Drew Angerer/The New York Times John A. Boehner, the incoming speaker of the House, walked to the House chamber before his swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday.Go to related post on The Caucus ?The start of the 112th United States Congress on Wednesday brought new and returning lawmakers to Capitol Hill, along with a Republican majority in the House of Representatives — and a new speaker of the House, John A. Boehner.
Here are 10 activities for teaching and learning about Congress and the position of House speaker, along with resources about the use of filibuster in the Senate, the overhaul of which is among the first measures new lawmakers will weigh.
Congressional Who’s Who: Who are the leaders of the House and Senate and what exactly do they do? Find the names, roles and responsibilities of those who hold leadership positions in the? House of Representatives and Senate. You might extend this activity by assigning individuals or small groups a more in-depth report about one of the leaders and the history of his or her position. (Note: To review basics about the branches of government, you might begin with this short video.) Alternatively, individuals or groups compile a comprehensive “who’s who” of not only Congressional leaders, but also of key members of the president’s Cabinet and staff.
How Congress Makes Laws: How are laws made in the United States? Use our lesson Dysfunction Function: Charting the Ideal and Real Legislative Process to help students gain insight into lawmaking. Then you might hold a mock session of Congress.
History of the Speaker of the House: Why does the House have a speaker? Find and present an infographic with important facts about the office of the speaker of the House, including:? how the position was established; how this leader is chosen; whether he or she must belong to the political party that holds the majority of House seats;? the length of term; how he or she would become president; duties of the speaker as well as salary; and names of the first speaker and recent representatives who had the position;? and how many people have held the position.
The State of Your State: Identify the representatives and senators elected in your state. Are any of them new to Congress? How long have returning lawmakers held their positions? Find the committees on which each will serve in the House and Senate. (Note: Check that member lists have been updated.) Visit each Congressional leader’s Web site and consult The Times and local media outlets to identify key issues. Write a list of predictions about how each lawmaker will (or will not) be able to effect change in these areas. You might also make playing cards about your state’s lawmakers with highlights from their careers.
Orders of Business: What issues and policies are members of Congress taking up? Create a digital or physical master list of main issues and corresponding bills under consideration and up for vote in the House and Senate, and append all relevant Times coverage to track the progress of major measures, with space for classmates to ask questions, comment and link to relevant resources.
Mr. Speaker: How will new John A. Boehner, the new speaker, lead the House? Research Mr. Boehner’s life and political career, beginning with this timeline, along with his official biography, and play a trivia game about highlights from his life, including “fun facts” like his previous nonpolitical jobs, and his much-ballyhooed episodes of crying in public.
SWOT Teams: What opportunities and challenges are facing Mr. Boehner? What are his, and his party’s, internal strengths and weaknesses? Read the related coverage, and do a SWOT analysis, including consideration of his main political allies and opponents in the House and elsewhere, like Tea Party constituents. Students might also include material on how past speakers like Nancy Pelosi, Dennis Hastert and Newt Gingrich dealt with adversity during their tenures.
Opening Words: How did Mr. Boehner’s first speech as House speaker address key issues he identified in his Wall Street Journal Op-Ed? Read and analyze both documents, focusing on rhetoric and imagery in each. Who is the intended audience? How can you tell? How does Mr. Boehner appeal to his primary audience? Who else might he be appealing to? Which is more effective and why? Can you tell that one was meant to be read silently and the other to be delivered to listeners? How might his committed opponents reply? Write an Op-Ed or speech designed to respond to Mr. Boehner, from the point of view of either an ally or opponent.
History and Future of the Filibuster: What is a filibuster? How do United States senators use the filibuster to block legislation? Learn what a filibuster is, the history of the measure and how it has changed over time, including previous overhaul efforts and the proposed changes to filibuster rules. Then watch the Bloggingheads: Defending the Filibuster video and read former Vice President Walter Mondale’s Op-Ed piece, taking notes on salient points. Write a persuasive essay about what — if anything — you think should change about the filibuster and why.
Famous Filibusters: What is a “good, old-fashioned filibuster” and how does it work? Watch footage of Senator Bernard Sanders’ Dec. 10, 2010, filibuster in which he voiced — for more than eight hours — his opposition to continuing the Bush-era tax cuts, a mere fraction of the time Senator Strom Thurmond spoke in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957 (24 hours and 18 minutes). Consider other famous filibusters in American history and, if desired, watch the famous filibuster scene in the 1939 film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Hold a filibuster-like session in which each student, in turn, opines on the merits of the filibuster and draws on some of these examples.
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