USCIS 96:31-40

The capital of our state is Sacramento.
The Governor of California is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

USCIS 31-40x.mp3

For the next ten days, we will present 10 of the 96 questions plus two dictation sentences and handout. Today's questions are 96:31-40. Direct download: 31-40x.mp3

USCIS 96:21-30

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren

addressing an audience of 3000 new citizens

(San Jose, CA 08/14/08)

USCIS 21-30x.mp3

For the next ten days, we will present 10 of the 96 questions plus two dictation sentences and handout. Today's questions are 96:21-30. Direct download: 21-30x.mp3

NYTimes: Citizenship Seekers Told Not to Fear a New Test

Citizenship Seekers Told Not to Fear a New Test By KIRK SEMPLE, NYTimes.com
Published: September 23, 2008
A week before the American government plans to start a redesigned civics test as part of the naturalization process, a senior immigration official sought on Tuesday to calm nervous immigrants and critics who say the new exam will be more challenging than the current one...

Are You Ready to Be a Citizen?
Five questions from the new test.

USCIS 96:11-20

A student displays her personal copy of the Constitution

that she received after signing the Constitution.

USCIS 11-20x.mp3

For the next ten days, we will present 10 of the 96 questions plus two dictation sentences and handout. Today's questions are 96:11-20.
Direct download: 11-20x.mp3

New Series: USCIS 96:01-10

What color is the flag?

USCIS 01-10x.mp3

Today we begin a new series. For the next ten days, we will present 10 of the 96 questions plus two dictation sentences and handout. Today's questions are 96:01-10. Direct download: 01-10x.mp3

At the end of the series, we will present a series of of interviews based on parts of the N-400.

After the N-400 series, we will re-present the USCIS 96 in a "mixed" series, example:
96 "Ones": USCIS 01, 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91
96 "Twos": USCIS 02, 12, 22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, 9, etc

We will take a short break to prepare for the electgion, then we will present the new USCIS 100 in ten question sets, followed by a "mixed" 100 Question series. Finally we will present a dual question series: five questions from both the 96 and 100 questions.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact: uscitizenpod@gmail.com or leave a comment on the blog at http://www.uscitizenpod.com/. Thanks!

Happy Constitution Day! Happy Citizenship Day! Part 5

Dang Thi Mai Anh and Nguyen Thi Mao sign the Constitution with a feather quill pen.

Happy Constitution Day! Happy Citizenship Day! Part 4

New Citizens: San Cuc Bac and her husband are Chinese-Vietnamese. They stopped by on Constitution Day to tell their class about how they became US Citizens. They signed the Constitution and then went to their afternoon Citizenship Oath Ceremony. Their classmates and I are so proud of them!

Happy Constitution Day! Happy Citizenship Day! Part 3

Teacher Judy's Class read the Preamble to the US Constitution to the students who were waiting in line to sign the Constituion.

Happy Constitution Day! Happy Citizenship Day! Part 2

It's Constitution Day!

The students line up to sign The Constitution.

A student proudly display his constitution worksheet.

New Citizens: San Cuc Bac and her husband stopped by to sign The Constitution before going to their afternoon Citizenship Oath Ceremony. They are standing in front of the USCIS 96 hall cards.

More photos tomorrow!

Happy Consitution Day! Happy Citizenship Day!

Today we will

• Study the Constitution.


• Ask the new citizens to talk about studying for citizenship and what has happened after they became citizens.


• Assign classmates to help people sign the Constitution and give each student a copy.


• Sign the Constitution.


• Eat cake!

Here are some Constitution Day Resources from us @ US Citizenship Podcast.

• 96:17-19 M638 Explanations pdf mp3 17. What is the Constitution?
  18. What do we call changes to the Constitution?
  19. How many changes, or amendments, are there to the Constitution?
• 96:34-35 M638 Explanations pdf mp3
  34. What is the supreme law of the United States?
  35. What is the Bill of Rights?
• Summary of the US Constitution.
• Direct download: const-summary.pdf
• The Preamble Puzzle
• US Constitution Slide Show
• USCIS 96/100 Quiz: The Constitution

Preparing for Constitution Day

USCIS 100 Hall Card

Our school is counting down the hours to Constitution Day.

Since the first day of school (August 250 we have been getting to know each other, setting goals, and studying the Constitution every day.

Last week, we printed out the slides for the Constitution ppt and posted them in the hall. We also added some posters about the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other govenrment displays.

On Saturday, we ordered three sheet cakes that said: HAPPY CONSTITUTION DAY! HAPPY CITIZENSHIP DAY! and one cake that said: WE SIGNED THE CONSTITUTION. These cakes will be served at the post-signing reception for the day and evening classes.

We also ordered 1500 postcards to be sent to the CA State Legislature that said PASS THE STATE BUDGET! FULLY FUND ADULT EDUCATION plus two quotes from the 1st Amendment & the CA Constitution about petitioning the government. These postcrds were going to be distributed during the "I signed the Constitution" ceremony to link the Constitution with civic participation. On Monday, the CA Legislature announced a "deal"--yeah! (We are keeping the postcards for next budget crisis). We also ordered 500 copies of the Constitution to be printed on 8.5x11" pieces of "antique resume" paper. The copies of the Constitution will be given to each student.

