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
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NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
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Congress in the Classroom® 2003 -- A Success!
There are many elements that go into a successful program, but
the key element to The Dirksen Congressional Center's national,
award-winning education program, Congress in the Classroom®,
is the participation and collaboration among the teachers who
attend the program.
Congress in the Classroom® is dedicated to the exchange
of ideas and information on teaching about Congress. The 2003
program theme was An Overview of Congress.
Read what our participants had to say about the 2003 program: http://www.dirksencenter.org/progcongressinclassroom.htm#what
NEW RESOURCE: Campaign 2004
For links to the most informative Internet sites about the 2004
presidential campaign, visit CongressLink's Campaign
2004 at: http://www.congresslink.org/Campaign2004.htm.
Organization of the Executive Branch
The Constitution gives practically no direction on the organization
of the executive branch but does mention "executive departments," which
became the basis for the cabinet.
The president does not develop policies or make all executive
decisions alone. Presidents rely on a large staff based in the
White House to handle a wide range of administrative tasks from
policymaking to speechwriting. For information about salary and
retirement benefits of federal employees, including members of
Congress and the president and his cabinet, visit AboutGovernment.
Find Salaries and Retirement Benefits of U.S. Presidents
and other Federal Government Employees provided by the
Internet Public Library at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/presidents.htm
Introduce our CongressLink featured lesson to help
students understand that although the president relies primarily
on the White House staff for advice, he also turns to members
of the cabinet for advice in areas of expertise. Find WebQuest:
A Simulated Cabinet Meeting at: http://www.congresslink.org/WebQuests/WebQuestIndex.htm
Life in the cabinet room includes many debates and discussions.
Take a look at the history of the Cabinet Room and watch Chief
of Staff Andrew Card's tour of the Cabinet Room. Find Life
in the Cabinet Room - Debates and Decisions at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/cabinet.htm
Why does the president need a cabinet? Have your students find
out by reading the information and completing the tasks about
the president's cabinet. Find Why Does the President
Need a Cabinet? at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/execbranch_cabinet/2_executivebranch_cabinet.htm
The president has a sizeable staff, of course, but Congress
members have staff, too. To help your students learn about staff
positions in Congress, have them visit CongressLink.
Find Congressional Staff Positions at: http://www.congresslink.org/staff.html
Featured Grant-Funded Project
This month our featured grant-funded project is a Congressional
Research Award of $3,500 granted to Keith W. Smith from
the University of California at Berkeley. Keith's project, Styles
of Oversight: How Congress Oversees the Executive Branch,
seeks to understand the kinds of oversight activities committees
engage in and why they do so. Learn more about this project
and others at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantcongresearchaward.htm#Grntrecipient00
Executive Branch Enigma
1. What are the four agencies that make up the president's office?
2. Former Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins (1880-1965) was
the first woman to be appointed to a presidential cabinet. Which
leader did she serve under?
A) Franklin D. Roosevelt
B) John F. Kennedy
C) Calvin Coolidge
Answers to the July issue of Fun, Facts, and Trivia link
here: http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0703ans.htm
Welcome back to school! Encourage your colleagues to subscribe
to the Communicator. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions,
contact Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@dirksencenter.org Your
feedback makes a difference!
If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel
at mailto:ckoeppel@dirksencenter.org. |
