Action Citizen is a learning tool that encourages students to evaluate expectations and relationships between the U.S. government and the American people through the critical analysis of primary sources and legislation. It provides content and an approach for participation in a representative democracy.
Action Citizen
Freedom Summer 1964
Freedom Summer 1964 explores the impact the Civil Rights Movement had on civil rights legislation. In Freedom Summer, players predict the consequences of both civil and congressional actions, and discover how they are intertwined and impact each other.
Citizens Unite!
Francis and Paul run through several scenarios to demonstrate how to be an actively engaged citizen in our representative democracy.
Lunch Break with Dr. Broccoli
Lunch Break with Dr. Broccoli is an animated video that discusses the importance of compromise.
Description of the video:
01:04
good too salty
01:06
I see so you find someone that you want
01:09
to eat but they don't want to be eaten
01:11
that's right well let's take this little
01:14
problem of yours through dr. Brock's
01:17
patented five steps to reaching
01:19
consensus okay the first step is hearing
01:26
everyone's point of view so your point
01:29
of view is that you would like to eat
01:30
this person let's say it's Joe over
01:33
there what do you think Joe's point of
01:36
view is you really want to answer that
01:38
please Rick let's work through this how
01:42
does Joe feel he doesn't want to be
01:45
eaten that's definitely true okay great
01:49
next we need to think about what's
01:51
behind these points of view why do you
01:54
want to eat Joe
01:57
he smells delicious um maybe but is
02:00
there something else they make a tasty
02:02
sandwich we need to get to your real
02:04
motivation Rick I'm hungry good that's
02:08
right Rick just let it out and Joe do
02:12
you want to be eaten
02:14
and why do you think that is Rick no
02:16
idea Rick it's very important that you
02:19
try to understand Joe's perspective here
02:22
what if Joe wanted to eat you okay okay
02:24
let's just say that Joe has an important
02:27
meeting tomorrow that he doesn't want to
02:29
miss fine great so you're hungry and Joe
02:33
doesn't want to miss his meeting you
02:35
know I actually am kind of hungry I'm
02:37
speaking hypothetically Rick I'm serious
02:40
I'm famished here Joe I'm gonna make a
02:42
sandwich out of you let's try to focus
02:46
all right timeout we need to think of an
02:51
alternative scenario that you both can
02:53
agree on one that doesn't involve you
02:56
eating Joe no good doc I can't sleep on
02:58
an empty stomach okay well Joe what do
03:01
you think would be a good alternative
03:03
I think the cheeseburger is an obvious
03:05
choice come on what else Joe maybe we
03:09
can order a pizza that's a great idea
03:11
Joe you and Rick can both enjoy some
03:13
delicious pizza I'm not really a pizza
03:17
guy not enough meat how about some steak
03:19
that's perfect Rick the next step is
03:23
negotiation let's figure out the details
03:26
of this new arrangement okay here are
03:28
the details you buy me a steak I don't
03:30
eat you deal now Rick I think that you
03:33
still need to add a little to this
03:34
bargain to make it fair to Joe you know
03:37
compromise a bit fine I'll Drive that's
03:41
wonderful you've made some real progress
03:43
today Rick if you'd like today's show
03:46
you will love my new video let's agree
03:49
I'm an expert now available on sparkling
03:53
VHS not only does it contain dr. Brock's
03:56
patented five steps to reaching
03:58
consensus but it also includes exciting
04:01
examples of consensus building from
04:03
American history take a look all
04:08
throughout history disagreement has led
04:10
humans into all sorts of regrettable
04:12
situations in fact we can trace the
04:15
problem all the way back to an ancient
04:17
scrape up between the hunters and the
04:19
gatherers you see there have always been
04:22
different groups of people
04:23
different views of what needs to be done
04:25
and that just inevitably leads to
04:27
disagreement pick our own country for
04:30
example the United States of America our
04:32
unique history has resulted in a very
04:35
diverse population we're made up of
04:38
people who come here from Africa Europe
04:40
South America and Asia and it's a huge
04:43
country when we're trying to decide what
04:45
to do we have the viewpoints of farmers
04:47
in Indiana bankers in New York teachers
04:50
in Florida jugglers and Colorado corndog
04:52
tasters in Iowa Car Wash lifeguards in
04:54
California all with different opinions
04:56
and priorities so how do you suppose all
04:59
these people manage to get along when
05:01
they're always disagreeing that's where
05:03
the United States Congress comes in
05:05
they've been building consensus since
05:07
1789
05:08
take a look at this commercial and
05:09