Yesterday, assembled the USCIS 100 hall-cards.

• We printed out each of the USCIS 100 questions on separate white sheets of 8.5x11" paper.


• We printed out all the USCIS 100 answers on separate white sheets of 8.5x11" paper.


• We used a paper cutter to cut the questions and answers down to 8.5x5.5" rectangles.


• We folded a 9x11" pieces of Federal Blue construction paper in half.


• We used a glue stick to glue the corners of the questions on the outside of the hall card.


• We used a glue stick to glue the corners of the answers on the inside of the hall card.

Today we will:

• Put four loops of blue sticky-tape on the back of the hall cards and hung them up in four rows of twenty-five cards.


• Make hall cards for the USCIS 96. We will use red construction paper.


• Un-roll the big Constitution and parchment paper.


• Sharpen the quills and test the ink.


• Set up tables in the hallway.

Tomorrow we will

• Study the Constitution.


• Ask the new citizens to talk about studying for citizenship and what has happened after they became citizens.


• We will assign classmates to help people sign the Constitution and give each student a copy.


• Each class will come and sign the Constitution.


• Eat cake!

Here are more resources for Constitution Day!



The National Constitution Center held the first “America Reads the Constitution” on September 17, 2004. A diverse group of people read the Constitution from start to finish, from “We the People” to the final words of the 27th Amendment. The NCC has developed a downloadable toolkit for the public reading of the Constitution. The NCChas divided the Constitution into 100 reading sections, so that the Constitution can reflect thediversity of the community.

Listen to the Constitution: Debra Jean Dean reads The Constitution of the United States (Including all amendments)
>>Download the entire audio file.(62 megs, 68 minutes, high-quality MP3).
Download the Bill of Rights (first ten amendments of the Constitution)

Need a copy of the Constitution for your class, but it too late to order? Go here and download #3 Constitution for the United States — Formatted to print on two sides of one letter-size sheet of paper. (click the black square for a Word.doc)
Don't have parchment or a quill pen? The American Bar Association invites everyone to Sign the Constitution online.
Crossword, Word Search, & Treasure Hunt Puzzles from Constitution Facts
Choose one of the following puzzles to print out.

• Basic 1 Basic 1 Answers


• Basic 2 Basic 2 Answers


• Intermediate 1 Intermediate 1 Answers


• Intermediate 2 Intermediate 2 Answers


• Advanced 1 Advanced 1 Answers


• Advanced 2 Advanced 2 Answers


• Expert 1 Expert 1 Answers


• Expert 2 Expert 2 Answers


• Word Find 1 Word Find 1 Answers


• Word Find 2 Word Find 2 Answers


• Word Find 3: Questions With Definitions Word Find 3 Answers


• Word Find 4: Questions With Definitions Word Find 4 Answers


• Word Find 5: Questions With Definitions Word Find 5 Answers


• Treasure Hunt 1: The U.S. Constitution Treasure Hunt 1 Answers


• Treasure Hunt 2: The Supreme Court Treasure Hunt 2 Answers


• Treasure Hunt 3: The Articles of Confederation Treasure Hunt 3 Answers


• Treasure Hunt 4: The Founding Fathers Treasure Hunt 4 Answers


• Treasure Hunt 5: The Declaration of Independence Treasure Hunt 5 Answers

1: Countdown to Constitution Day

Here is a slide show of the US Constituion. You can download it

2: Countdown to Constitution Day

James Madison, the fourth president of the United States

and remembered as the "father of the U.S. Constitution,"

was honored Oct. 18, 2001 when the USPS issued

a new commemorative postage stamp

marking the 250th anniversary of his birth.

Here is class handout of a Summary of the US Constitution.
Direct download: const-summary.pdf

3: Countdown to Constitution Day

Today's Topic: The 27th Amendment

27th Amendment: Congress must limit when and how much its members are paid. 1992.

On January 9, 2008, many elected federal employess got a 2.5% COLA (cost of living) increase. Their last raise was in January 2006.

Congress members annual salaries were raised from $165,200 to $169,300.

Associate Supreme Court Justices annual salaries were raised from $203,000 to $208,100.

Chief Justice John Robert's annual salary was raised from $212,100 to $217,400.

Vice-President Dick Cheney's annual salary was raised from $215,700 to $221,100.

President George W. Bush did not get a raise. The president's annual salary $400,000.

The Fair Labor Standards Act sets the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage will be raised from $6.55/hr (05/27/07) to $7.25/hr (07/24/09).

Some cities and states passed laws to make their local businesses pay their employees a higher local minimum wage to match the living expenses in their area. For example:

• Workers in California are paid a minimum of $8.00/hr.
• Workers in San Francisco are paid a minimum of $9.36/hr.

