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Four educators from Indiana honored for outstanding teaching about Congress
March 10, 2000
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Four Indiana social studies teachers, whose combined teaching experience exceeds 100 years in the classroom, received the inaugural Indiana University Center on Congress Outstanding Teaching Awards in ceremonies today (March 10) in Indianapolis.
Receiving awards were Ellen Hendricks of Forest Park Junior-Senior High School in Ferdinand, Bruce Hitchcock of Noblesville High School, Rosemarie Kuntz of Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis, and Vicky Snyder of Signature Learning Center in Evansville.
The award, for exemplary teaching about the U.S. Congress, included $5,000 to each teacher. Lee Hamilton, a former congressman from Indiana and director of the IU center, and Suellen Reed, Indiana superintendent of public instruction, presented the honors at the Indiana Council for the Social Studies annual spring convention at the Government Center South.
"At a time when there is great distrust of government and widespread cynicism, these outstanding teachers have done a service by helping young people get past that cynicism and lack of trust to come to a better understanding of Congress and to see how it really does work," said Hamilton, who served for 34 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.
"One of the primary purposes of education is the perpetuation of American democracy," Reed added. "Our students must understand how our government works in order to appreciate it, to support it and to defend it. This awards program recognizes teachers who teach about Congress in exemplary ways."
This is the first year for the award, which is sponsored by the Cummins Engine Foundation in Columbus, Ind. The Outstanding Teacher Award will be presented annually to social studies teachers at the middle or high school level who have made exemplary efforts in teaching about the U.S. Congress.
Hendricks, from Ferdinand, has taught U.S. government, economics, psychology, U.S. history and world history during a 23-year teaching career. She holds a bachelor of science degree in social studies from Ball State University and a master of science degree in secondary education from IU.
She devised a classroom simulation called "Fountain of Power," in which students play the roles of those involved in the three branches of government. Legislation is debated and processed by Congress, while the executive branch performs its role. The Supreme Court reviews and determines the constitutionality of laws passed. Lobbyists compete to promote their interests, and reporters create a newspaper each week that documents events.
Hendricks varies the simulation as activity proceeds and the students adapt. Students also write a final essay comparing their roles in the simulation and the actual roles operating in government.
Hitchcock, from Noblesville, has been a teacher for 31 years and has directed American government, U.S. history and international relations classes. He holds bachelor of science and master of arts degrees in U.S. history from Ball State.
He promotes active student involvement as a means of stimulating student learning about Congress. Each of his classes participates in a model Congress simulation, with one class simulating the House of Representatives and the other the Senate. Students are also divided into political parties and develop party platforms.
Students research and write bills, and committees discuss bills and hold hearings on them, and then report them to the floor of their respective bodies where they are debated and voted upon. In addition, Mr. Hitchcock has organized more than 30 week-long trips to Washington D.C. centered on providing internships in the offices of members of Congress and in committees.
Kuntz, from Indianapolis, has taught government, sociology and service learning during her 30-year career. She holds bachelor of science and master of science degrees in social studies from IU.
She strives to develop skills of inquiry and participation in her students, to enable them to be active contributors in a democracy. She organizes a mock Congress for each of her classes, in which one class serves as the House of Representatives and another as the Senate. One week is devoted to organizing the leadership, drafting bills, and supportive speech writing. For two weeks, students engage in role-playing through the bicameral legislative process with the school principal acting as president.
Her students also are introduced to the lobbying process by following bills in the Indiana General Assembly. They use the Internet to watch the status of bills, prepare legislative packets to deliver to state lawmakers, and visit state legislators at the State Capitol.
Through a grant from the Perry Township Education Foundation, her project "Citizen Watch: Civic Action Through the Citizen Legislature," students access information used by citizen groups to impact public policymaking. Students then make comparisons between the Indiana General Assembly and the U.S. Congress.
Snyder, of Evansville, a teacher for 26 years, has taught government, economics, U.S. history, psychology and sociology. She holds a bachelor of science degree in social secondary education from the University of Evansville, a master of arts degree in education from Evansville, and an administrative license in education from Indiana State University.
In order to convey the important role that Congress plays in her students' daily lives, Snyder organizes a congressional simulation in which one class acts as the House and the other acts as the Senate. The president is a student elected by all her government classes. Bills are written by groups of students, processed through both houses, and then sent to a conference committee. Final bills are presented to the president for signature or veto.
Snyder also provides her students with opportunities to become involved in the political process through several methods. She has taken students to the "We the People" congressional competition, to National Close-up in Washington, D.C., and to rallies for political candidates.
More information on the IU Center on Congress and the award is available at the center's Web site at http://congress.indiana.edu/
(George Vlahakis, 812-855-0846, gvlahaki@indiana.edu or Debbie Still, 812-856-4706, dstill@indiana.edu)