| Reviewed: |
Aug 23, 2010 by Teacher Education |
| Overview: |
Congress in the Classroom® Online is a self-paced tutorial to help classroom teachers and others understand today's Congress and suggest ways to teach about it. The course is organized around the twin responsibilities of Congress members: representation and lawmaking. There are more than a dozen individual units on such topics as "What Makes for Effective Members of Congress?" "How Representative is the Membership of Congress?" and "Lawmaking: Understanding the Basics." All the information you need to complete the online course is available with just a few mouse clicks. |
| Learning Goals: |
The primary purpose is to help teachers find out about the latest research on Congress and to use the information creatively in their classrooms. By combining up-to-date content with effective ways to teach it, The Dirksen Congressional Center hopes to improve understanding of the people's branch of government.
Users will investigate and understand the two different functions of members of the U.S. Congress: making laws and representing the people. Users will also investigate the nature and value of Democracy and citizen advocacy. |
| Target Student Population: |
The course does not indicate grade level of students targeted, but the help section indicates it is for both teacher use and student use. Reading level would indicate suitability for high school and undergraduate classrooms. Teachers of political science or civics would benefit from this site. |
| Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: |
Users must have basic skills in computer use and Internet browsing and the ability to read at an adult level. Prerequisite knowledge would include introduction to the Democratic and Representative forms of government and knowledge of the three branches of the U.S. government. |
| Type of Material: |
Tutorial |
| Recommended Uses: |
This course is designed for two applications: 1. As a teacher training resource and 2. As classroom units for individual or group study.
The site provides professional development for K-12 teachers and pre-service teachers on how the U.S. Congress works and best practices for teaching students about Congress. |
| Technical Requirements: |
Works well with Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. Does not require special plug-ins. |
