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 pamphlet is about effective communication and helping citizens make use of every available way to "send them a message." Highlighted are tips on making personal visits to members of Congress and their staff, placing telephone calls and writing effective letters. There is a directory of telephone numbers and addresses to contact the…

Provides information about the 106th and 107th U.S. Congress sessions. Includes early bills in the Senate for the 107th Congress and information about low versus high bill numbers. Presents two activity ideas that accompany this information. (CMK)

This guide is a revised and adapted version of a previous monograph, "A New Public Perspective on Representative Democracy: A Guide for Legislative Interns." The guide focuses on civic perspective: how citizens view the political institutions, processes, and people that are fundamental to representative democracy in the United States. It…

This document contains a handbook and a booklet of classroom activities to use with the handbook. The handbook is a compilation of the law, procedures, and practices which govern the legislative process in Georgia. It addresses the practical problems faced by members of the Georgia legislature. Chapter one discusses the General Assembly, its…

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…

This booklet presents teacher-developed units of study on the American government for eleventh-grade students. The materials are Part I of a set of classroom strategies intended to help secondary students examine American history in light of the issues identified by the American Issues Forum. Students analyze the U.S. Constitution, draw cartoons,…

Designed to encourage informed and critical thinking on contemporary political issues and processes, the articles, case studies, and activities in this student handbook can be incorporated into secondary school social studies units on government or current events. Seven chapters cover the executive branch of government, Congress, the judiciary,…