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:

1. Monthly Feature - Congressional Action in the 1960s
2. Monthly Theme - The Judiciary: The Federal Court System
3. Featured Grant-funded Project
4. News and Views from The Center
5. Trivia - Court Queries
6. Postscript Information

1. CONGRESSIONAL ACTION IN THE 1960S

The decade of the 1960s is remembered for John Kennedy's New Frontier and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. Both came to symbolize presidential activism in the legislative process. Now, teachers who take part in our online workshop, Congress in the Classroom Online®, have a new assignment option related to that memorable decade. In this unit, Lawmaking: Congressional Action in the 1960s, you will learn about the issues Congress wrestled with in the 1960s and how the minority Republican Party responded to legislative initiatives from the Democratically-controlled White House.

The primary resource for this assignment consists of the press releases issued by the Republicans following their weekly House and Senate leadership meetings. These releases are posted on The Center's Web suite at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_emd_republicanleadership.htm. Reading them reminds one of the variety of issues facing the nation - many of them are obscure today (e.g., "Tractors for Cuba"), but there are others, such as civil rights, that continue to challenge us.

2. THE JUDICIARY: THE FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM -- With the exception of the Supreme Court, the Constitution left the organization of the federal court system up to Congress. Through the Judiciary Act of 1789, Congress accomplished this task by creating three federal court levels: the district courts, the courts of appeal, and the Supreme Court. This month we will resume our unit on the judiciary by offering resources to help your students better understand judicial processes at the federal level.

The federal courts are public institutions used by millions of citizens each year. Many people lack knowledge of their federal court system and believe that is a forum only to be used and understood by attorneys. The Administrative Office of the United States Courts developed a publication to provide an introduction to the federal judicial system, its organization, and its relationship to the legislative and executive branches of the government. For a U.S. Federal Court System primer, find Understanding the Federal Courts at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/print_usgov_jud_overview.htm.

Our featured lesson plan this month presents a structural framework for students to think about how the judiciary affects government and the public, and how government and the public affect the judiciary. Find this lesson, The Federal Courts in American Government, in PDF format at: http://congressforkids.net/games/judicialbranch/2_judicialbranch.htm.

There are 94 federal district courts that function as both trial and appellate courts. Specific geographical areas in the nation are assigned to these courts and a district itself may be separated into divisions having several places where the court can hear cases. Juries decide about half of the cases tried in courts, too. Find the Directory of the United States Court -- http://www.aboutgovernment.org/usgov_jud_overview.htm -- for more information on district courts including a listing of each state, their districts, the number of authorized judgeships, and district locations.

District court decisions and federal administrative agency rulings can be brought to federal courts of appeal. There are 13 circuit courts each covering a geographical area with eleven of the circuits taking in multi-state areas. Find U.S. Circuit Courts for more information on the eleven circuit courts, the D.C. Circuit, the Federal Circuit, and a U.S. Court of Appeals map: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/usgov_jud_other.htm.

The Supreme Court is established as the highest court in the federal system in the U.S. Constitution. The Court currently consists of nine members - one Chief Justice and eight associate justices. Introduce our CongressLink lesson plan to synthesize the characteristics your students deem necessary for a Supreme Court Justice and evaluate legislation as to its constitutionality as a Supreme Court Justice might do. Find Congress and the Courts at: http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_courts.htm.

Have your students ever wondered how the United States Supreme Court makes decisions? Have a little webquest fun and let them become a Supreme Court Justice who is entrusted with the power to make the final decision about a controversial case. Find Equal Protection Under the Law at: http://congressforkids.net/games/judicialbranch/2_judicialbranch.htm.

3. FEATURED GRANT-FUNDED PROJECT

Our featured grant-funded project is a Congressional Research Award for $3,260 won by Matthew Dull, University of Wisconsin - Madison. Matthew's project is entitled, Information, Control, and Congressional Oversight: Delegation and the Government Performance and Results Act, 1993-2003. This project will explore several issues through evidence on congressional use of information generated by the Government Performance and Results Act. Find more information about this project and others at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_grants_CRAs.htm#Grntrecipient00.

4. NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE CENTER

** Changes to the Congress in the Classroom® Online Web site -- http://www.congressclass.org. **

What changes did we make? Glad you asked.

Congress in the Classroom Online® is now being offered as an "online workshop" replacing our previous online course format.

What's the difference?

• In a "course" your online instructor assigns you exercises. Each week your instructor might post a tutorial on a particular topic, provide online handouts, and give homework. You submit your assignments by e-mail to get feedback from your instructor as often as weekly.
  
  
• In a "workshop" you work on your assignments at your own pace with the guidance of a subject matter expert. You submit work products by e-mail to the instructor for individual feedback.

Why did we make this change?

The Center wants to offer a professional development opportunity that is self-paced with no scheduled class times -- you participate at your convenience, day or night, no matter what time zone you're in. We want to make it easy to take our online workshop. Now you can get a professional development opportunity without ever leaving your own home!

Sign up for Congress in the Classroom Online® to help you understand today's Congress and discover ways to teach about it -- with all the convenience and speed of the Internet.

You'll get:

• Professionally-developed workshop assignments that will boost creativity.
• Fast, personal feedback from the instructor.
• Fun, productive assignments that will work directly toward your professional goals.
• New ideas from workshop peers.

But there's:

• No getting out of bed early.
• No need to find parking.
• No need to meet a pre-determined class time.

Just turn on your computer, log on to the workshop website -- http://www.congressclass.org -- and go!

A variety of congressional scholars have authored the workshop resources, and their qualifications are listed with their content pieces. Visit our "Faculty Information" page to find out more -- http://congressclass.org/facultyinformation.htm.

For more information, visit -- http://congressclass.org/courseinformation_contents.htm -- for a complete workshop program overview.

We invite you to join us!

** Site of the Week **

In September, Congress for Kids -- http://www.congressforkids.net -- was listed as the "Site of the Week" on Time for Kids. Cassie Losee recommended our site. Thanks, Cassie!

** Dr. Hotlist Site of the Week **

The editors of District Administration, The Magazine for K-12 Education Leaders -- http://www.districtadministration.com -- selected Congress in the Classroom Online® -- http://www.congressclass.org -- has the "Dr. Hotlist Site of the Week" in September. The listing can also be found in their "Web Site of the Week Archives" -- http://www.districtadministration.com/page.cfm?p=343.

5. COURT QUERIES

1. How many justices have been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as both Associate Justice and Chief Justice?

a) Four
b) One
c) Eight
d) Two

2. Critical Thinking:

Justices may use at least three methods when interpreting law: the plain meaning, historical intent, and living Constitution approaches. Ask your students if they can list the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Answers to the September issue of Fun, Facts, and Trivia: http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0904ans.htm.

6. NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over 16,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below to help us with list editing:

SUBSCRIBE: To join the Communicator mailing list, please visit the Web site -- http://www.webcommunicator.org -- and enter your e- mail address in the text box provided located on the bottom left of your screen. You can also send an e- mail to Cindy Koeppel with the phrase - Subscribe Communicator -- in the body of the message.

SUBSCRIBE: To join the Communicator mailing list, enter your e- mail address in the text box provided located on the bottom left of your screen. You can also send an e- mail to Cindy Koeppel with the phrase - Subscribe Communicator -- in the body of the message.

UNSUBSCRIBE: To unsubscribe from the Communicator, please follow these instructions: Send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel with the phrase -unsubscribe Communicator -- in the body of the message. Your e-mail address will be deleted from our mailing list.

TO CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: If your old address will become inactive, unsubscribe using your old address, and follow the instructions above. Your e-mail address will be deleted from our mailing list.

If you experience any problems, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel.