From: Cindy Koeppel [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 4:40 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: ***COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: October 2002***
COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: October 2002 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. ******************************************** NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER ******************************************** <<<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: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]. ************************************************************************ <<< 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 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]. *************************************************** NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over 8,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below to help us with list editing: TO SUBSCRIBE to the Communicator, please follow these instructions: Send an e-mail to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the phrase - "subscribe Communicator" - in the body of the message. Your e-mail address will be added to our mailing list. If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel at mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]. ************************************************************************* NOTE: Gleason Sackmann is the owner and host of this list. All inquiries regarding this list and its contents should be directed to Gleason Sackmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. 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