These are your Congressman, all three of 'em. Okay, I don't know who yours are, but I do know who mine are. Warner-Kaine-Connolly. Just sayin'. Well, we take a quick divergence down the path of just who are these people... And we stop in a couple of places to really understand this concept. For starters, we need to figure out the deal with Congressional leadership. (And if at any point you are looking for more resources, try the Dirksen Center.) So, we march through the positions and the players. Again. I love making color pics of these dudes and dudettes, laminating them, and then posting them up on the board. 1. Speaker of the House: One of the only Constitutionally mandated offices in the house; the Speaker is only second today in authority to the President. He is elected by his fellow members; preserves order in the chamber, has unlimited power of recognition during debates (and can refuse to hear folks when he is feeling particularly nasty) , decides points of order, appoints Speakers pro temp when necessary, AND he also retains the right to SPEAK (though does it in the chambers when someone else is pro temp) and to VOTE. Because he is chosen by the majority to lead the chamber, the party, (and in most cases) all of Congress, he is able to rule with an iron fist. The whole of the Rules has been written (for the most part) to bestow ample power on him. At times, the Speaker has been MORE powerful, like Clay, Reed, Cannon, and Rayburn. At times, the rules were written so that the Speaker could be the Chair of the all powerful Rules Committee... and do radical things like call bills up as he saw fit, instead of following the lead of the various calendars. Many of these Speakers felt strongly that they were more powerful than the President himself... and indeed many of them were... particularly during 19th century, with exceptions like Jackson, Lincoln, Roosevelt(s), and Wilson... When Thomas Marshall, Woodrow Wilson's Vice President, first assumed the chain in 1913, he begged leave to make a few remarks to the Senate "before he enters upon a four years's silence." A little later, at the end of a two-week debate on the tariff, he said he had been "like a man in a cataleptic state; he cannot speak; he cannot move; he suffers no pain; and yet he is perfectly conscious of everything that is going on about him." Sounds like he's been sitting in on my class. 3. Party Leaders: There are two for each party in each chamber, of which the Rules are written to favor the Majority Leader in the Senate the most. This is primarily because he acts as the House Rules Committee in the Senate, deciding what bills will be considered when and under what conditions. He is the calendar, the traffic cop, of the Senate. The rest of the Majority Leaders (Senate Majority Leader included) tackle legislative strategy... they (help) decide what will happen in the committees, suggest hearings and people to call upon to testify, etc. 4. Whips: These folks work with the leaders on legislative strategy, but work primarily to count votes. Since the days of persuading peers in the House and the Senate via oration are gone, and most of the work is presently done behind the scenes and in committees, the party leaders HATE surprise votes. They call, persuade, pressure, and schmooze votes out of their caucus/conference... and may even be instrumental in helping rank and file in their re-election bids by getting them time on the floor, co-sponsoring legislation, getting appropriations for projects in home districts of key votes. Other than that, if you are rank and file... you are grinding it out. Freshman members beware; some of the old guard will work hard to keep you from getting time on the floor. During JFK's first year in the Senate he was anxious to make a good impression on his elders and on occasion outdid himself. One afternoon, in a burst of energy, he rushed to the Senate floor, offered a flurry of amendments, held a news conference, made some remarks on two or three bills, issued some press statements, and finally sank, exhausted, into a chair next to Carl Hayden, who had been in the Senate for more than forty years. "Well," said Kennedy, I guess you must have seen a lot of changes in the time you've been here." So after we get this straight, we move on to getting to know members themselves.
A peer gave me a great *homemade* resource... and that is a Fantasy Congress. There are a lot of lessons like this out there, but it is hard to keep up with these when ever there is a vacancy in either chamber... but with this resource, I had each student draw three members. (One Senator; three Congressman.) From here they were told to do the whole Fantasy Baseball thing... I gave categories for various actions, things like:
There is more than this... but you get the drift. I set the kids to THOMAS, to the Senate Cloture list, to Congress.gov, and other places... to go and check up on their members. Not only does this give the kids the opportunity to see what kinds of actions members are taking over a ten day span, but they also get familiar with these types of resources. They are about to embark on a ten page analytical paper in which they will be proposing a public issue that needs to addressed, research possible solutions, and propose the "best one." Research tends to be the biggest problem for these folks. It is also humorous to see the kids figure out who the big hitters are in this assignment. They get excited when they draw the big names... the Mike Lees, the John McCains, the Pete Sessions of the body. And to get them to buy in, I offer a full letter grade bump on the upcoming Congress test. <<Woot, woot>> And if this doesn't do it for you... try these resources. They're great! Kids in the House Congress.gov THOMAS Congressional Committees website Dirksen Center
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More Congressional fun to come. I wanna really get this whole filibuster thing down pat, so I am start class with a review of the informal changes that the bodies in Congress themselves can make. The Nuclear Option (passed in November 2013, and reviewed in the previous lesson), is going to get it's due time once again. A brighter spotlight on the filibuster reveals that this maneuver has been around since 1806. The Senate dropped rules that ended debate by a majority vote. The Cloture Rule (Senate Rule XXII) was invoked in 1917 to try to green light Woodrow Wilson's desire for a declaration of war. This rule was amended in 1975 to allow the cloture vote requirement to be 3/5s instead of 2/3rds. Again, the nuclear option lowers the cloture threshold to a simple majority. To Socrative we go after the kids start the day off with a quick reading. I ask the kids...
