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

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

* GRANTS: CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH AWARDS *

1. People Who Served in Congress
2. Congress Defined
3. *New* Lesson Plan: Experiencing Change
4. *New* Teacher Interview: Adaptation of a Congresslink Lesson Plan
5. Anatomy Of A Congressional Leadership Race
6. *New* Editorial Cartoons
7. *New* Cabinet Maker & Trivia: Women In Presidential Cabinets
8. Postscript Information

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

Clinton P. Anderson (1895-1975), a Representative and Senator from New Mexico, first won election to Congress in 1940 as a Democrat and served from January 3, 1941, until his resignation on June 30, 1945, having been appointed Secretary of Agriculture.  He served in that position from June 30, 1945, until his resignation May 10, 1948, when he ran successfully for a seat in the United States Senate.  Anderson was reelected in 1954, 1960 and 1966, and served from January 3, 1949, to January 3, 1973.  He did not run for reelection in 1972.  Anderson served or chaired these committees during his service: chairman, Joint Committee on Atomic Energy (Eighty-fourth and Eighty-sixth Congresses), Joint Committee on Construction of Building for Smithsonian (Eighty-fourth through Eighty-eighth Congresses), Joint Committee on Navaho-Hopi Indian (Eighty-fourth through the Ninety-second Congresses), Special Committee on Preservation of Senate Records (Eighty-fifth and Eighty-sixth Congresses), Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs (Eighty-seventh and Eighty-eighth Congresses), Special Committee on National Fuel Policy (Eighty-seventh Congress), Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences (Eighty-eighth through Ninety-second Congresses).  As a senator, Anderson was known as outspoken proponent of the space program.

Sources:

Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress: http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=A000186   

African-Americans in Congress:   Born into slavery, Joseph Hayne Rainey (1832-1887), a Republican from South Carolina, was the first African-American to serve in the U.S. House, the first African-American to preside over the House, and the longest-serving African-American during the Reconstruction period.  He served from 1870 until he retired 1879.  During his career, Rainey fought against prejudice and involved himself in the economic issues that affected his race.

Sources:

Black Americans in Congress at http://baic.house.gov/member-profiles/profile.html?intID=14

Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress:  http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=R000016

Women in Congress:  Winnifred S. Huck (1882-1936), the third woman elected to Congress, represented Illinois as a Republican, 1922-23.  As the first wife and mother elected to Congress, she vowed to look after the needs of married women and families and to promote world peace.  She won the seat her father, who died in office, held in the 67th Congress (1921-23) after a special election in November 1922.  She served only 14 weeks—her term ended in March 1923.  She lost in the February 1923 primary to replace Congressman James Mann who had died in office.  While in office, Huck was known for her anti-war stance.

Sources:

Women in Congress at http://womenincongress.house.gov/

Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress:  http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000900

2. CONGRESS DEFINED
   Words and phrases that describe congressional processes

Session.  (1) The annual series of meetings of a Congress.  Under the Constitution, Congress must assemble at least once a year at noon on January 3 unless it appoints a different day by law.  The first session of the 111th Congress will convene in January 2009.  (2) The meetings of Congress or of one house convened by the president under his constitutional authority, called a special session.  (3) A house is said to be in session during the period of a day when it is meeting.

Source:

Congressional Quarterly, American Congressional Dictionary, 3rd ed. (Washington DC;  CQ Press, 2001):  234-5.

3. * NEW LESSON PLAN * EXPERIENCING CHANGE

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, Marcie Adam McBride, Saint Michael High School, Baton Rouge, LA, presented a lesson entitled, Experiencing Change.

After successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to understand civil service reform under President Rutherford B. Hayes.  They will be able to explain why President James Garfield was assassinated and to describe how President Chester Arthur ended the spoils system.  Students will be able to recall the main points concerning the presidential election of 1884 and describe Coxey’s “army” marching on Washington in 1894.

Find Experiencing Change at: http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_experiencechange.htm

4. * NEW * TEACHER INTERVIEW: ADAPTATION OF CONGRESSLINK LESSON PLAN

Brandi Cook from Marion High School in Marion, SC, who teaches social studies, recently sent The Center an adaptation of one of the lesson plans posted on CongressLink.  She took the information from Congressional Committee Simulation: Raising the Minimum Wage -- http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_congcommsim_miniwage.htm  -- and converted it into a PowerPoint presentation and included the corresponding handouts saved in a Microsoft Word format.

PowerPoint: http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_congcommsim_miniwage.ppt
Committee Roles: http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_congcommsim_miniwage - committee roles.doc
Simulation Handout: http://congresslink.org/print_lp_congcommsim_miniwage - simulation handout.doc

We really welcome these kinds of creative uses of information we post, so we followed up with an interview.  Here are Brandi’s replies:

Q:  Please tell us about yourself, where you teach, what grade level, how many years, etc.

A:  My name is Brandi Cook.  I teach social studies at Marion High School in Marion, SC.  My undergraduate and graduate degrees are both from Francis Marion University in Florence, SC.  This is my 12th year teaching.  I teach on the A/B 90-minute block schedule.  I am the current Marion School District 1 Teacher of the Year.  My current course load includes Government, Economics, Law Education, and Geography.