you'll see what I mean conflicting
05:12
opinions getting you down try compromise
05:15
during the drafting of the US
05:17
Constitution smaller states wanted every
05:19
state to have the same number of
05:21
Representatives in Congress larger
05:23
States thought that they should have
05:24
more this issue loomed large over the
05:27
framers after using compromise they
05:30
created a legislature made up of two
05:32
equal parts the Senate in which each
05:35
state would have two senators and the
05:37
house in which larger states get more
05:39
representatives with both groups
05:41
satisfied the framers were able to move
05:44
on and finish the Constitution so next
05:47
time you're having problems with
05:48
disagreement and want to make some
05:50
progress
05:51
try compromise it's delicious available
05:55
now at the United States Congress you
05:58
know what would go down great with that
05:59
compromise a nice big helping of
06:02
discussion and understanding just like
06:04
I've been teaching that stubborn lion
06:06
the men and women who make up our
06:08
Congress use compromise every day to
06:11
work out their differences some of these
06:13
compromises were so important they put
06:15
the word compromise right in the title
06:17
in 1833 South Carolina was so fed up
06:21
with paying certain taxes called terrace
06:23
that they were talking about leading
06:25
that's right seceding from the union
06:28
splitsville
06:29
that's when Congress passed the
06:31
compromise tariff of 1833 which lowered
06:35
those taxes
06:36
enough to keep South Carolina on our
06:38
team I know some cauliflower up there so
06:41
personally I'm glad they did it that's
06:43
how they roll in the Congress trying to
06:45
work out differences and find acceptable
06:47
compromises every day on health care
06:50
pollution civil rights national parks I
06:52
could go on almost every major bill ever
06:56
passed by Congress involved some degree
06:58
of compromise that means neither side
07:00
always gets to have it their way because
07:02
there's always a little give-and-take
07:04
just like the way we get along with our
07:07
neighbors every day it's the process
07:09
that's needed to govern our diverse
07:11
country what have you done well look I
07:16
told you people I was hungry but nobody
07:18
wants to get eaten by a lion so then
07:20
this happened well folks it looks like
07:22
that's all you get to see of the video
07:24
today but remember it's still available
07:27
now for only 1995
07:29
hey dr. broccoli I think I figured out
07:31
this compromise thing you keep talking
07:33
about you say your video cost 1995 but I
07:35
don't think it's worth a penny over 795
07:37
do you think we could talk it over and
07:39
maybe we could agree to compromise you
07:42
know each side giving in a little bit
07:44
until we decide I only pay maybe 1295
07:46
yeah I wouldn't pay 1295 for that video
07:49
so what do you say doc we got a deal
07:51
well I you look really good in that
07:53
video by the way like delicious you ever
07:56
want to just cover yourself with cheese
07:57
and hop in the microwave well I yeah
07:58
yeah what's that is that music I hear
08:02
looks like we're out of time folks but
08:05
thanks for watching and be sure to tune
08:07
in tomorrow when my guests will be
08:08
Optimus Prime and Megatron I'm told they
08:11
have some issues to work out see you
08:13
then
08:34
you
00:05
coming up next on lunch break with dr.
00:08
broccoli dr. Brock will talk it out with
00:11
a bunch of folks who just can't get
00:13
along it's conversation about
00:16
disagreement that I'm sure you'll agree
00:18
is great good afternoon and thank you
00:22
for joining us my guests today are very
00:24
diverse but they all have one thing in
00:26
common they agree to disagree let's
00:30
start with the king of the jungle over
00:32
there mr. lion would you like to share
00:34
with us today
00:35
sure my name is Rick so I'm a lion you
00:41
know king of the jungle and all that and
00:43
and I have a problem with disagreement
00:47
and what is that exactly Rick well it
00:50
goes like this every time I meet someone
00:52
new I you don't know what to say uh no
00:55
not exactly
00:56
I I want to eat them but they generally
01:00
don't want to be eaten
01:02
I mean some do but those don't taste so
Engaging Congress
Engaging Congress includes five videos discussing issues such as influencing the political process, voting rights, states’ rights, and the federal budget.
CitizIN
CitizIN is a FREE interactive game that explores 200 years of Indiana history. CitizIN supports the teaching of Indiana studies and the incorporation of Indiana topics into the teaching of a standard U.S. History course.Facts of Congress
Facts of Congress is a series of twenty 60-second animated videos exploring questions such as “What is Congress? How does Congress work? and What does Congress do for me?
