-
Lesson 1: Introduction, Constitutional Qualifications and Powers of the President
1) Introduction to the Executive Branch
a. Purpose
2) Presidential Roles and Powers
a. Qualifications for Presidency
b. Formal (Constitutional Powers)
c. Roles of the President
d. Informal powers
- Materials and resources needed:
a. Article II text and questions.
b. Constitutional Foundations of the Presidency lecture outline, fill in. -
Lesson 2: Presidential Roles and Powers
Applying Knowledge-
Presidential Role graphic organizer
Presidential Roles power-point (Identifying roles from clips/images)
Presidential Agendas-
Samples of Presidential agendas.
Students apply knowledge of the Presidents role and power to agenda examples. -
Lesson 3: Informal Powers of the President
Informal Powers powerpoint
Informal Powers Notes sheet
Case Study:
Video Clip of Kennedy's Civil Rights Address
Text of the Speech
Discussion Questions and Timeline of the Kennedy's Address
Mini Socratic Seminar with those Discussion Questions -
Lesson 4: Key players in the Executive Branch
Read chapter 8 The White House office and answer the Key Players notes sheet. Exploring VP: Reflective writing.
In class:
Investigating the White House Office
Watch The West Wing- episode Five Votes Down
(Executive staff and Informal Power)
In pairs students will work and complete the
"Five Votes Down" Questions and chart activity -
Lesson 5: Key Players in the Executive Branch--The Cabinet
Event: The Cabinet & Collaborative Learning
Prepared list of Cabinet Roles and Examples.
Flyswatter game activity Materials, 2 clean flyswatters, whiteboard, markers.
Cabinet & White House Office Venn Diagram Graphic Organizer (Info on White House Office: p. 238; Info on Cabinet: p. 228) and The Cabinet Departments established and duties text book pg 276-279). students use classroom Textbooks to fill it out. -
Lesson 6: The Federal Bureaucracy
PowerPoint: The Federal Bureaucracy
Federal Bureaucracy lecture outline.
Handout and go over Group Project outline and rubric
Fight for Your Life (in the Federal Bureaucracy)
Spend 2 days working on this group project. -
Lesson 6 continued
Work on Fight for your life group Project in class. (Computers and Internet access) -
Lesson 6: Fight For You Life Project Presentation
Fight for Your Life Federal Bureaucracy
Group Project Presentations/ assessment -
Lesson 7: Limits on Executive Power
Executive Branch Quiz.
PowerPoint lecture:
a. Congress
b. the Courts
c. Bureaucracy
d. Public Opinion
Limitations of Executive Power Notes and Matrix sheet. -
Lesson 8: Expansion of Presidential Power
Presidential Case Studies- Students read the worksheet individually and fill out the organizer with a partner.
Discuss political cartoons.
Expanding Presidential Powers: Presidential Views worksheet
Theodore Roosevelt quote, and William Taft quote.
Students take a Stance: Contrasting views of power. -
Lesson 9: Structured Academic Controversy: "Does the President Have Too Much Power?"
Groups of 4/ 2 as pairs.
a) Structured Academic Controversy activity outline.
B) Position Chart:
b) SAC Data resource Materials (2 for each of the 2 rounds)
Round one-
a)Research positions in pairs
b) Each group has 5 minutes to present their position to the other pair in the group. The other group will have 2 minutes to ask presenters any clarifying questions.
Round 2 Reversed Positions
Next Building Consensus:
Reflective writing -
Lesson 10: The Electoral College
Lecture Power Point: Electoral collage
Lecture outline and fill in.
Activity:
Handout Electoral College Maps
and Scavenger Hunt Questions about the maps.
PowerPoint: Exploring Alternatives:
Discussion: Should the Electoral College System be Replaced? -
Unit Test: The Executive Branch
