Answers -- Fun, Facts, and Trivia
January 2003 Issue

The Dirksen Center wants to help teachers teach better by giving them the opportunity to use technology to create, customize, and share online learning activities in their classrooms. The Center wants to help students learn more by bringing educational resources together in one place that provide new ways to learn about Congress interactively.

Congressional Lingo

If you want to sound like a political insider, you have to learn the lingo. Find "Congressional Lingo" at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/houseofrep/2_legislativebranch.htm

Congress, Congress, Congress

1. True or False: Congress pays a chaplain to pray before everyday sessions?
Answer: True -- Hotly debated, but upheld by the Supreme Court in 1983.

2. At the time of George W. Bush’s election as President, who was the senior member of the Senate (who had been there the longest) and who was the senior member of the House of Representatives (who had been there the longest)?
Answer:
Senate: Senator Strom Thurmond, 8 terms -- that is 48 years!
House: John Dingell from Michigan, 23 terms -- that is 46 years!

3. The House and Senate Majority and Minority Whips’ main task is to garner support for their own party’s priority legislation. This is called what?
Answer: Whipping the vote -- The Whips play vital roles in Congressional leadership.

Answers to December's issue of Fun, Facts, and Trivia link here: http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia1202ans.htm

Do you have or know of an online activity you would like The Dirksen Congressional Center to feature on its new Web site for students -- Congress for Kids? The Center is currently seeking online activities that provide new ways to learn about Congress and the workings of the federal government interactively.

If you have questions or suggestions for online activities, contact Cindy Koeppel.