Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone . . . or did he?

"Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.”

Those were the first words spoken on Alexander Graham Bell’s revolutionary invention, the telephone, on March 10, 1876. Most people today credit Bell as the sole inventor of the telephone. But Bell is often accused of stealing part of his concept for the telephone from fellow inventor Elisha Gray.

Both Gray and Bell applied for a patent from the U.S. Patent Office on the same day: February 14, 1876. Bell was issued his patent on March 7, 1876, and three days later transmitted the first clear words through an acoustic telegraph.

Have your students research the Bell-Gray controversy and discuss which inventor should have received the patent for the telephone. Discuss with them why patents are important. You may also want to have them discuss the impact the telephone has had on history. Your students may be interested in looking at Bell’s experimental notebook entry from March 10, 1876.

Parliamentary and Presidential Systems of Government

An estimated 60 percent of Iraqis voted during the 2010 parliamentary elections on Monday. In a parliamentary democracy like Iraq’s, parliament has sovereignty over the head of the government, the prime minster. The prime minster is usually the leader of the political party that has either won the majority of seats in parliament or has the most seats without holding a majority. In the case of the latter, the political party with the most seats in parliament must form a coalition government, which includes members of other political parties. Many European, Middle Eastern, and South Asian nations follow the parliamentary system, with Britain’s being that most famous.

The political party of the current Iraqi Prime Minster, Nouri Maliki, is not expected to retain a majority of the seats in that country’s parliament but will probably still hold the most seats and thus would be forced to form a coalition government.

During the 2008 election cycle in the United States, almost 62 percent of eligible voters went to the polls to elect the 44th President of the United States. They also handed the Democratic Party a majority of the seats in both houses of Congress. Some believe the Democrats are in danger of losing their majorities in Congress during the mid-term elections this November, but no matter the result, in a presidential system, Barack Obama would still be President of the United States.

Questions to Consider

1. Which system, parliamentary or presidential, is more consistent with democratic ideals?


2. Which system provides for more accountability to the voters?


3. Why have more democracies adopted the parliamentary system than the presidential system?


4. Would a parliamentary system necessitate more political parties?


5. Would having fewer political parties mean a more stable system of government?
   

My Years in High School

Teaching is certainly a challenging profession, as well as a rewarding one. Newly published, this little book by a veteran high school teacher details the trials and tribulations of teaching in a 21st-century American public school.

From the book jacket:

"Writer and educator Marcos Puga gives a close-up view of what it's like to be a teacher, with a distinct and humorous voice. From the difficult to the delightful, his narrative is a wonderful tribute to students and how each has the uneniable right to quality education and what role the teacher plays in bringing out the best in his/her students. Meant to aid and inspire other teachers, parents, and yes, even students, this amusing book is filled with advice, anecdotes, and the heartfelt pride of what it means to be a teacher."

Lincoln Takes Office This Day in History

It was on March 4th, 1861 that Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office to become the 16th President of the United States of America. His inauguration was the impetus for seven southern states to secede from the Union, and his decision to call for 75,000 volunteers to put down the "rebellion" drove four more states into the arms of the new Confederate States of America.

The war and Lincoln's conduct of it brought numerous constitutional questions about states' rights, slavery, and presidential powers to a head. Many of Lincoln's decisions are still debated by scholars today--a debate your students can join by taking part in the National Constitution Center's engaging lesson plan and accompanying online game, Lincoln's Crossroads.

Does the Second Amendment Apply to the States?

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
- Second Amendment to the Constitution

“Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”
- Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause

The debate about whether the 14th Amendment makes the first ten amendments to the Constitution applicable to the states, thus extending the protections of the Bill of Rights, has a long history that will gain another chapter when the Supreme Court hears the case of McDonald v. Chicago this week.

Citing the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment, the Supreme Court in a series of cases has held that most of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights also apply to the states. The 1st, 4th, three clauses of the 5th, the 6th, and a clause in the 8th Amendment have been incorporated.

Until now, however, the 2nd Amendment, along with the 3rd, a clause in the 5th and the 7th Amendment have not been applied to, or incorporated against, the states. In D.C. v. Heller (2008) the Supreme Court held that the 2nd Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess firearms for self-defense within federal territories, like Washington, D.C.

McDonald v. Chicago will likely determine whether the limits placed on the federal government by the 2nd Amendment are applicable to state and local governments.

Ask your students which of the freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights should be incorporated against the states, which should not be incorporated, and to defend their answers.

The Exchange, the National Constitution Center's program of national student deliberation, will grapple with the issue of gun control, when on May 20, The Exchange asks students: Can government prohibit citizens from owing handguns? Your students can join the conversation about important constitutional issues by visiting The Exchange's website.

Oh Say Can You See . . .

March 3 will be the 79^th anniversary of the congressional resolution, signed by President Herbert Hoover, which made Francis Scott Key’s Star-Spangled Banner the national anthem. However, there has been a long-standing debate about whether the Star-Spangled Banner is the right choice for the country’s anthem.

The Star-Spangled Banner was written in 1814 and was originally titled Defence of Fort McHenry. Key wrote the work after he witnessed the bombardment of the Maryland fort by the British during the War of 1812. Though composed as a poem, the piece soon began to be sung to the tune of the popular British drinking song “To Anacreon in Heaven.”

For years, many people have lobbied to have the song America the Beautiful replace the Star- Spangled Banner as the country’s national anthem. America the Beautiful was written by Katharine Lee Bates, and the music was composed by church organist Samuel A. Ward. America the Beautiful also began as a poem, entitled Pikes Peak (the plaque atop Pikes Peak commemorating the composition of the poem is pictured above).

Proponents of the switch say that America the Beautiful is easier to sing and more melodic than the Star-Spangled Banner and that the Star-Spangled Banner is too militaristic.

Have your students read the lyrics to the Star-Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful and discuss the differences. Also have them listen to the songs. Have your students deliberate as to which song they think should be our country’s national anthem. Would they keep the Star-Spangled Banner or would they change it to America the Beautiful?

The Patriot Act

Today, Congress will send a bill to extend parts of the controversial Patriot Act to Pres. Obama. Without passing the legislation, provisions of the Patriot Act will expire this Sunday.

Some say the Patriot Act provides the government with necessary tools for the fight against terrorism, both domestically and internationally. Others say the Patriot Act violates civil liberties.

This topic presents an excellent opportunity to instill the habits of active citizenship in your students. First, have your students get informed. You can have your students read more about this story here on our Constitution Newswire, and conduct additional research on the Patriot Act.

Then, have your students check out the bill for themselves. Reading the bill (in whole or in parts you pre-select) can also be used as a media literacy activity where students can see if what they are reading in the news is similar to what they find in the bill. You can search the bill and track the legislative process directly from our website at www.constitutioncenter.org/action.

Your students can then deliberate the issue in class, citing what they've learned about the legislation and the Constitution. For information on how to conduct a successful deliberation in your class, visit the newly redesigned Exchange website.

Finally, return to the Citizen's Help Desk to have your students write the president and their members of Congress to tell them what they think of the legislation and why.