UPDATED> ***COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: January 2004***

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Net Happenings - From Educational CyberPlayGround
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From: "Cindy Koeppel" <ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: ***COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: January 2004***
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 10:00:24 -0600
Importance: Normal

COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: January 2004

Welcome to 2004! We welcome the New Year by making a few changes in 
Communicator, changes which we hope will make it easier for teachers to use the 
five sites in our Web suite. For example, we are distributing this issue in 
HTML format. If you can't read the HTML version, there is a 
<http://www.webcommunicator.org/site%20resources/archives/jan04.htm>link to a 
readable version. There is also a list of contents with links directly to the 
sections of Communicator.

Another change involves a new emphasis on explaining different features of the 
suite. One of the things we've learned from you is that you use the information 
we provide in creative ways that we would never have imagined. So our focus in 
"Monthly Feature" will be on guiding you to a specific resource on one of the 
Web sites and then getting out of the way!

Communicator will continue to offer a "Monthly Theme" and the other sections 
you've become accustomed to. If you have questions or suggestions, please 
contact Cindy Koeppel - 
<mailto:ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>mailto:ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<http://www.webcommunicator.org/site%20resources/archives/jan04.htm>CLICK HERE 
IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE READING THIS FORMAT

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Monthly Feature - CongressLink's "Guide to Congress"
2. Monthly Theme - Civil Liberties: The First Amendment (Freedom of the Press)
3. Featured Grant-funded Project
4. News and Views from The Center
5. Trivia -- Media Minutiae
6. Postscript Information


1. CongressLink's "Guide to Congress"

January marks the beginning of the second session of the 108th Congress. This 
might be a good time to reacquaint yourself with the tools CongressLink - 
<http://www.congresslink.org>http://www.congresslink.org - provides to learn 
about your representatives in Congress.

Start with the site's Information Center -- 
<http://www.congresslink.org/informationcenter.html>http://www.congresslink.org/informationcenter.html
 
-- and select the Guide to Congress feature -- 
<http://capwiz.com/cl/dbq/officials/directory/directory.dbq?command=congdir>http://capwiz.com/cl/dbq/officials/directory/directory.dbq?command=congdir.
 
That link will take you to a search feature where you can locate individual 
members of Congress, congressional committees, congressional leaders, even key 
congressional staff offices and their telephone numbers.

Here's an example: The Dirksen Center is located in Illinois's 18th 
congressional district. Ray LaHood is the congressman. If I type his name in 
the Member search box, I am taken to a screen that lists his party affiliation, 
residence, marital status, previous occupation and political experience, 
education, birth date, birthplace, and religion. It tells me when he was first 
elected and by what percentage of the vote. The page links me to the committees 
on which he serves and to information about political action committee 
contributions to his campaign. There are also links to his Washington and 
district offices and to his key staff members. Options at the top of the screen 
take me to President Bush's site and to federal and state agencies throughout 
the country. By clicking on the Media Guide tab, I can find out what the major 
newspapers, television, and radio stations are in our district -- a handy 
search feature allows me to do the same for every state, too. The search 
results even give me links to each of the media outlets' own Web sites!

How might the Guide to Congress feature be used in the classroom? By selecting 
two or more congressmen or senators, students could see relatively quickly 
their similarities and difference. For example, you might have students 
research the characteristics of their two senators. The feature's easy way of 
linking to a member's Web site makes it possible for students to compare and 
contrast information presented on these sites - a kind of Web design and 
evaluation exercise. Since 2004 is an election year, the access to PAC 
contributions might prove interesting, too!


2. CIVIL LIBERTIES: THE FIRST AMENDMENT (FREEDOM OF THE PRESS) -- Freedom of 
the press often presents a conflict of rights. The resources in this issue of 
Communicator will help your students learn more about the freedom of the press 
and interpretations of those freedoms. One category of interpretation is known 
as prior restraint.