We can even take a look at how effective it has been... After we are done reviewing the role of debate in the upper chamber, we are going to try something a little bit different. I am going to start the kids off by following the lead of another awesome government teacher I've been in contact with... we'll try a fantasy Congress. I will have the kids draw four members of Congress, either Senate or Congress. The kids will track their member of Congress for the remainder of the Congress unit for introduced legislation. Using Congress.gov, students can track their four members for legislative action. They get the following points:
Using the Senate Reference Page, students get
On the Congressional Record, students get:
On radio/television talk shows, students get:
The kids have two weeks to run their fantasy Congress activity, and get to report back to me prior to the test. The person with the most fantasy points gets ten extra credit points; second place 7 extra credit points, and third gets 5 extra credit points for the test. After we are done with that, I am going to round it out with vetoes... I am going to have to dip back into my Student Constitutions and look at what the FF say about this (Article 1 Section 7... there is a great article on vetoes here.) I love this chart that gives us a description of POTUS vetoes... And my bud HHH is here to help with that... And you know what? Here is what I think is lacking in the world. Infographics. Twice I have searched for infographics that condence information like Congressional leadership or classes of vetoes... and twice I have come up dry. I think I smell a project brewing in the background. An infographic project? Software to make these things is free... Yeah, I don't do it. My kids take civics for a year in 8th grade, and I feel like they can take this on for me. So, I leave it to them to do a collaborative out-of-class activity. (I wish I could call it a PBL, but it's a bit shy of those lofty accolades.) They have to create a song (the music can be unoriginal, but the lyrics must be original) that covers the legislative process. They can perform live or with a video, and I have gotten some really awesome examples in the past year. If you want me to do all the heavy lifting, you can purchase the guiding document and rubric on my TpT storefront... That being said, there are a ton of great resources out there. I ask my kids to watch this video and be responsible for the content (GREAT for flipped classrooms!) I also particularly love this amazing infographic... And if you are looking for an update to the I'm Just a Bill video, try this one on for size! I will admit, the break got to me on this one. I am not the proudest of this unit... I have some ideas that I will share in terms of where I want to take this in the next year.
My first day in Congress is meant to be a crash course in Congress, with odds and ends of Congressional je ne sais quoi. I started with an activity from iCivics that discusses the philosophies that drive members to vote the way they do. Much of it is for younger students, but a good and amusing discussion about how members vote. And hey, it's fun to figure out which of your students don't know the difference between USPS and UPS. NYE is creeping up on me, and this extended vacation has been predominantly about family. But work has creeped into my mind. I will admit, I spent seven hours walking around D.C. with my mom and kids in tow. I loved it. So, it has had me thinking about what I am going to do this year. I started out with a list of ten things. I think that may be a bit... overzealous. Maybe I can get it down to three.
1. Read. I have found a couple of books, mostly referred to me by others, that I really want to read.
Gosh, in looking at this, it seems as though this is enough, no? 2.) Finish my Constitution Unit overhaul. I started a major unit overhaul with the Constitution that was introduced previously. I created a copy of the Constitution that the kids could annotate, translate, and interpret. I have been using that in class, that has clauses named and articles identified, but am working on a teacher key. I then intend on doing the same thing with the amendments. Finally, I want to create a final assignment for my kids to be given just before the final. It would be a bracket (much like the March Madness kind) where they have to determine what is the most important clause in the Constitution. 3.) Find more academic conferences and training to attend. I don't know if it is where I live or not, but there are plenty of opportunities for government teachers to have additional, academic training. I particularly enjoy them if they fall on a school day; I have a very supportive principal who has usually helped me find funding for subs. I have been able to do academic research and training with institutions like: C-Span, Bill of Rights Institute, & the National Portrait Gallery. I was recently alerted to one that will take place at the Newseum... and have to decide if I want to devote a Saturday morning to it or not. I am sure that this list will grow, but here is where I want to start. What are you going to work on this year? Share! 'Twas the moment before dismissal bell, when all thru the halls,
Not a creature was stirring, all dreams of vaca; The papers were left on my desktop with care, In hopes that my TAs soon would be there; The pencils were nestled all snug in their cups While visions of A+s all danc'd in their heads, And redpen in her pencap, and I in my coat, Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap- When out on the net there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the seat to see what was the matter. Away to the windows I flew like a flash, Clicked open the browsers, and zoomed in my screen. The flourescents bouncing off the no glare sheen, Gave the haze of senioritis to objects below; When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a minature webcast, and eight tiny new Apps, With a little old host, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be time to stick. More rapid than excuses his courses they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name: "Now! Cel.ly, now! Edmodo, now! YouTube, and