs or overhead
expenses. The funds are intended solely to produce "deliverables" of use
to classroom teachers.

Final proposals must be e-mailed or postmarked by no later than May 1,
2003. Complete information about eligibility and application procedures
can be found at The Center's Web site --
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm. The Center does not
provide an application form. You may find it helpful to review the
sample grant proposal at --
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelcivicsample.htm. Frank Mackaman
is the program officer -- mailto:fmackaman@...

<<< Congratulations CongressLink! >>>

"Tech Learning: The Resource for Education Technology Leaders" -
selected CongressLink as the site of the day based on its functionality,
content, design and organization, and use of technology. Find this
citation:
www.techlearning.com/content/outlook/webpicks/archive/2003/3-10.html
Selection criteria can be found at:
http://www.techlearning.com/content/outlook/webpicks/criteria.html

<<< Clickschooling Citation >>>

"Clickschooling: Curriculum Ideas for Homeschoolers" - searches the
Internet to recommend one educational Web site each day: Monday-Math;
Tuesday-Science; Wednesday-Language Arts; Thursday-History and Social
Studies; Friday-Virtual Field Trips, and Weekends are for electives -
art, music, foreign languages, and more. Congress for Kids, falling
under the history and social studies category, was recommended as the
site of the day on March 13.

********************************************************
<<< Government Printing Office -- GPO >>>

The United States government is well represented on the Internet. Many
government agencies have designed Web sites to disseminate information
and advertise products and services. Physical access to U.S. Government
Documents is important. In the age of the Internet, the complexity of
access can be navigated and achieved with the assistance of resources
posted on The Dirksen Center's Web suite -
http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org.

U.S. government documents are essential in supporting teaching and
research in many academic departments, schools, and programs. Through
the Government Printing Office (GPO) and its predecessor agencies, the
government provides online access to a variety of information since
1790. Find our AboutGovernment hot link, "Government Printing Office
(GPO)" at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

"GPO Access" is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).
It links the public, at not cost, to electronic information available
from all three branches of the federal government. This reliable and
timely service can be found at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/. "GPO
Access" includes the Congress Record, the official daily record of the
floor proceedings of the House and Senate. It reports on all floor
debates, including material submitted by the members in support of their
positions on various bills and issues of the day. The GPO publishes the
Congressional Record and offers an online, searchable database for 1995,
1996, and 1997. Find "The Congressional Record via GPO Access" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/websites.htm

"GPO Access" also contains over 1,900 databases. Those that pertain to
Congress are listed below:

(1) Congressional Bills - Contains all published versions of each bill
of Congress

(2) Congressional Directory - The official directory of the U.S.
Congress, prepared by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP).

(3) Congressional Hearings - Meetings of a committee or subcommittee to
take testimony in order to gather information and opinions on proposed
legislation, conduct an investigation, or review the operation or other
aspects of a federal agency or program.

(4) Congressional Record - The official record of the debates and
proceedings of the House and Senate.

(5) Congressional Record Index - Serves as the index to the
"Congressional Record."

(6) GAO Reports - Contain reports on audits, surveys, investigations,
and evaluations of federal programs conducted by the General Accounting
Office (GAO).

(7) History of Bills - Lists legislative actions on bills that are
reported in the "Congressional Record."

(8) House Journal - The official record of proceedings of each
legislative day in the House of Representatives.

(9) Public Laws - Contains laws signed by the President.

(10) United States Code - The codification by subject matter of the
general and permanent laws of the United States.

To link to resources that detail these legislative applications, find
"Government Printing Office" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/websites.htm

Teachers can use many of these sources in combination. For example, the
Congressional Bills, History of Bills, Congressional Record, Public
Laws, and United States Code sources can be used to obtain a detailed
history of a bill. The "GPO Access" Training Manual is available on the
Internet in PDF format and includes a section that demonstrates how
various sources relate to each other. On page 47 of this training
manual, you will find an example of how to use "GPO Access" to obtain to
detailed history of a bill or to track legislation currently proposed in
Congress. Download the training manual at:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/help/trainingbk/index.html

Teachers, do your students know that the executive branch of our
government is made up of more than two hundred different agencies and
corporations? These agencies and corporations administer government
programs in all areas of American life. We know many of these agencies
and corporations by their acronyms. Have your students polish up their
familiarity with the acronyms' names by taking the "Acquired American
Acronyms" quiz on Congress for Kids at:
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/executivebranch/2_execbranch.htm

<<< Featured Project >>>

This month our featured project is a $4,000 Robert H. Michel Civic
Education Grant awarded to Plainville High School in Connecticut. This
project, "Curriculum Units for Civics and American Government Courses,"
developed a comprehensive concept-based curriculum for both the civics
course and the American government course at Plainville High School.
Each curriculum unit will include Performance Based Learning and
Assessment tasks that engage students in learning about government.
Teachers will be able to determine what the students know and how they
apply their knowledge about the critical concepts in civics and
government. Learn more about this project and others at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm#2002

Do you have a project? Submit a grant proposal! For more information
about how to submit a Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grants proposal,
please visit: http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm

<<< Department Dim or Agency Able? >>>

1. What U.S. government department or agency gathers strategic
information about other countries, evaluates it, and passes it on to the
president?