The Supreme Court in New York Times Co. vs. United States (1971) ruled that a 
prior restraint on publication of excerpts from the Pentagon Papers violated 
the First Amendment. Learn more about Prior Restraints and the Presumption of 
Unconstitutionality at: 
<http://www.aboutgovernment.org/historicaldocuments.htm#constitution>http://www.aboutgovernment.org/historicaldocuments.htm#constitution

Do your students think the Supreme Court decision in New York Times vs. United 
States (1971) would be the same today? To help them answer this question, have 
them participate in a Supreme Court simulation designed to follow as closely as 
possible actual Supreme Court procedure. Find The Legacy of the Pentagon Papers 
at: 
<http://highschooljournalism.org/teachers/LessonPlan_Print.cfm?Type=L&LessonplanId=53&AuthorId=31>http://highschooljournalism.org//teachers/LessonPlan_Print.cfm?Type=L&LessonplanId=53&AuthorId=31
 


The Supreme Court has also maintained that obscene materials are not protected 
under the First Amendment. Do your students think city police should be able to 
confiscate any materials that are deemed to be obscene or pornographic 
according to community standards? Have them take the CongressLink political 
spectrum test to rate this and other statements at: 
<http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/politicalspectrumtest.htm>http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/politicalspectrumtest.htm.
 


*NEW* Have your students assess what they have learned about the First 
Amendment and the freedom of the press by taking the "American Constitutional 
Law" practice test including specific questions and instant feedback. Find 
Freedom of the Press at: 
<http://www.congressforkids.net/games/billofrights/2_billofrights.htm>http://www.congressforkids.net/games/billofrights/2_billofrights.htm
 
and click on "Chapter Five" to begin the fun!


3. FEATURED GRANT-FUNDED PROJECT

Have you considered developing lesson plans or student role-play activities 
that teach students about the significance of freedom of expression to help 
them see the consequences of applying certain forms of censorship to written 
media? If so, consider applying for a Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grant. 
Find information about the program, including a sample grant proposal and a 
list of previously awarded grants at: 
<http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm>http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantmichelciviced.htm
 



4. NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER

** CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Congress in the Classroom 2004 **

DEADLINE: March 15, 2004

The 2004 program theme will be Election 2004. Individual sessions will be 
offered on such topics as: (1) Election 2004, A View from Capitol Hill, (2) 
Finding the Right Candidate: The Recruitment Puzzle, (3) Covering a Political 
Campaign: A Media Perspective, (4) Predicting Who Will Win the Presidency, (5) 
Show Me the Money: Can One Buy the White House?, and many others.

Take a look at The Dirksen Center Web site -
<http://www.dirksencenter.org/progcongressinclassroom.htm>http://www.dirksencenter.org/progcongressinclassroom.htm
 
-- to see what participants say about the program. If you are interested in 
registering for the Congress in the Classroom 2004 workshop, you can complete 
an online registration form found at: 
<http://www.dirksencenter.org/CiCapplication.htm>http://www.dirksencenter.org/CiCapplication.htm
 


** FINAL REMINDER: Congressional Research Awards **

DEADLINE: Proposals must be postmarked no later than February 1, 2004

Complete information about eligibility and application procedures may be found 
at The Center's Web site:
<http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantcongresearchaward.htm>http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantcongresearchaward.htm
 
Frank Mackaman is the program officer -- 
<mailto:fmackaman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>mailto:fmackaman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


5. MEDIA MINUTIAE

1. Government may impose punishments on a newspaper after it has published 
words lacking constitutional protection, such as libelous statements, but it 
may not exercise _____ __________ by preventing a publication before it gets 
released.

2. Near v. Minnesota (1931) articulated three exceptions to a general ban on 
prior restraint. Which of these circumstances is not an acceptable condition 
for prior restraint as defined in this case?

A) libel
B) Obscenity
C) Advocation of the overthrow of government
D) Revealing of military secrets

Answers to the December issue of Fun, Facts, and Trivia link here: 
<http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia1203ans.htm>http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia1203ans.htm

Happy New Year! Encourage your colleagues to subscribe to the Communicator. If 
you have questions, comments, or suggestions, contact Cindy Koeppel at 
<mailto:ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>mailto:ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Your 
feedback makes a difference!

6. NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over 
12,000 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:ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>mailto:ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
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:ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>mailto:ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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