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

* GRANTS: CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH AWARDS *

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. People Who Served in Congress
2. Congress Defined
3. *New* Lesson Plan: Congress on Trial
4. *New* Editorial Cartoons
5. *New* The Ten (Really Twelve) Most Important Things to Know about the House of Representatives
6. *New* Radio Broadcast: Everett Dirksen’s Contribution to Civil Rights Legislation
7. *New* NAACP Honors Dirksen, 2009
8. The Original Thirteen Colonies & True or False
9. Postscript Information

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

Aandahl, Fred George (1897-1966), a Representative from North Dakota; born in Litchville, Barnes County, N.Dak., April 9, 1897; graduated from Litchville High School, Litchville, N.Dak.; graduated from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.Dak., 1921; farmer; superintendent of schools, Litchville, N.Dak., 1922-1927; member of the North Dakota state senate, 1931, 1939, and 1941; governor of North Dakota, 1945-1950; elected as a Republican to the Eighty-second Congress (January 3, 1951-January 3, 1953); was not a candidate for the Eighty-third Congress in 1952, but was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate; appointed Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior, 1953-1961; died April 7, 1966, in Fargo, N.Dak.; interment in Hillside Cemetery, Valley City, N.Dak. Has the distinction of being the first Congress member listed in the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress. Sources: Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress:  http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=A000001

African-Americans in Congress: 

uce, Blanche Kelso (1841-1898), a Senator from Mississippi; born in slavery near Farmville, Prince Edward County, Va., March 1, 1841; was tutored by his master’s son; left his master at the beginning of the Civil War; taught school in Hannibal, Mo.; after the war became a planter in Mississippi; member of the Mississippi Levee Board; sheriff and tax collector of Bolivar County 1872-1875; elected as a Republican to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1875, to March 3, 1881; was the first African American to serve a full term in the United States Senate; appointed Register of the Treasury by President James Garfield 1881; recorder of deeds for the District of Columbia 1891-1893; again Register of the Treasury from 1897 until his death in Washington, D.C., on March 17, 1898; interment in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Library of Congress

Sources: 

Black Americans in Congress:   http://baic.house.gov/member-profiles/profile.html?intID=127
    
Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress:  http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000968

  

Women in Congress:

2. CONGRESS DEFINED
   Words and phrases that describe congressional processes

Ad Hoc Select Committee. A temporary committee formed for a special purpose or to deal with a specific subject. Conference committees are ad hoc joint committees.

Source:  Congressional Quarterly’s American Congressional Dictionary, 3rd edition (2001):2.

3. * NEW LESSON PLAN * CONGRESS ON TRIAL

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 2009 participant, Jeanne Blair, Cedar Heights, Port Orchard, WA, presented a lesson entitled, Congress on Trial.

Students will become members of the Grand Jury.  They will look at evidence and determine whether or not the actions of Congress contributed to the Civil War.  Since Congress made decisions, each will be presented as its own charge.  In other words, each of the decisions will be scrutinized and independently evaluated.  All decisions must be unanimous.

Find Congress on Trial at: http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_congressontrial.htm

4. * NEW * EDITORIAL CARTOONS

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

The editorial cartoons and related lesson plans 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 five new cartoons:

• Caption: Lyndon Johnson and Dirksen on Vietnam
  http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron51-60.htm  #53

• Caption: Lyndon Johnson and Dirksen on Vietnam
  http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron51-60.htm  #52

• Caption: Lyndon Johnson and Dirksen on Vietnam
  http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron51-60.htm  #54
   
• Caption: Republicans Criticize Lyndon Johnson
  http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron51-60.htm  #55
   
• Caption: Renovations to the Capitol Building
  http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron51-60.htm  #56

5.   * NEW * THE TEN (REALLY TWELVE) MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ray Smock, the director of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies at Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV, served as Historian of the U. S. House of Representatives, 1983-95. His list, The Ten (Really Twelve) Most Important Things to Know about the House of Representatives, identifies the distinguishing characteristics of the House.

Find The Ten (Really Twelve) Most Important Things to Know about the House of Representatives at: http://www.congresslink.org/print_expert_tenthingshouse.htm

6. * NEW * RADIO BROADCAST: EVERETT DIRKSEN’S CONTRIBUTION TO CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION

Everett Dirksen’s contribution to civil rights legislation was a featured topic on WMBD Radio’s “Greg and Dan Show” on Monday, November 9, 2009. Frank Mackaman spoke about Dirksen’s civil rights record over a career spanning four decades. Ernestine Jackson explained how the Peoria chapter of the NAACP will honor Dirksen at the organization’s Freedom Fund Banquet on Saturday, November 14, 2009.

Listen to the morning radio broadcast at http://jmpradio.com/pods/gd/Podcast1109/POD_4_110909.mp3

7. NAACP HONORS DIRKSEN, 2009

The Peoria, IL chapter of the NAACP presented an award to The Dirksen Center Saturday evening, November 14, 2009, to recognize Everett Dirksen’s role in gaining Republican votes for the Civil Rights Act.

In accepting the award, Frank Mackaman spoke about the senator’s role in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  His remarks are posted at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/news.htm

Prior to the event, Pam Adams of the Peoria Journal Star interviewed Frank and published an article that was posted on November 7, 2009.

Read this article, NAACP Will Recognize Everett Dirksen, posted at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_emd_naacp2009.htm

8. * THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN COLONIES & TRUE OR FALSE *

Have your students read about the Original Thirteen Colonies at: http://www.congressforkids.net/Independence_thirteencolonies.htm. Then have them complete the online Original Thirteen Colonies word search.  They will find the Original Thirteen Colonies listed below the puzzle by clicking the first and last letters of each word in the word search. They may be forward, backward, up, down, or diagonal. As they find a word in the word search, that word is highlighted in yellow and crossed out below the puzzle.

Find the Original Thirteen Colonies word search at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/thirteencolonies/1_wordsearch.htm

* The Order of the Original Thirteen Colonies *

See if you can name the Original Thirteen Colonies by knowing the order in which they ratified the Constitution.  Find Hangman - The Order of the 13 Original States in the list at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/thirteencolonies/2_thirteencolonies.htm

* True or False *

Roger Smith set up the colony of Rhode Island.

1. True
2. False

*Find the answer in next month's issue.

Answer to October 2009’s Fun, Facts, and Trivia: http://www.webcommunicator.org/classroomresources/funfactstrivia_ans1009.htm

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