Group items tagged

"The Internet is a fantastic source of facts, but also a source of dubious claims and misinformation. Here we offer our observations on which sites are generally reliable and unbiased, and which are not." Links to Federal government, NGOs and advocacy groups We've sorted the sites into three baskets: * The Official Word - Sites where you can find government statistics and official reports and documents. * Policy Wonks - Sites of non-governmental organizations that study issues, though not always from a neutral point of view. * For the Cause - Sites that offer information while also advocating a particular stance on a policy matter. We've indicated some of our favorites with a , and put a by some that we think you should be wary of."

"Welcome to FedFlix, Joint Venture NTIS-1832 between the National Technical Information Service and Public.Resource.Org. Here we feature the best movies of the United States Government, from training films to history, from our national parks to the U.S. Fire Academy and the Postal Inspectors, all of these fine flix are available for reuse without any restrictions whatsoever. "

"During the Great Depression, the United States government sent Danish-born photographer Peter Sekaer on a mission through America's back roads to chronicle the lives of ordinary Americans as they struggled through one of the most challenging periods in U.S. history. Now, for the first time, Sekaer's telling odyssey through America is available to the public after years in obscurity. The 87 vintage gelatin silver prints are in an Atlanta High Museum exhibit called "Signs of Life: Photographs by Peter Sekaer," which will be on view from now until January 9, 2011."

from the site: "Founded in 2004, Games for Change is a non-profit which seeks to harness the extraordinary power of digital games to address the most pressing issues of our day, including poverty, education, human rights, global conflict and climate change. Games for Change serves as a platform for organizations, individuals, government agencies, academics, journalists and the game industry to share best practices, exchange knowledge, incubate new projects and provide access to those seeking to use digital games to positively impact society. "

C-Span is hosting a documentary video creation contest for middle school and high school students. The contest is open to middle school and high school students. To enter, students need to create a documentary video 5-8 minutes long about an issue, event, or topic that has helped them understand the role of the federal government in their lives. The prizes for the winners of the contest range from $250 to $5,000 for students and $125 to $1000 for the students' schools.

"Primary Sources Over 300 primary sources, including government documents, images, videos, and artifacts with introductory notes" Also includes teaching modules

"On This Day: Freedom Ride Protests Provoke Violent Backlash May 21, 2010 08:00 AM by Shannon Firth On May 21, 1961, an interracial protest against segregration, the Freedom Ride, incited violent mobs and roused a sleepy government into action."

"Fact-checking the town hall debate We'll be checking the second presidential debate of 2012. This one is a town hall format, and it's happening in Hempstead, N.Y. Follow us on twitter @politifact for live updates throughout the night. We'll also be updating our site with fact-check reports as we finish them, so check back often. You can also email us ideas at truthometer@politifact.com To look up something during the debate, try our free app, Settle It! PolitiFact's Argument Ender. It's available "

" Developed for students as well as the general public, these interactive learning activities are designed to give you a fresh perspective on how the United States Congress works, your role in the process, and peoples' perceptions about Congress. To open the modules, click the graphic."

from Free Tech 4 Teachers: "C-Span Classroom has created some new resources and updated some old resources for teachers for the 2010/2011 school year. C-Span's video library includes a section called Constitution Clips. Constitution Clips is comprised of videos of members of Congress and Presidents giving speeches that relate to sections of the US Constitution. For each section of the Constitution there is a selection of videos ready for you to use in your classroom. The videos can be embedded into your class blog or website."

"Are you more knowledgeable than the average citizen? The average score for all 2,508 Americans taking the following test was 49%; college educators scored 55%. Can you do better? Questions were drawn from past ISI surveys, as well as other nationally recognized exams. The following questions were taken from the 2008 Civic Literacy exam."

"The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. Use the Abstract as a convenient volume for statistical reference, and as a guide to sources of more information both in print and on the Web. Sources of data include the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and many other Federal agencies and private organizations."