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

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1. People Who Served in Congress
2. Congress Defined
3. Grants: Congressional Research Awards
4. *New* Why Do We Need a Congress Anyway?
5. *New* Cartoons & Related Lesson Plans
6. *New* What Every New Senator Should Know About The U.S. Senate
7. *New* VoteHelp
8. Elections: Your Adventure in Politics, Trivia, & Something to Think About
9. Postscript Information

1. PEOPLE WHO SERVED IN CONGRESS
Sketches of famous and not-so-famous Senators and Representatives

John N. Heiskell (D-AR). Heiskell has the distinction of being the first person appointed to the Senate following the adoption of the 17th amendment to the Constitution in 1913 which established direct election of senators and spelled out the means of filling vacant Senate seats. If a vacancy occurs due to a senator's death, resignation, or expulsion, the 17th Amendment allows state legislatures to empower the governor to appoint a replacement to complete the term or to hold office until a special election can take place (there are variations on this theme in some states).

Heiskell, who replaced Jeff Davis who died in office, served only twenty-three days, from January 6 to January 29, 1913, when his successor was elected. Heiskell did not run for the post and returned to his career as a newspaper editor and owner in Arkansas.

Sources:

Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress: http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000457

U.S. Senate Web site: http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/senators_appointed.htm

2. CONGRESS DEFINED
Words and phrases that describe congressional processes

Oath of Office. At the start of each new Congress, in January of every odd-numbered year, the membership of the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate takes the following oath: . I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

For information about the history of the oath, visit http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Oath_Office.htm

3. GRANTS: CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH AWARDS

DEADLINE: All proposals must be received no later than February 1, 2008.

The Dirksen Congressional Center invites applications for grants to fund research on congressional leadership and the U.S. Congress. A total of up to $30,000 will be available in 2008. Awards range from a few hundred dollars to $3,500.

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 who have successfully defended their dissertation prospectus to apply and awards a significant portion of the funds for dissertation research.

The awards program does not fund undergraduate or pre-Ph.D. study. Organizations are not eligible. Research teams of two or more individuals are eligible. No institutional overhead or indirect costs may be claimed against a Congressional Research Award.

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. Applications which exceed the page limit and incomplete applications will NOT be forwarded to the screening committee for consideration.

All application materials must be received on or before February 1, 2008. Awards will be announced in March 2008. Complete information about eligibility and application procedures may be found at The Center's Web site: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_grants_CRAs.htm. Frank Mackaman is the program officer -- fmackaman@dirksencenter.org.

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 $680,000 to support 350 projects.

4. * NEW LESSON PLAN * WHY DO WE NEED A CONGRESS ANYWAY?

During our annual Congress in the Classroom® workshop –– http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm –– participants are asked to introduce the lesson plans, resources, and techniques that have proven successful in teaching about Congress in their classrooms. A 2006 participant, James Athey, Milford Middle School, Milford, DE, presented his lesson entitled, "Why Do We Need a Congress Anyway."

In this lesson, students will understand the responsibilities, rights, and privileges of United States citizens. They will develop and employ the civic skills necessary for effective, participatory citizenship. They will determine ways to ask for specific remedies to problems and learn how to communicate with their own representatives in Congress. Find Why Do We Need a Congress Anyway? at: http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_whyneedcongress.htm

5. * NEW * CARTOONS AND RELATED LESSON PLANS

The Dirksen Congressional Center recently announced the completion of the Editorial Cartoon Collection project: http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/index.htm.

The editorial cartoons and related lesson plans from The Dirksen Center will teach students to identify issues, analyze symbols, acknowledge the need for background knowledge, recognize stereotypes and caricatures, think critically, and appreciate the role of irony and humor.

This month we have posted three new cartoons and related lesson plans:

Caption: Reapportionment
Caption: Two–Party System
Caption: Short Session Hopes

6. * New* What Every New Senator Should Know About the U.S. Senate

During our 2007 Congress in the Classroom® workshop for teachers –– http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm –– Richard A. Baker, Historian, U.S. Senate Historical Office, presented What Every New Senator Should Know about the U.S. Senate. His PowerPoint for this presentation can be found at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm#baker

Senate Historian Baker has written The New Members’ Guide to Traditions of the United States Senate which serves as an orientation to the traditions and precedents of the Senate. It is a must read for newly elected Senators and covers such topics as seniority, Senate furniture, Senate decorum, and the Floor Leaders’ right of prior recognition among many others.

Congress in the Classroom® is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information on teaching about Congress. The 2007 program featured a broad overview of Congress with special attention to the new 110th Congress with the Democrats in charge for the first time in more than a decade.

Read what our 2007 participants had to say about the workshop: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm#say. We will keep you updated with more information about the 2008 workshop in future announcements.

7. * NEW * VOTEHELP

VoteHelp is a non–partisan candidate calculator that helps you choose who to support based on the issues. VoteHelp informs you on the issue positions of leading Republican and Democratic presidential contenders, and also rate how important these issues are to you.

The purpose of the site is to provide Americans with objective information on how their own views compare to where the presidential candidates stand on the issues. VoteHelp might prove a useful tool for civic educators and their students in the upcoming elections.

If you are looking for a useful tool for the upcoming elections, find VoteHelp at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/print_elections.htm

8. ELECTIONS: YOUR ADVENTURE IN POLITICS, TRIVIA, & SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Imagine you are a presidential candidate. Pick your party and create your platform. Then use all the tools available to beat your opponent in a whirlwind campaign for the highest office in the land. Go ahead, play Elections: Your Adventure in Politics: http://www.congressforkids.net\games\Elections_candidates\2_candidates.htm

Trivia: On what date did Congress pass the 19th Amendment?

A. June 14, 1919
B. June 2, 1919
C. June 24, 1919
D. June 4, 1919

*Find the answer in next month's issue.

Something to Think About

In Congress, on the whole, many incumbents win, causing some critics to say that we have a "permanent Congress." One solution is to limit the number of terms a legislator may serve. Is this a good idea? On the other hand, is it bad that many incumbents win? Discuss with your students or teacher.

Answer to October's Fun, Facts, and Trivia: http://www.webcommunicator.org/classroom%20resources/funfactstrivia_ans1007.htm

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