A) General Services Administration
B) Central Intelligence Agency
C) Environmental Protection Agency
D) Bureau of Labor Statistics

2. Lobbyists for school administrators try writing letters, testifying
at agency hearings, and other ways to influence the decisions of what
U.S. government department or agency?

A) Department of Labor
B) Commerce Department
C) Department of Education
D) Food and Drug Administration

3. The United States Secret Service, which provides protection for the
president, vice president, and other officials, is a branch of the
_____.

A) Department of Justice
B) Department of Treasury
C) Department of Defense
D) Department of Labor

4. The main difference between private and government corporations is
that _____

A) One has a board of directors and the other has executive officers.
B) Investors support private corporations and Congress supports
government corporations.
C) One reinvests profits and the other returns them to taxpayers.
D) Private corporations are flexible and government corporations are
rigid.

Answers to the March issue of "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" link here:
http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0303ans.htm

That's all for April! Encourage your colleagues to subscribe to the
Communicator. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, contact
Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@... Your feedback makes a
difference!
***************************************************
NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over
10,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below
to help us with list editing:

TO CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: If your old address will become inactive,
unsubscribe using your old address, and follow the instructions below.
Your e-mail address will be deleted from our mailing list.

TO SUBSCRIBE to the Communicator, please follow these instructions: Send
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Send an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase
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If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel at
mailto:ckoeppel@...

COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: May 2003

Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's "Communicator" - a
web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to
enhance civic education and improve the understanding of Congress --
http://www.webcommunicator.org

********************************************
NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
********************************************

<<< Construction Progress >>>

On February 11, 2002, The Dirksen Congressional Center announced plans
to build a new facility in Pekin, Illinois. On May 23, 2002, the Board
of Directors approved schematics for the building.

Find:

Plans for the new facility:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/dcbuildingprojectplans.htm
View an artist's renderings of the building:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/dcbuildingprojectpix.htm.
Project schedule:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/dcbuildingprojectschedule.htm
Construction progress:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/dcbuildingprojectconstruction.htm

<<< Join The Dirksen Center Friends! >>>

The Dirksen Congressional Center is pleased to offer an opportunity for
you to join "The Dirksen Center Friends." Your $25 annual dues will
support the work of The Dirksen Congressional Center, a non-partisan,
not-for-profit organization that conducts educational and research
programs for scholars, teachers, and students.

Join now and enjoy the benefits listed at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/friends.htm Instructions for becoming a
Dirksen Center Friend can be found at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/friends-membershipform.htm

Thank you for your support!

********************************************************

<<< The Work of Congressional Committees >>>

Much of the work of Congress is done in committees. This is where bills
are sent after they are introduced, hearings are held, and the first
votes on proposed laws are taken. Visit The Dirksen Center's Web suite -
http://www.webcommunicator.org - to find resources that will help your
students examine the role that congressional committees play in the
legislative process of the U.S. Congress.

The Dirksen Center asked leading American political scientist Charles O.
Jones to identify the ten most important points that a high school
student should know about Congress. Find item 7 in Professor Jones's
list, along with questions and activities that can be used in the
classroom to illustrate his point that committees are important in both
chambers for preparing bills and why they are especially critical in the
House of Representatives. Find this item listed in "What Every Student
Should Know About Congress" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/actfour.html#Item%207

There are four different types of congressional committees, (1)
standing, (2) select, (3) joint, and (4) conference. Visit
AboutGovernment to learn more about the structure of the committee
system. Find "Committee Types and Roles" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/legislativebranch.htm

The official legislative process begins when a bill or resolution is
numbered and is referred to a committee. CongressLink posts information,
adapted from "Congress at Your Fingertips" from Capital Advantage, that
will help your students understand how our laws are made including
committee action. Find "How Our Laws Are Made: Short Version" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/lawsshort.html

