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.

1. The 1960s: A Multi-Media View From Capitol Hill
2. Reflections On The Role Of The Speaker
3. Lawmaking: Legislative Productivity
4. Michel Special Project Grants
5. Advising the President: A Simulated Cabinet Meeting
6. Postscript Information

1. THE 1960S: A MULTI-MEDIA VIEW FROM CAPITOL HILL

The Illinois Humanities Council -- http://www.prairie.org/ -- awarded The Dirksen Center a grant of $2,000 to assist with our new Web-based project, The 1960s: A Multi-Media View from Capitol Hill.

The New Frontier, the Great Society -- terms identified with the epochal decade of the 1960s, a time of social, cultural, and political change. The 1960s: A Multi-Media View from Capitol Hill documents the public policy challenges resulting from those tumultuous times using a unique body of records housed in The Center's historical collections -- the minutes and press conferences of the Joint Senate-House Republican Leadership, 1963-68.

This grant has helped The Center put samples of the famous "Ev and Charlie" and "Ev and Jerry" shows -- the Republican leadership press conferences which put Dirksen in the limelight -- online. The Web presentation is multi-media including the transcripts of those events as well as audio recordings.

Take a look and let us know if you have any ideas for related educational activities. Find this project at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/emd_audio/index.htm.

2. REFLECTIONS ON THE ROLE OF THE SPEAKER

On November 12, 2003, Speaker of the House Dennis J. Hastert delivered the following address at the Library of Congress.

Find Reflections on the Role of the Speaker in the Modern Day House of Representatives at: http://www.congresslink.org/print_basics_histmats_hastert.htm.

Hosted by the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, this site has information about the history, duties, and selection of the Speaker. Find Speaker.gov at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/print_usgov_legis.htm.

3. LAWMAKING: LEGISLATIVE PRODUCTIVITY

Wouldn't it be great if your students knew how to gauge the workload of Congress across time or be able to assess the statistical measures of representation and law-making? Well now they can with the help of one of our online assignments!

Many of the topics in our online workshop, Congress in the Classroom® Online, deal with individuals -- their workloads, their priorities, the ways they communicate, how they vote. One of the posted assignments, Lawmaking: Legislative Productivity, takes an institutional perspective by examining Congress's productivity as an organization. Find this assignment at: http://www.congressclass.org/print_assignment12.htm.

4. MICHEL SPECIAL PROJECTS GRANTS

The Dirksen Center has announced the resumption of its special project funding, now named the Robert H. Michel Special Project Grants. Through these financial awards, The Center will commission work to enhance understanding of the U.S. Congress.

The Center serves two primary audiences: scholars who conduct research about Congress and teachers who teach social studies, history, political science, and other subjects which relate to Congress. Accordingly, the Michel Special Projects Grants are intended to support work that advances the public understanding of the federal legislature through research and teaching.

In addition to scholars and teachers, individuals and organizations may also apply for a Michel Special Project Grant by following the procedures outlined at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_grants_specialprojects.htm.

5. ADVISING THE PRESIDENT: A SIMULATED CABINET MEETING

WEBQUEST: "Washington, D.C. is an extremely competitive, political town and you must work hard to keep your agency an important part of government. It's the beginning of the legislative calendar and you must compete with other agencies and departments for a part of the budget and a high profile emphasis from the president. It is through his "bully pulpit" that you will garner support for the needs and programs of your department with Congress during the next year. It's up to you, as agency chief, to identify a pressing current issue before your department/post and prepare an option paper or presentation for the president."

Find Advising the President: A Simulated Cabinet Meeting at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/execbranch_cabinet/2_executivebranch_cabinet.htm.

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