However, a living wage is the hourly wage that a person must earn to support his- or her-self by working full-time (2080 hours per year). For example:

• A single adult need to make $12.10/hr to live in San Francisco. The amount needed rapidly rises with the inclusion of dependents.

ESLPodcast 106 - High School Jobs
I started the day after my 16th birthday, qualifying me for a slightly higher minimum wage.

VOANews: On the Job, at Minimum Wage
About three percent of American workers who are paid by the hour earn the lowest rate permitted by law.

• Economics Report - Download MP3
• Economics Report - Download RealAudio
• Listen to Economics Report

See also:

• USAToday: Congress gets $4,100 pay raise
• LegiStorm: Congressional Salaries
• Wikipedia: List of U.S. minimum wages
• Living Wage Calculator

4: Countdown to Constitution Day

Rock the Vote @ Sundance, 2008

26th Amendment: US citizens who are 18 years old or older have the right to vote. 1971.

VOANews: Nixon Promises to 'Bring the American People Together' After '68 Win
Richard Nixon lost the 1960 election to John Kennedy, but he was known for his ability to fight, to lose, and to keep trying. Those skills would soon be tested. Transcript

• MP3 - Download Audio
• Listen to MP3
• Listen in RealAudio
  

Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote’s mission is to engage and build the political power of young people.
Rock the Vote2008: YouTube

5: Countdown to Constitution Day

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy

was suceeded by his Vice-President Lyndon Johnson

Today's Topic: The 25th Amendment

The 25th Amendment: If the president dies or cannot serve, the vice-president becomes president. If both die, the Speaker of the House becomes president. 1967.

• Office of the President
• Office of the Vice-president
• Office of the Speaker of the House

VOANew: Making of a Nation: The Presidency of John Kennedy Begins With Great Energy, but Ends in Tragedy
He stood strong against the Soviet Union during the Cuban missile crisis, and proposed a law to guarantee equal treatment of blacks. Then came the gunshots in Dallas in November 22, 1963.

• MP3 - Download Audio
• Listen to MP3
• Listen in RealAudio

VOANEWS: Making of a Nation: Johnson Takes Over Presidency After Kennedy's Murder
Lyndon Johnson had a lot of political experience. He had been President Kennedy's vice president, and had served for many years in the Senate and House of Representatives.

• MP3 - Download Audio
• Listen to MP3
• Listen in RealAudio

6: Countdown to Constitution Day

Today's Topic:
The 24th Amendment

24th Amendment made it illegal to make a citizen pay a voting fee. It is illegal to make a citizen take a reading test to vote. The 24th Amendment (1964) and the Civil Rights Movement led by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. crushed Jim Crow laws which discriminated against African Americans.


Library of Congress: Poll Tax Abolished I
Library of Congress: Poll Tax Abolished II
Breaking News English - Rosa Parks (Oct 26, 2005)
Oct 26, 2005 ... He said she was a symbol of the civil rights movement. He also said: “Just by a simple act of sitting down she stood up for so many people.” ...

VOANEWS: Civil Rights Movement: In the '60s, a Struggle for Equality in US: Activists marched, held sit-in protests and led "freedom rides" to demand better treatment of black Americans. Martin Luther King Junior lived by the idea of nonviolence, but his murder led to riots in more than 100 cities.

7: Countdown to Constitution Day

Today's Topic: The 23rd Amendment

23rd Amendment gave US Citizens in the District of Columbia have the right to vote for President. 1961.

EL Civics: Washington DC Tour
EL Civics: Washington, D.C. Crossword Puzzle Answer Key
EL Civics: Washington, D.C. Quiz

New USCIS 100 Flashcards!

The new USCIS 100 flashcards have been posted. You can download the pdf.

A reverse color version of the flashcards (white background) is also available.

The actual size of the cards is 7 inch by 4 inch; the online versions are slightly smaller so that they will fit onto letter-size paper.

You can also buy the new flash cards:

Civics Flash Cards for the New Naturalization Test, 2008 (1 box of flash cards) $13.00

Civics Flash Cards for the New Naturalization Test, 2008 (Package of 10 Boxes of Flash Cards) Price: $91.00

8: Countdown to Constitution Day

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945

Today's Topic: The 20th & 22nd Amendments

20th Amendment: The President used to be inaugurated in March. The inauguration was moved up to January, to stop "lame duck" government. FDR was the last president to be inaugurated in March. The 20th Amendment was added in 1933.

• 96:83. In what month is the new President inaugurated?

22nd Amendment: The President cannot serve for more than two terms. FDR was elected to four terms as president and died in office. The 22nd Amendment was added in 1951.

• 96:44. How many full terms can a President serve?
• 100:26. We elect a President for how many years?
• 100:80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?

VOANews: 'Happy Days Are Here Again': FDR, One of America's Greatest PresidentsFranklin Delano Roosevelt served longer than any other U.S. president. With his New Deal, he led the nation through its worst economic crisis. And, until his death, he led America through World War Two.

• People in America - Download MP3
• People in America - Download RealAudio
• Listen to People in America
  

English Test: Idioms--Cats, Dogs, and Ducks