The number of congressional subcommittees grew in the 20th century, and
the explosion of interest groups means there are many more organizations
trying to influence policy in the same area. The increase in interest
groups and congressional subcommittees has led political scientists to
think of these subsystems as issue networks rather than "iron
triangles". What are "iron triangles"? Introduce our CongressLink
featured lesson plan to help your students learn about iron triangles
and understand how issue networks are formed at the federal level. Find
"Iron Triangles" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/JJIronTriangles.htm

The increase in subcommittees has made it possible for interest groups
to deal with fewer legislators in pressing their position.
CongressLink's "Related Lesson Plans" highlights the best lessons on the
Web about Congress. One related lesson plan introduces students to the
nature of the legislative process and helps them understand how
committees and subcommittees help determine the outcome of this process
by deciding which bills the full Congress will consider and by shaping
the legislation upon which votes are finally cast. Find "Congressional
Committees and the Legislative Process" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/RelatedLessons.htm

Once a bill is written, you have to keep your eye on it because it
starts to move. Sometimes a bill moves quickly, other times it moves
slowly. You always have to be on your toes if you're going to follow it
all the way until it becomes a law. Teachers, do your students know how
a bill becomes a law? Are they aware of committee action in the process?
Help your students learn that there is a definite process by introducing
"Bills on the Move" found on Congress for Kids. Find this interactive
exercise at:
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/makinglaws/2_makinglaws.htm

<<< Featured Project >>>

Conference committees play a key role in the legislative process, but
the literature on them remains relatively sparse. This month our
featured project is a Congressional Research Award of $2,558 granted to
Eric Hines from the University of Iowa. This study, "Strategic
Appointments to Conference Committees in the U.S. Congress," examines
conferee selection to find the conditions under which party leaders make
strategic appointments to conference committees. Learn more about this
project and others at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantcongresearchaward.htm#Grntrecipient00

<<< Committee Witty? >>>

1. Legislation that has been passed in different forms by each chamber
is reconciled into a single bill by...

A) standing committees
B) select committees
C) special committees
D) conference committees
E) secret committees

2. The House committee with primary jurisdiction over tax law is...

A) Appropriations
B) Financial Services
C) Ways and Means
D) Finance Committee

3. What specific kinds of bills can be introduced only in the House of
Representatives?

*** 20 Minute Activity ***

Teachers prepare a worksheet: List the different committees in the
Senate and House of Representatives. It should also list various bill
proposals. Pass out worksheets and have students match the bill to the
committee they would assign to it. Discuss answers as a class.

Answers to the April issue of "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" link here:
http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0403ans.htm

Have a great summer! Encourage your colleagues to subscribe to the
Communicator. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, contact
Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@... Your feedback makes a
difference!

**************************************************
NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over
10,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below
to help us with list editing:

TO CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: If your old address will become inactive,
unsubscribe using your old address, and follow the instructions below.
Your e-mail address will be deleted from our mailing list.

TO SUBSCRIBE to the Communicator, please follow these instructions: Send
an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase -
"subscribe Communicator" - in the body of the message. Your e-mail
address will be added to our mailing list.

TO UNSUBSCRIBE from the Communicator, please follow these instructions:
Send an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase
-"unsubscribe Communicator" -- in the body of the message. Your e-mail
address will be deleted from our mailing list.

If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel at
mailto:ckoeppel@...

COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: June 2003

Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's "Communicator" - a
web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to
enhance civic education and improve the understanding of Congress --
http://www.webcommunicator.org

********************************************
NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
********************************************

<<< Congratulations! >>>

The Dirksen Center congratulates teachers from all across the United
States for being selected to participate in our national, award-winning
education program, Congress in the Classroom 2003. The program is now
in its eleventh year and is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and
information on teaching about Congress.

The Center selected 33 teachers from a total of 189 applications this
year. We have invited 13 men and 20 women with classroom experience
ranging from first year to 34 years.

A list of this year's participants:
www.dirksencenter.org/progcongressinclassroom.htm#participants2003

For those whom The Center did not select, we offered the option of
taking the online version of the workshop found at:
http://www.congressclass.org. Anyone may take the course either for
information or for certification.