Description of the video:
00:04
and now another fact of Congress our
00:10
government is like a big three layer
00:12
cake
00:13
we have local government state
00:15
government and national government often
00:18
called federal government local
00:19
government handles local issues like
00:22
police water and building permits state
00:25
government handles issues about your
00:26
state such as education health care and
00:29
recreation federal government handles
00:32
national issues such as national parks
00:34
the military and space exploration this
00:37
system of dividing responsibilities
00:39
among governments is called federalism
00:42
sometimes who does what isn't that clear
00:45
yet this flexibility lets us decide
00:47
whether a particular problem is best
00:49
handled in local town halls in state
00:51
capitals or by the men and women in the
00:53
Congress this fact of Congress is
00:56
adjourned
Description of the video:
00:04
and now another fact of Congress I'll
00:10
bet you're one of those kids who thinks
00:11
Congress who needs it
00:14
it doesn't affect kids at all and
00:15
certainly not me Wow if it weren't for
00:18
Congress that beautiful stream that
00:21
flows through your town would be a
00:22
polluted and smelly waterway that no one
00:24
would like instead of traveling quickly
00:26
and safely on a modern interstate
00:28
highway for your vacations you would
00:30
have to take bumpy old back roads rather
00:33
than visiting one of our great national
00:34
parks you'd find yourself at just
00:37
another strip mall are you getting the
00:39
picture and when you grow up and go to
00:41
college you can thank Congress for
00:43
providing student loans or for making
00:45
sure women's sports programs get the
00:47
same treatment as men's now bet if you
00:50
did a little digging you could find a
00:52
lot more ways that the work of Congress
00:54
affects your everyday life this fact of
00:57
Congress is adjourned
Description of the video:
00:04
and now another fact of Congress
00:09
everyone knows that Congress makes laws
00:11
but just how does a bill no not that
00:14
kind of a bill but how does this kind of
00:17
a bill an idea for a law become a law
00:20
first a member of the House or Senate
00:22
comes up with an idea and introduces it
00:24
as a build then it's carefully reviewed
00:27
by the appropriate committee in Congress
00:29
if the committee approves the bill it
00:31
then needs to be passed by both the
00:33
House and Senate if they do it goes to
00:36
the president for his signature only
00:38
then is a bill officially a law but it's
00:42
a difficult process with less than 10%
00:45
of bills introduced ever becoming law
00:47
it's not a process designed to move
00:50
quickly
00:51
there are various obstacles along the
00:53
way to ensure that bad ideas don't make
00:56
it through this fact of Congress is
00:59
adjourned
Description of the video:
00:04
and now another fact of Congress have
00:10
you ever made a quick decision that you
00:12
wished you taken more time to think
00:13
about quick decisions are often not the
00:16
best decisions especially when it comes
00:17
to passing laws that affect all
00:19
Americans the US Congress practices what
00:22
is called deliberation when making their
00:24
important decisions
00:25
imagine if just one person made all the
00:28
laws in our country just doing whatever
00:30
popped into their head that's why there
00:32
are so many steps in the legislative
00:34
process to make sure that bad ideas
00:36
don't get passed in the heat of the
00:37
moment taking the time to get the laws
00:39
right is the most important thing that
00:42
Congress can do in fact deliberation
00:44
could work for you too this fact of
00:48
Congress is adjourned
Description of the video:
00:51
really gets done in Congress think
00:53
committees this fact of Congress is
00:57
adjourned
00:04
and now another fact of Congress every
00:10
year Congress must consider and debate
00:12
hundreds of very important matters
00:14
imagine what it would look and sound
00:16
like if the entire Congress discussed
00:18
each and every topic before it well
00:21
thankfully members of both the House and
00:23
Senate belong to individual committees
00:25
that focus on a particular subject like
00:27
education or the environment when a
00:30
member introduces a bill that she would
00:32
like to see become a law it is
00:34
immediately sent to a committee where it
00:36
is studied in detail committee members
00:39
hear experts talk about why this
00:40
particular bill is or isn't a good idea
00:43
and committees are tough graders the
00:46
vast majority of bills introduced to
00:48
never make it out of committee
00:50
so when you think of where the work
Description of the video:
00:04
and now another fact of Congress our
00:09
country depends on citizen participation
00:12
but if you don't participate things get
00:16
messy
00:16
think if you didn't participate at home
00:18
and you didn't discuss what you wanted
00:20
instead of getting an ice-cold soda
00:22
you'd get an ice-cold shower instead of
00:25
playing video games you'd be playing
00:27
pinochle and instead of playing football
00:30
you'd get stuck with a doll if you don't
00:33
participate you don't get what you want
00:35
how do you participate as a citizen
00:38
right your representatives a letter or
00:40
send them an email visit their office or
00:43
attendant online meeting study up on the
00:45
issues by following the news and
00:47
checking websites volunteer on a
00:49
campaign and get your candidate elected
00:52
and when you turn 18 you can vote the
00:56
key is to find the ways that work best
00:58
for you and get started this fact of
01:01
Congress is adjourned
Description of the video:
01:03
allowed to get too powerful this fact of
