ANSWERS -- Fun, Facts, and Trivia
October 2001 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.

Become a "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" champion and answer this month's trivia question.

For what reason is the family losing influence as an agent for teaching about Congress?

1. Young people tend to be Democrats and older people Republicans.
2. Women tend to be Democrats, but men tend to be Republicans.
   
3. A concern for "family values" has led relatives to stop discussing controversial subjects.
   
4. Institutions have taken increasing responsibility for childcare.
   

Fill-in-the-Blank

1 - Lobbyists provide information to and put pressure (sometimes subtle, sometimes not) on a legislator to vote one way or another. (Link to answer and definition: http://www.congresslink.org/glossary.html#L)

A) Solicitors
B) Lobbyists
C) Procurers
D) Petitioners

2 - A more comprehensive way of looking at the public's understanding of the U.S. Congress is through the concept of a schema. (Link to answer and definition: http://www.congresslink.org/glossary.html#S)

A) sketch
B) pattern
C) schema
D) diagram

Teachers, here's an essay question to engage your students in some critical thinking:

1 - Many Americans form their political ideas and gain political values based upon self-interest. Do you think using political activity to promote one's own interests is a healthy or an unhealthy feature of the political system, and why?

Answers to September' s issue of "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" link here: (http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0901ans.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 .