Q:  How did you learn about CongressLink and The Center's lesson plans?

A:  I Googled “Lesson Plans Congress” and found your website.  I was looking for new ways to teach how a bill becomes a law.

Q:  What appeals to you most about the lesson plans on CongressLink?

A:  The lesson plans are well organized and make my students think.  They get to voice their opinion and must be active in the lesson.

Q:  Can you give us an example of how your students have used, or benefited from, a lesson on CongressLink?

A:  I have used the Socratic Seminar and House Committee Simulation lessons.

The Socratic Seminar -- http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_doesitmatter.htm -- is an excellent lesson to use when you have a free day or on a day before a long break but you don't want to start a new lesson.  It can easily be adapted to other themes and classes.  The students liked it because "they could express their opinion" and "see how their classmates felt about the issue.”  If you follow the "rules" outlined in the lesson, the students didn't like that they could not comment when they were in the outside circle.

Students also enjoyed the Committee Simulation -- http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_floorsim_overview.htm.  They liked being able to experience how the committee operated and getting to debate their assigned position on minimum wage.  Once again they liked being able to express their point of view.  I teach in a rural, southern school district.  Marion has 15% unemployment and 73% of our students have free/reduced lunch.  If I can make it work, anyone can.

Q:  If you could change one or two things about the lessons we have posted, what would those changes be?

A:  The lessons are not ready to use and they need some prep time to figure out how to deliver the lesson.  It would also be nice if handouts could be in WORD format so that they could be easily downloaded and changed if needed.

Q:  What advice would you give other teachers who might consider using the CongressLink lesson plans?

A:  Read through the lessons and use the ones that get your students involved.  Give a clear overall picture of the activity before you start so the students know where they are starting and where they are ending.  If doing the Committee Simulation -- http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_floorsim_overview.htm, print the Republican side on Red paper (red states) and Democratic side on blue paper (blue states).  Also, go over the pros and cons of minimum wage the class period before (at least 30-45 minutes).  Otherwise they will only look at from their personal point of view.  There are links to some articles on my website under the Useful Links Tab -- http://www.marion1.k12.sc.us/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=244.

5.  ANATOMY OF A CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP RACE

In December 1980, Republicans in the House of Representatives chose Robert H. Michel of Illinois as their leader, the Minority Leader of the House, a position he held until retiring in 1995.  Anatomy of a Congressional Leadership Race uses historical materials contained in the Robert H. Michel Papers housed at The Dirksen Congressional Center in Pekin, Illinois, to describe the contest.

The race featured two contenders:  Michel, a strategic expert skilled at the give and take of guiding legislation through the House, and Guy Vander Jagt of Michigan, an accomplished orator.  The difference between the two was not ideological.  Both were staunch conservatives with similar voting records.  But the contest reflected a contrast in styles and approach to the leadership post and in the direction in which the two would be likely to lead the House Republicans.

Here's what a Minority Leader, at that time a Republican, did:

1. Oversaw the development and implementation of all Republican policy and strategy in the House
2. Served as liaison for Republican members with the administration and the Senate
3. Served to a great extent as a spokesman for Republican positions
4. Had overall responsibility for the coordination of Republican activities in the subcommittees and committees of the House as well as activities on the floor of the House
5. Was responsible for appointments to various committees and commissions.

You will be able to link to this project, Anatomy of a Congressional Leadership Race, and many others on The Center’s new special projects Web site located at: http://www.dirksencenterprojects.org/#anatomy.

6. * NEW * EDITORIAL CARTOONS

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

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

This month we have posted four new cartoons:

Caption: Dirksen as a Recording Star http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron31-40.htm #38
Caption: Dirksen as a Recording Star http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron31-40.htm #39
Caption: Dirksen, Re-election, and Civil Rights in 1968 http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron41-50.htm #42
Caption: Dirksen’s Death http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron41-50.htm #47

We now have a total of 49 cartoons posted!

7. * NEW * CABINET MAKER & TRIVIA: WOMEN IN PRESIDENTIAL CABINETS

Choose a cabinet position to see Congressional Quarterly’s potential appointees in an Obama administration. Drag your pick to the table and it will snap to the correct position. Change your mind? Just click on another candidate. Click "Submit" to have your picks counted. CQ will give you a link to share your cabinet selections by e-mail. Want more info? Click on names and cabinet position labels for descriptions.

Find Cabinet Maker at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/execbranch_cabinet/2_executivebranch_cabinet.htm

Trivia:  Women in Presidential Cabinets

QUESTION: In the history of America, how many women have been appointed to presidential Cabinets?

QUESTION: Which political party has appointed more women into presidential Cabinets?

QUESTION: Which president appointed the most women into his Cabinet?

*Find the answer in next month's issue.

Answer to October 2008's Fun, Facts, and Trivia: http://www.webcommunicator.org/classroomresources/funfactstrivia_ans1008.htm

8. POSTSCRIPT INFORMATION

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