Socrative On! Google, on! Wordle, on! Glogster and PocketProf; To the top of the screen! to the top of the wall! Now learn today! learn today! learn today all!" As scan-trons before an open door fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; So up to the top-ten the courses they flew, With a slew full of tricks- and my teacher, too: And then in a twinkling, I heard the bell sound The dancing and jawing and merriment abound. As I lifted my head, and was turning around, Into my gray-matter where inspiration was found: Twas I, in school colors, from my head to my foot, And my clothes were all tarnish'd from dry erase soot; A bundle of ideas was ready to attack, And I look'd like a pro with new things and a nack: Mine eyes - how they twinkled! my dimples how merry, My cheeks were all rosey, my thoughts were a flurry; My tired little mouth was drawn up like a bow, The fatigue of countless meetings ceased to show; My boredom from stale lessons and tests, Supplanted by hope for fresh twists and zest. Sure, I'm tired and down, feel the walls closing in, But it's gone as I laugh'd, rising a-bove the din: I was excited and leapt, more like my old self, 'Membered why I teach after years num'ered 12th And I laugh'd when I saw this in spite of myself; A wink of the eye and some work from my head Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work, And work'd on plans brilliant; then turn'd with a jerk, And laying my finger aside of my chin And giving a nod, into the hall I sailed with a grin. I sprung to the copier, to my peers gave a nod, And away they all flew, like kids exiting my pod: But I heard myself exclaim, in the dwindling light Teaching is GREAT, and I DO IT RIGHT!!! This little venture... was meant to be able to help me pay for a Disney Trip for my three little kiddos... 'cause you know... pay freezes on teacher's salaries, and all that jazz...
But I have put a lot of heart and soul into this little project, and while it has gotten me not nearly enough by way of that Disney Trip, it has made me a better teacher, faculty member, and I have had fun to boot. So thanks to those of you who have checked me out... ***'tis the season to be thankful*** -All my peers who have done review and input, who shall remain nameless until I have verified that I am allowed to out your super secret yet superhero identity... -All my readers... I am currently ranked (I consider that to be an accomplishment in itself) 471/500 on Teach100 -All my students who have been my guinea pigs and hand models and finally... -My hubs and kids for the hours I have spent here instead of with you. I can't wait for our Disney trip (which we're taking anyways, HollA!) in January 2014! Please! Follow LovGov on FB... Twitter! Check back often! Recommend to educator peers! I would love to break above 100 in a years time! And in return, you get semi golden moments of government warm fuzzies! Two governments. You. In a relationship at the same time. Their sovereignty is 'seemless,' but it has totally changed over time. However, who is pulling the strings is soooo hard to say. I start with a pretty simple game. (Do you want a more complex game that is less teacher centered? Try iCivic's Power Play... but you need a computer lab!) I give the kids about 20 cards with a list of agencies at multiple levels of government. (I know, local governments are not sovereign... that whole Dillon's Rule vs Home Rule thing... but my kids don't know that... not yet.) I tell them to sort them into four piles.
After watching five classes do this, the prevailing sentiment is that there are few in the combo pile. We just finished talking about all the pretty parts of the Constitution, and the kids are reading the power structure just like the Constitution dictates. Aw, yeah. It's 'Murica time. Let's make some stars and stripes around he-yaah.. So. we've done the whole historical background thing. Which brings us to a walking tour of that beautifully short and (mostly, at least for now) unchanged document. I am torn in opening with a short video. I love crash course, but depending on my mood and desire for crass-ness and a bit of adult (yet not profane) humor... this is a good place to start a summary. It's not on the level of the daily show, but I may not show it to eighth or ninth graders. Preview and know your students. It's been a while... and I've been up to much. We're smack dab in the middle of Constitution land. Do you have a minute? Do you wanna chat Supreme law of the land?
I tackle the Constitution in three parts. Here is the first of them. Instead of telling kids about the Constitution through History's eyes, I try to focus on telling history through the eyes of the Constitution. And to truly understand the I gots to start at the beginning. So, we go back.... way back. To the civilizations, historical moments, philosophers, and documents that gave us our Constitution. I start by assigning my kids a timeline assignment, of which they spend (or will spend in the future) *one* hour and a half researching an assigned topic. The topics can be grouped:
This is important, and I will come back to it later. And, my kids don't know these categories exist. The kids take their topic from the assignment and are tasked with researching and reporting back to the class:
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Jen's bookshelf: nerdcation
I want to start by thanking Mr. Snowden and Mr. Greenwald for their uncompromising dedication to giving the NSA violations air time and transparency.
I wanted to share some of the most important things I have learned from this book bef...
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nerdcation
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nerdcation and to-read
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nerdcation and to-read
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nerdcation and to-read
AuthorI lovgov. LOVE IT! I love teaching government, learning about it, debating, discussing, asking questions about government. And not the standard boiler plate questions, but the hard ones that are NOT in the books. Archives
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