Civic skills need to be practiced to keep the democracy strong, and civic training materials should be exciting and linked to real-world activities. Today, teaching government and social studies can be, must be, about students' real lives. A unit of study on "Tracking Congress" would offer an opportunity to connect civics and government…

This article features Congressman Edward Rees's bill. Congressman Edward Rees of Kansas introduced a bill (H.R. 7786) in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 8, 1954, to create a national holiday that would honor the nation's veterans. He said in a speech on the floor of the House that he did it so that "a grateful nation may pay…

Students can learn great lessons when placed in decision-making roles. Simulating a Senate confirmation hearing can give students a glimpse of how government works and a chance to evaluate historical figures and issues. Any simulation, however, is an imperfect imitation of a real event. Having to make a decision based on incomplete information…

A nontechnical outline of the Federal lawmaking process is presented, from the origin of an idea for a legislative proposal to its publication as a statute. Seventeen chapters comprise the document. Chapters I through VII examine the structure of the Congress, sources of legislation, forms of congressional action, committee processes, reported…

C-SPAN is a non-profit public service television network created by the U.S. cable television industry to provide viewers live gavel-to-gavel access to the proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and to other forums where public policy is discussed, debated, and decided. This guide presents a brief history of how…

This digest addresses teaching about the U.S. Congress. The digest addresses the constitutional foundations of the U.S. Congress, including the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, representation, bicameralism, and the balance of power between state and federal government and among the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the federal…

This resource unit, developed by the University of Minnesota's Project Social Studies, introduces eighth graders to the legislative process. The unit uses case studies such as the Civil Rights Acts of 1960 and 1964 and attempts to change the Rules Committee in 1961. It also uses much data on background of congressmen and on distribution of…