Lesson Plans
Part I: The Constitutional Convention of 1787 - These plans will take three days, with classes lasting for 55 minutes each.
Georgia Performance Standards: SS8CG1, a., b., c.
Objective: Students will understand why the Framers of the Constitution felt the need to create an executive branch.
Materials: Curriculum unit section detailing the following information, Article II of the Constitution.
Procedures: Day 1 - A. Discuss the history of England's monarchy, and how it affected the attitudes of the colonists. B. Discuss the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
C. Role play - Divide students into two groups, with ¾ of students representing the states, and the other ¼ representing Congress. - Give the groups a common problem to solve, with the result being a vote. - Afterwards discuss the problems associated with one group having too much power. Then discuss the ramifications of the group with less power being the central government of a country. D. Discussion - Review and discuss the six key components which the Framers eventually agreed on. Homework: Students write a one paragraph description of what they consider to be the 'perfect ruler.' Day 2 -
A. Students share their homework assignments using Think/Pair/Share. B. Students share the results from Think/Pair/Share with the entire class. C. (Students read Article II of the Constitution silently, then write an interpretation of the information. D. Discuss and take notes on Article II. Homework: Does the modern presidency reflect the ideals listed in Article II? Why or why not? Day 3 - A. Activity (20 minutes) - Students are told that they are to choose a country to live in, after the teacher describes each one. One country is called "Independent Land," the other "Follow the Leader Land." In Independent Land people are free to do what they want. There are no requirements for schooling, working, activities, and no laws exist. The second country is ruled by one person who makes all decisions. Citizens are told where to live, work, what to read, how to dress, etc. They live in safety as long as they obey the leader. Allow students to discuss among themselves and then have them vote on which country they would choose. Discuss the results, and why students made their particular choices. B. Share homework responses as a class.
C. Debate whether or not today's role of the president is what the Framers intended when they wrote the Constitution.
Part II: Political Parties - These lesson plans will take four days, with classes lasting for 55 minutes each.
Georgia Performance Standards: SS8CG 1 c., d., e.
Objectives: Students will be able to list the differences between the Republican and Democratic parties, and state the current platforms for both parties as they pertain to the 2008 election.
Materials: If possible, the teacher will tape portions of both political conventions, preferably the acceptance speeches of both candidates. Students collect current newspapers, magazines, etc. regarding the presidential candidates, the conventions, etc., computers/worldwide web,
Procedures: Day 4 - A. Discussion continuum on current issues. Possible topics: Iraq war, poverty, education, health care, environment, nuclear energy, defense spending, immigration, abortion rights, education. B. As students discuss and make notations about where they stand on the issues, they decide which political party their views most reflect. C. Through lecture, the teacher shares the historical development of the two major parties, including the party symbols. D. Homework: Students design their own party symbol for whichever party they most identify, and write a short description. Day 5 -
A. Students share their homework. B. Students use the worldwide web, newspaper and magazine articles, and other reputable news sources to learn the current platforms of the presidential candidates. C. As students take notes and discuss the candidates, they begin to write a speech for whichever candidate they choose to support. These persuasive, 3-minute speeches must be based on accurate information. Homework: Students have two days to bring in two editorial cartoons, which depict something about each party's platform. Day 6 - A. In pairs, students share their political cartoons. Each student writes their own interpretation of the cartoons provided by their peer. They then compare to see if their interpretations match. B. In pairs, students draw their own cartoons. Day 7 -
A. Students share their own political cartoons. B. Using the Socratic Seminar method, students discuss what they have learned about the candidates. C. Students will use the information they have collected as well as what they learned in the Socratic Seminar, and continue to work on their speeches.
Part III: The Electoral College. These plans will take three days.
Objectives: Students will understand why the Framers included the Electoral College in the Constitution, discuss how this method of electing the president has impacted certain elections, and determine whether they personally feel the method is the best system for today's presidential elections.
Georgia Performance Standards: SS8CG3 a., b.
Materials: Computers, worldwide web, maps of electoral votes by state and the results of the 2004 presidential election.
Procedures: Day 8 - A. The teacher gives students a list of five candy bars. The class is divided into four groups, with four students (alerted ahead of time) not placed in a group. Each group decides on the candy bar that the class will receive the next time they earn a reward. The teacher then asks the four non-grouped students to vote for the groups, with each student taking one group. Some of this group will NOT choose what the group they represent chose, and some will. Explain that the Electoral College which elects the president is set up in a similar way. B. Read the sections of Article II of the Constitution, as they pertain to the Electoral College. C. Distribute copies of the Electoral College result maps from the2004 election as well as a U.S. Map with electoral votes listed in each state (these can be found on numerous websites on the worldwide web.) Day 9 - A. Students use the website http://uselectionatlas.org/ for more election result maps. B. Students take notes as teacher lectures on how the Electoral College is set up. C. Students brainstorm other ways in which a president could be elected, without involving the Electoral College. Day 10- A. Students have a formal debate on the pros and cons of the Electoral College. All students will debate both sides, with 20 minutes per each side. B. Debrief for the last ten minutes of class.
Part IV: The Voting Process. These plans will take nine days.
Georgia Performance Standards: SS8CG1 c, d.
Objectives: Students will name the requirements for becoming a registered U.S. voter,discuss the Constitutional Amendments which gave voting rights to minorities, explain the impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1995, examine reasons for lack of voter participation/voter apathy, conduct opinion polls, encourage eligible voters in their communities to vote, conduct a school wide voter registration drive and election.
Materials: Amendments 14, 15, and 19, art supplies, magazines, newspapers, computers, internet access, copies of the Voting Rights Act and the National Voter Registration Act.
Procedures: Day 11 - A. In groups of two, students list all requirements that they can think of which individuals must meet in order to vote in a U.S. election.. B. Compare lists, and afterwards teacher gives students the actual requirements, including the exceptions. C. Discuss who was eligible to vote when the Constitution was first written.
Day 12 - A. Students read Amendment 15, Section 1, regarding the right of Blacks to vote. They also read Amendment 19, Section I, which gave women the right to vote. Discuss how, although the 14 th Amendment made all persons born within the nation citizens, it took until 1948 until some states allowed Native Americans to vote. Homework: Students write an essay about the similarities between the Native American's fight for voting rights and citizenship, and the Civil Rights Movement. Day 13 - A. The teacher gives the three core components of 1965's Voting Rights Act. Students discuss why these three key ideas were necessary, given the history of African Americans in America. B. The teacher gives students the details behind 1995's National Voter Registration Act. C. Students brainstorm reasons why they feel many eligible American citizens do not exercise their right to vote, especially given the sacrifices many have made so that all may have that privilege. Day 14 - A. Students locate opinion polls online, in newspapers, magazines, etc., in which citizens responded to their choice for president, the issues that are important to them, etc. B. Discuss the ways in which the questions are phrased, how the results are displayed, etc. C. Students begin designing their own surveys for their peers and registered voters. D. Homework: Individual polls to be completed. Day 15 - A. Students share their homework. B. Students begin to administer their poll to a predetermined number of people. C. Students design a flyer to distribute/display in their neighborhoods, urging citizens to vote. D. Homework: Students research where their community votes, with the information to be included in their flyer.
Days 16-19 - Students will complete their speeches, present them in class, conduct a "voter registration drive" at school, and sponsor a school-wide election.
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