01:07
Congress is adjourned
00:04
and now another fact of Congress our
00:09
country was founded on the principle of
00:12
balance that no branch of government
00:14
could dominate another for example
00:17
Congress is responsible for passing laws
00:19
but it's up to the President to okay
00:22
them the president nominates judges but
00:25
Congress must approve them judges can
00:28
declare laws unconstitutional but
00:30
Congress can propose other ways of
00:32
accomplishing the same thing the
00:34
president can veto bills passed by
00:36
Congress but Congress can override the
00:39
veto this system of power sharing is
00:42
called checks and balances but it
00:44
doesn't stop there we balance
00:47
responsibilities between the federal
00:48
government and state governments we
00:51
balance influence between big states and
00:53
little States the resulting system might
00:56
look like a complicated maze of boxes
00:58
and arrows but it's really quite simple
01:01
that no one part of government should be
Description of the video:
00:00
and now another fact of Congress way
00:05
back in 1789 people were noticing some
00:08
things our new constitution did it take
00:10
care of so the first Congress came up
00:13
with ten changes or amendments which
00:15
became known as the Bill of Rights the
00:18
First Amendment is important because
00:20
Congress actually told itself what it
00:23
could not do if written using today's
00:25
language the First Amendment would say
00:27
you can't pass laws that keep people
00:30
from practicing their religion you can't
00:32
pass laws that keep people from speaking
00:34
their minds or publishing their ideas
00:36
and you can't pass laws that stop folks
00:39
from getting together peacefully to
00:41
express their views to their people in
00:43
government this amendment plus the
00:45
others in the bill of rights reassured
00:47
the nation that the powers of their new
00:48
government would have limits as
00:50
President George Washington said the
00:53
amendments strengthened our
00:55
characteristic rights this fact of
00:57
Congress is adjourned
Description of the video:
00:04
and now another fact of Congress ever
00:10
hear somebody stating a supposed that
00:12
when you know there has to be another
00:14
side of the story well getting to the
00:17
truth quite often means that you have to
00:19
take the time to go beyond one person's
00:21
opinion and dig around for what others
00:23
have to say about it when you hear about
00:26
an issue or law that you're really
00:27
interested in take the time to find out
00:30
what the other side thinks about it you
00:32
may learn some things you hadn't thought
00:34
of before and then you can weigh all of
00:36
that information and come up with your
00:38
own opinion analyzing all the facts and
00:41
opinions not only makes you a better
00:43
informed citizen it might give you an
00:45
idea of how you can help that helps make
00:48
you a great citizen this fact of
00:51
Congress is adjourned
Description of the video:
00:53
along in the best shape possible this
00:56
fact of Congress is adjourned
00:04
and now another fact of Congress what if
00:10
they had a rule at your school that was
00:12
mostly good but was missing something
00:14
that would make it even better wouldn't
00:17
you like to change or amend it
00:19
well amendments are an important part of
00:22
what happens in Congress a member
00:24
proposes a bill that gets sent to a
00:26
committee for hearings if the committee
00:28
wants to they can vote to add amendments
00:31
to the bill this can change the original
00:33
language and very important ways
00:35
if passed out of committee the bill with
00:38
the new amendments goes to the floor of
00:40
Congress for action the full House or
00:42
Senate then debates this revised bill
00:44
and often considers additional
00:46
amendments and sometimes even amendments
00:49
to amendments it's all just part of
00:51
improving the original law so it moves
Description of the video:
00:54
different voices that make up our 21st
00:56
century America this fact of Congress is
01:00
adjourned
00:04
and now another fact of Congress back in
00:10
the early days of our country almost all
00:12
of our citizens had come from Northern
00:14
Europe when a congressman from those
00:16
days spoke with his constituency by and
00:18
large he and they look pretty much the
00:20
same and also had many shared values
00:22
well imagine that same member of
00:25
Congress today addressing his or her
00:26
constituency the United States has
00:29
become a tremendously diverse nation
00:31
with citizens from all over the world
00:33
Americans today have many different jobs
00:35
live in a variety of communities and
00:37
have different needs and interests this
00:40
creates a special challenge for today's
00:42
members of Congress as they must govern
00:44
a population that has vastly different
00:46
backgrounds and beliefs passing laws
00:48
that take all of us into consideration
00:50
requires patience and a willingness to
00:52
seek out and listen to all of the
Description of the video:
00:04
And now, another Fact of Congress. Here's a word about the word "compromise." A very
00:12
important congressional concept! Some people mistakenly think it means giving
00:17
in, or losing an argument. In the case of Congress, where there's a lot of
00:21
diversity and debate, opposing points of view come face-to-face almost every day.
00:25
By compromising, our legislators can move beyond the argument and begin working on
00:30
the solutions to the problems that come before them. In fact, the idea for
00:35
Congress to have two chambers was a solution to a major disagreement back in
00:39
1787, and has, itself, become known as "The Great Compromise." This Fact of Congress
00:45
is adjourned!