<<< Civic Education Grant Winners >>>

Congratulations to the following Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grants
winners for the May 2003 round of competition:

* Jeff Aas, Bemidji High School, Bemidji, MN, "Teaching with Technology:
The U.S. Constitution on CD" - funded at $2,910

* Alan Rosenthal, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers, the State
University of New Jersey, "Teaching Democracy Appreciation" - funded at
$5,000

* Yvonne Marie Andes, Global SchoolNet, Encinitas, CA, "Power of the
Purse" - funded at $4,950

* Deborah Aufdenspring, MIT Academy High School, Vallejo, CA,
"Destination D.C." - funded at $3,300

* Drew E. VandeCreek, Northern Illinois University Libraries
Digitization Unit, Dekalb, IL, "Congress and Great Issues of the Gilded
Age" - funded at $5,000

Learn more about these grant projects and others at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm#RecentGrants

Do you have a project? Submit a grant proposal! For more information
about how to submit a Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grants proposal,
please visit: http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm. The
Dirksen Congressional Center intends to award $35,000 in 2004, with May
1 the deadline for proposals. If you have questions about the Robert H.
Michel Civic Education Grants, contact Frank Mackaman at
mailto:fmackaman@....

<<< Congress for Kids is Everywhere! >>>

Congress for Kids - http://www.congressforkids.net - has recently
received recognition for design and educational excellence from such
organizations as the American Library Association, the "Journal of
Homeschooling," ClassBrain.com, FunHouse, and KidsClick!, among others.
The Dirksen Center also learned in May that the U.S. Embassy in Russia
posts a link to Congress for Kids on its Web site!

<<< The Powers of the President >>>

Representing a significant departure from the Articles of Confederation,
the Constitution established an executive branch headed by a president.
Visit The Dirksen Center's Web suite -
http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org -- to find resources that will
help your students recognize and distinguish the president's formal and
informal powers and duties and learn more about the president's role in
the executive branch.

The Constitution grants a few specific powers to the president, in
contrast to the many powers it gives Congress. Article II of the
Constitution relates to the method of election, term and qualifications
for office, and procedures for succession and impeachment rather than
what the president can do. Find the online version of Article II on
CongressLink at: http://www.congresslink.org/artcl2.html

The president has the authority to negotiate treaties with other
nations. Teachers, do your students know about these formal
international agreements? If not, introduce them to the hyperlinked
definition of this CongressLink-hosted term at:
http://www.congresslink.org/glossary.html#T

The president selects many people to serve the government in a wide
range of offices. More than 2,000 of these positions require
confirmation or approval by the Senate under the "advice and consent"
provision of the Constitution. Learn more about presidential
appointments. Find "Presidential Appointments - ThisNation.com" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/executivebranch.htm#powers

The president is authorized to propose legislation. The president's
veto power is an important check on Congress. By introducing our
CongressLink featured lesson plan, students will be able to summarize
the veto and override process as outlined in the U.S. Constitution and
used by the executive and legislative branches. They will also be able
to research and graph the correlation among the political control of the
respective branches, bills introduced, and the number of vetoes and
overrides. Find "The Veto Process" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/CKVeto.html

The power to grant pardons, except impeachment, is also given to the
president. Our AboutGovernment hot link is a comprehensive non-partisan
guide to presidential pardons and clemency actions since 1789 hosted by
the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Find "Presidential Pardons"
at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/executivebranch.htm#powers

<<< Featured Project >>>

Presidents have signed executive agreements with other countries to
conduct foreign policy that do not require Senate action. The Supreme
Court ruled that these agreements are within the inherent powers of the
president. This month our featured project is a Congressional Research
Award of $3,479 granted to Jeffrey S. Peake from Bowling Green State
University and Glen S. Krutz from the University of Oklahoma. Their
project, "Presidential-Congressional Relations on International
Agreements, 1949-2000," seeks to explain in a systematic fashion why
presidents increasingly use executive agreements rather than treaties
and the variation in treaty ratification success in the Senate. Learn
more about this project and others at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantcongresearchaward.htm#Grntrecipient00

*NEW* Numerous limits placed on the presidency have not been sufficient
enough to prevent the powers and role of the president from expanding
dramatically over the last two centuries. The trend throughout the 20th
century has been to increase presidential powers at the expense of
Congress. Help your students learn more about the powers of the
president by introducing the interactive vocabulary practice quiz posted
on Congress for Kids. Find "The Powers of the President" at:
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/executivebranch/2_execbranch.htm

<<< President's Power Puzzler >>>

1. Overriding a presidential veto requires a _____ fraction of the vote
in each chamber of the Congress.

2. Why do presidents often use executive agreements rather than treaties
when negotiating with foreign powers?

A) Executive agreements don't require the assistance of the Department
of State; treaties do.
B) Executive agreements don't require Senate approval; treaties do.
C) Executive agreements can be issued in secret; treaties must be
publicized.
D) Foreign powers have more confidence in America's executive
agreements.

