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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:
- People Who Served in Congress
- Congress Defined
- *New* Lesson Plan: Congress – A Vocabulary Review
- *New* Editorial Cartoons
- *New* Dirksen, Everett McKinley (1896-1969), Papers: Form Letters, 1951-69
- *New* Awards, Site Of The Day, Web Stats, TheCongressBlog, Facebook, & Twitter
- *New* Congress in the Classroom Online
- What is Citizenship?, Online Games to Learn about Citizenship and Democracy, & Trivia
- Postscript Information
PEOPLE WHO SERVED IN CONGRESS
Sketches of famous and not-so-famous Senators and Representatives
Walsh, John Richard (1913-1975), a Representative from Indiana; born in Martinsville, Morgan County, Ind., May 22, 1913; attended the public schools; was graduated from Indiana University Law School in 1934; was admitted to the bar July 27, 1934, and engaged in the practice of law in Martinsville, Ind., until 1941; Morgan County attorney in 1935 and 1936; deputy attorney general of Indiana in 1941; served in the United States Army with the Thirty-fifth Infantry Division from May 18, 1942, until discharged as a technical sergeant June 15, 1943; in 1943 continued the practice of law in Anderson, Ind.; chief deputy prosecuting attorney of Madison County, Ind., in 1945 and 1946; probate commissioner for Madison County Circuit Court in 1948; elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-first Congress (January 3, 1949-January 3, 1951); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1950 and for election in 1954 to the Eighty-fourth Congress; resumed the practice of law in Anderson and continued in practice until his death; member of board of directors and secretary-treasurer, State Security Life Insurance Co., Anderson, Ind., 1953-1958; secretary of state of Indiana from December 1, 1958, to November 30, 1960; delegate, Democratic National Convention, 1960; county attorney of Madison County, 1964-1965; was a resident of Anderson, Ind., until his death there on January 23, 1975; interment in Greenlawn Cemetery, Martinsville, Ind.
Sources:
Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress: http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000100
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African-Americans in Congress:
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Rapier, James Thomas (1837-1883), a Representative from Alabama; born a free black in Florence, Lauderdale County, Ala., November 13, 1837; educated by private tutors in Alabama and studied in Canada; studied law and was admitted to the bar; taught school; returned to the South and traveled as a correspondent for a northern newspaper; became a cotton planter in Alabama in 1865; appointed a notary public by the Governor of Alabama in 1866; member of the first Republican convention held in Alabama and was one of the committee that framed the platform; member of the State constitutional convention at Montgomery in 1867; unsuccessful candidate for secretary of state in 1870; appointed assessor of internal revenue in 1871; appointed State commissioner to the Vienna Exposition by the Governor of Alabama in 1873; commissioner on the part of the United States to the World’s Fair in Paris; elected as a Republican to the Forty-third Congress (March 4, 1873-March 3, 1875); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1874 to the Forty-fourth Congress; appointed collector of internal revenue for the second district of Alabama on August 8, 1878, and served until his death in Montgomery, Ala., May 31, 1883; interment in Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo.
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Sources:
Black Americans in Congress: http://baic.house.gov/member-profiles/profile.html?intID=13
Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress: http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=R000064
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Women in Congress:
 Wingo, Effiegene Locke (1883-1962), (wife of Otis Theodore Wingo and great-great-great-grandaughter of Matthew Locke), a Representative from Arkansas; born in Lockesburg, Sevier County, Ark., April 13, 1883; attended public and private schools and Union Female College, Oxford, Miss.; was graduated from Maddox Seminary, Little Rock, Ark., in 1901; moved to Texarkana, Ark., in 1895 and to De Queen, Ark., in 1897; elected as a Democrat on November 4, 1930, to the Seventy-first Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of her husband, Otis Theodore Wingo, and on the same day was elected to the Seventy-second Congress and served from November 4, 1930, to March 3, 1933; was not a candidate for renomination in 1932; co-founder in 1934 of National Institute of Public Affairs, Washington, D.C.; engaged in educational and research work; was a resident of De Queen, Sevier County, Ark.; died September 19, 1962, in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, while visiting her son; interment in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
Image courtesy of the Office of
History and Preservation, U.S.
House
Sources:
Women in Congress: http://womenincongress.house.gov/
Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress: http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000634
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CONGRESS DEFINED
Words and phrases that describe congressional processes
Absence of a Quorum. Absence of the number of members required to conduct business in a chamber of a committee . When a quorum call or a roll-call in a house establishes the lack of a quorum, no debate or business is permitted except a motion to adjourn or motions to request or compel the attendance of absent members, if necessary by arresting them.
Source: Congressional Quarterly’s American Congressional Dictionary, 3rd edition (2001):1.
* NEW LESSON PLAN * CONGRESS: A VOCABULARY REVIEW
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, Erica Powell, Mt. Diablo High School, Concord, CA, presented a lesson entitled, Congress: A Vocabulary Review.
This activity is based on a game called “Shenanigans.” The purpose of this lesson is to review students’ knowledge of key concepts and terms related to Congress.
Find Congress: A Vocabulary Review at: http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_congressvocabrev.htm
* 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:
We now have a total of 98 cartoons posted!
* NEW * DIRKSEN, EVERETT MCKINLEY (1896-1969), PAPERS: FORM LETTERS, 1951-69
The Everett McKinley Dirksen Collection consists of five major groups of material: reference volumes, still photographs, audiovisual items, memorabilia, and papers. Each group is described individually in finding aids housed at The Center. Arrangement varies according to type of record.
The Dirksen Papers, the largest of the five divisions, consist predominately of files accumulated during Everett Dirksen's years as a U.S. Senator, 1951-69. Several smaller additions to the main collection include material spanning other years of Dirksen's life.
In order to reply to constituents, the Dirksen office created a library of responses arranged alphabetically by subject within each year. Having these online will give viewers a quick snapshot of the legislative workload and, in a sense, Dirksen's style of representation and constituent service. The folder numbers in the online guide designate the folders of the Chicago Office File in which the originals are located.
Find Dirksen, Everett McKinley (1896-1969), Papers: Form Letters, 1951-69 at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/guides_emd/FormLetters1951-69/intro.htm
* NEW * AWARDS, SITE OF THE DAY, WEB STATS, THECONGRESSBLOG, FACEBOOK, & TWITTER
Awards. The Dirksen Center won a Business and Community Recognition Award from the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce. |
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Site of the Day. On September 24, 2009, Congress for Kids – http://www.congressforkids.net – was selected as “Site of the Day” by netTrekkerBlog -- http://blog.nettrekker.com/2009/09/24/congress-for-kids/.
netTrekker is a leader in the delivery of digital K-12 educational content and is dedicated to enhancing the education of today's youth with highly effective technologies that deliver rich educational content to every child in a safe, relevant, easy-to-use format. With the mission to help every child learn and a belief that technology can transform education, netTrekker was first to market with a standards-based educational search tool.
Web Stats. Through 9 months, The Center's 9 web sites have attracted more than 65 million hits, 10 million more than last year at the same time.
TheCongressBlog. News about Congress for teachers and students -- http://thecongressblog.org/. TheCongressBlog presents information about the House and the Senate, both current news and historical tidbits. We compile information from major newspapers, political blogs, and the official sites of the U.S. House and Senate.
Facebook. The Center has a Facebook fan page. We post news about our programs and activities frequently here. We would like to encourage you to visit our new fan page -- http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dirksen-Congressional-Center/144144304380 -- and consider becoming a Dirksen Center fan!
Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that enables us to send and read messages known as tweets. Go to -- http://twitter.com/DirksenCenter -- and join Twitter so you can become a follower of The Center and begin receiving our tweets.
CONGRESS IN THE CLASSROOM ONLINE
Do you teach social studies, American government, American history, or civics? Are your lessons about the U.S. Congress out of date? Is it hard to engage your students in learning about the House and Senate?
Congress in the Classroom® Online will help you understand today's Congress and suggest ways to teach about it. The self-paced online course is organized around the twin responsibilities of Congress members: representation and lawmaking. There are more than a dozen individual units on such topics as "What Makes for Effective Members of Congress?" "How Representative is the Membership of Congress?" and "Lawmaking: Understanding the Basics." All the information you need to complete the online course is available with just a few mouse clicks.
Find Congress in the Classroom Online at: http://moodle.congressclass.org/
WHAT IS CITIZENSHIP?
“Citizenship is man’s basic right, for it is nothing less than his right to have rights.” Chief Justice Earl Warren, 1958
Have your students close their eyes and imagine they just woke up early in the morning. Surprise! They are the only person left on earth. What does this mean? They are free. No rules and responsibilities!
Find What is Citizenship at: http://www.congressforkids.net/citizenship_1_whatis.htm. Have your students read the text and see how well they do with the Word Play. Make sure you have your students read the directions provided in the green box before they complete the Word Play activity.
Okay, let's begin...Have your students click on Word Play and unscramble the words and look up their meanings in their dictionary. Have them enter the correct unscrambled word and its meaning in the text boxes provided.
* Online Games to Learn about Citizenship and Democracy *
Captain Campaign -- http://demgames.org/captain_campaign -- Gives an overview of the major challenges involved in running a public campaign around a political issue. In particular, it emphasizes that in this key component of modern democracy an advocate must compete with people who oppose his or her view when trying to influence decision-makers. It also highlights the importance of communicating well with politicians and the public.
Councillor Quest II -- http://demgames.org/councillor_quest -- Gives an introduction into the work of local councils and councilors. The game underlines the fact that councilors are servants of their local community and that their job is ultimately to keep electors happy. It also shows that councilors act within time constraints and must make good decisions in dealing with a wide range of local issues.
Money Manager -- http://demgames.org/money_manager -- Be a financial supremo! Control the budget and try to keep your job.
* Trivia *
What INS form is used to apply to become a naturalized citizen?
- Form N-200 "Petition for Naturalization"
- N-400 "Application for Naturalization"
- Social Security card
- FD-258
*Find the answer in next month's issue.
Answer to September 2009’s Fun, Facts, and Trivia: http://www.webcommunicator.org/classroomresources/funfactstrivia_ans0909.htm
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