Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional
Center's Communicator -- a web-based e-newsletter providing
educators with news and ideas to enhance civic education and
improve the understanding of Congress -- http://www.webcommunicator.org.
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NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
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Professional Development Opportunity
Do you have a lesson plan idea? The Dirksen Center currently
offers a library of lesson plans posted on CongressLink -- http://www.congresslink.org/LessonPlanIntro.htm --
and is seeking new lessons to publish and expand its library.
The Dirksen Center will pay between $100 and $350 to
teachers who submit approved lesson plans using CongressLink
resources and features and who follow a few guidelines.
Example: Suppose we want to post a lesson plan
that teaches about federalism or a type of government in which
the power is divided between the national government and other
governmental units using CongressLink resources and features.
The learning objectives or skills could include:
(1) students will consider how the national government
should relate to the states,
(2) students will explore the role played by different branches
of government in shaping that relationship, and
(3) students will understand the political implications of changes
in the federal structure.
While the Constitution addresses only the relationship between
the federal government and the states, the American people are
under multiple jurisdictions. Students could make conscious value
judgments based on clearly defined criteria about these multiple
jurisdictions.
As an example, take a look at this CongressLink lesson
plan - Checks and Balances: The Line Item Veto -- http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/lineitem.html.
In this lesson, students cite evidence from primary sources,
constructing a position on the Line-Item Veto Amendment. While
writing a persuasive letter to their Congress Member, demonstrating
their knowledge, understanding, and mastery of the concepts of
checks and balances, students will refer to facts and frequently
asked questions such as "Do any forms of government in Federalism
use the line-item veto?" -- http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/lineitem.html#faqs
If you are interested in creating a lesson that teaches about
federalism or have other lesson plan ideas, contact Frank Mackaman
at:fmackaman@dirksencenter.org.
VOTING AND ELECTIONS: THE EXPANSION OF SUFFRAGE
It is a citizen's responsibility in a democratic society to
vote in elections. Large numbers of Americans were denied this
right for many years. If you are looking for resources that will
help your students track the expansion of voting rights in America,
you will want to visit The Dirksen Center's Web suite -- http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org.
The Constitution -- http://www.congresslink.org/resourc.html --
specifies responsibility for setting residency requirements and
other qualifications for voting to the states. In the late 18th
century, for example, some states limited the right to vote to
white male property owners - poor white men, women, and slaves
were excluded.
Amending the Constitution would be one way to change suffrage
requirements. How does one go about doing that? A CongressLink lesson
plan - Amending the Constitution -- http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/amends.html --
will give you good ideas.
In the late 19th century, such leaders as Susan B. Anthony and
Elizabeth Cady Stanton started the long campaign for women's
suffrage which culminated in the 19th Amendment (1920). Find Charters
of Freedom on AboutGovernment at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/electionsvoting.htm.
The Women's Suffrage Movement highlighted a time in America
when women spoke up and demanded the right to vote. Test your
knowledge about the suffrage movement era from 1848 to 1928 by
taking one of three different online multiple-choice quizzes.
Find Suffrage Movement and the Amendments at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/amendments/2_amendments.htm.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 completed another chapter in the
struggle to guarantee the right to vote to all citizens. For
a summary, see A Case History: The 1964 Civil Rights Action
- Historical Pressure for Legislative Action at: http://www.congresslink.org/civil/essay.html#history.
Senator Robert Byrd, the unofficial historian of the Senate,
described the tactics used in the unsuccessful filibuster against
the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an effort to restrict the right
to vote for minorities -- http://www.congresslink.org/notes.html#byrd.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 took further steps. Read a brief
overview of the circumstances leading to the passage of the act,
including links to historical documents found in Everett Dirksen's
Papers at: http://www.congresslink.org/voting1965.htm.
Featured Project
The right to vote is the right to determine who governs. In
Everett Dirksen's day, voter registration requirements made it
difficult, if not impossible, for some people to vote. Our featured
project this month is Everett Dirksen's The Problem of Voting
Rights VFI-65/3/15-1 -- http://www.dirksencenter.org/recordings/videoembed-5b.htm.
This video segment features Dirksen discussing the importance
of ensuring the right to vote. QuickTime™ is required to
view the video segment. If you do not have QuickTime™ installed,
open the appropriate self-extracting installer file from the
link provided -- http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download --
and follow that program's instructions. Download time could take
approximately 5-10 minutes for the video segment, depending on
the speed of individual computers.
Voting Venture: Have a Voice, Have a Say, Choose an Answer
1. Which obstacle to voting was outlawed by constitutional amendment?
A) Poll taxes
B) Literacy taxes
C) Residency requirements
D) Good character tests
E) Grandfather clauses
F) Candidates who are not worth voting for anyway
2. The United States has slowly expanded the _____ (another
term for "vote") to include African Americans, women, Native
Americans, and adults under age 21.
A) Referendum
B) Split ticket
C) Suffrage or franchise
D) Open elections
Possible Essay Question:
In the 1820s, America is often referred to as an age of mass
democracy. Why? Is universal manhood suffrage better than having
property qualifications for voters? State your best case for
property qualifications. Have you considered other qualifications
such as age, literacy, citizenship, and residency? Do you believe
that everyone should have the right to vote (e.g., convicts,
drug dealers)? Why?
Answers to September's issue of Fun, Facts, and Trivia link
here: http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0902ans.htm.
Hope you are enjoying the fall weather! Encourage your colleagues
to subscribe to the Communicator. If you have questions,
comments, or suggestions, contact Cindy Koeppel at: ckoeppel@dirksencenter.org.
If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel
at: ckoeppel@dirksencenter.org. |