Answers to the May issue of "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" link here:
http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0503ans.htm

See you in July! Encourage your colleagues to subscribe to the
Communicator. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, contact
Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@.... Your feedback makes
a difference!
***************************************************
NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over
11,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below
to help us with list editing:

TO CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: If your old address will become inactive,
unsubscribe using your old address, and follow the instructions below.
Your e-mail address will be deleted from our mailing list.

TO SUBSCRIBE to the Communicator, please follow these instructions: Send
an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase -
"subscribe Communicator" - in the body of the message. Your e-mail
address will be added to our mailing list.

TO UNSUBSCRIBE from the Communicator, please follow these instructions:
Send an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@... with the phrase
-"unsubscribe Communicator" -- in the body of the message. Your e-mail
address will be deleted from our mailing list.

If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel at
mailto:ckoeppel@...

COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: July 2003

Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's "Communicator" - a
web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to
enhance civic education and improve the understanding of Congress --
http://www.webcommunicator.org

********************************************
NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
********************************************

<<< CongressLink: A Popular Feature on Congressional Web Sites >>>

If you visit the House of Representatives Web site -
http://www.house.gov - and enter CongressLink in the search box, you
will wind up with 172,479 hits! A random check of the sites of
individual members shows that CongressLink appears on every one as a
basic resource about the people's branch of government. The word is
getting out!

<<< Link Popularity - Congress for Kids >>>

The Philadelphia Inquirer has cited Congress for Kids under "Web Sites
About the Constitution" --
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/special_packages/constitution_ce
nter/6169005.htm

(If broken, COPY and PASTE the entire link above)

FamilyFirst.com, a site for family-friendly Web site reviews, has
reviewed over 2000 sites since 1995. Congress for Kids -
http://www.congressforkids.net - was recently reviewed and included in
their "Government" section --
http://www.familyfirst.com/archives/cat_government.html

AskEric includes Congress for Kids as a useful Internet resource for
their lesson plan, "Our Country, Our Constitution" --
http://askeric.org/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/US_Government/GOV0204.
Html

(If broken, COPY and PASTE the entire link above)

********************************************

<<< The Functions of the President >>>

The president of the United State has several duties. The Constitution
spells out some of them; other have evolved over time. How a president
performs these roles depends on his personality, his view of the role of
government, and the situation facing him.

For basic information about presidential duties (and their relationship
to congressional action), link to Article II in CongressLink's online
version of the U.S. Constitution at:
http://www.congresslink.org/artcl2.html

This month's featured lesson plan looks at the relationship between the
president and Congress in the conduct of foreign policy. Although the
president is often described as the nation's "Chief Diplomat," what role
does Congress play in the formulation and development of foreign policy?
Link to "What in the World Should Congress Do?" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/MEDforeignpolicy.html

In diplomacy and domestic policy, a president can sometimes get around
Congress by issuing executive orders. Learn more about these legally
binding actions, find "What is an Executive Order? -- ThisNation.com"
at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/executivebranch.htm#functions

*NEW* Because of court decisions, customs, laws, and other developments,
the president's role has greatly expanded over the years due to his
responsibilities and powers. Teachers, to help your students remember
the achievements and roles of some of America's presidents have them
take the game show quiz found on Congress for Kids. Find "American
Presidency Game Show Quiz" at:
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/executivebranch/2_execbranch.htm

<<< Featured Grant-Funded Project >>>

In addition to setting the moral tone for the nation and performing
specific government functions, the president serves as the "titular
head" of a political party. A president is expected to support the
party's platform, help raise money for the party, and campaign for the
party's candidates. This month our featured project is a Congressional
Research Award of $3,500 granted to Casey Byrne Knudsen Dominguez from
the University of California at Berkeley. Casey's
project, "Before the Primary: Party Participation in Congressional
Elections," investigates party elites' motivations
for supporting congressional primary candidates. Learn more about this
project and others at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantcongresearchaward.htm#Grntrecipient00

<<< Role Riddles >>>

1. Which of the following is NOT a formal, constitutionally based role
of the president:

A. Chief of the Judiciary
B. Chief Diplomat
C. Chief Legislator
D. Commander in Chief
E. None of the above

2. One of the president's most important ceremonial duties as head of
state is...

A. Serving as host to visiting heads of government.
B. Meeting celebrities such as musicians.
C. Throwing out the first ball of the baseball season.
D. Lighting the national Christmas tree.

3. True or False: The Employment Act of 1946 gave the president the new
duty of controlling prices and wages by using 90-day freezes.

Answers to the June issue of "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" link here:
http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0603ans.htm

Hope you are enjoying your summer! Encourage your colleagues to
subscribe to the Communicator. If you have questions, comments, or
suggestions, contact Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@...
Your feedback makes a difference!

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