The American Presidency

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 12.03.01

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Objective
  2. Introduction
  3. Rationale
  4. Curricular Plan
  5. Brain–based Learning
  6. Context
  7. Developmental Influences on Decision Making
  8. Emotional Influences
  9. Background Information for Unit
  10. Areas of Presidency to be Addressed Within the Unit
  11. Basic Structure of Class Time
  12. Strategies
  13. Activities
  14. Bibliography
  15. Appendix
  16. Endnotes

I think, therefore I do? Conscious and unconscious factors influencing our choice for President of the United States

Audra K. Bull

Published September 2012

Tools for this Unit:

Strategies

Three research–based strategies will form the backbone of this unit: journal writing, cooperative learning, and inquiry–based instruction.

Journal Writing

Each class period will begin with a journal question. The student responds to the question in his /her journal. The journal question will be thought–provoking and thematic in nature. The purpose of the journal question is to provide the student with a safe arena in which to reflect and respond. I will only read their responses if they give me permission. When I have previously utilized the journal writing strategy, I found that once students found they could trust me, their journal responses lengthened in quantity and deepened in quality. The journal prompts will progress from superficial (get–to–know–you type) to reflective. The journal writing strategy is key to beginning and enriching the dialogue between the student and me and within the student's internal dialogue.

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning is a broad term referring to the various methods of grouping students. Research has shown grouping students heterogenerously at least once a week has a positive impact upon learning. Cooperative learning promotes positive interdependence, face–to–face promotive interaction, and interpersonal skills. In forming the groups, I need to be cognizant of not grouping strictly by ability but use other criteria as well. I will have no more than fifteen students in each class, therefore I will divide the students into three groups of no more than five. I will use a reading inventory, an attitude inventory, and personal interviews and observations as vehicles to determine the base long–term groups. I will use a variety of innocuous methods (birthday months, hair color, etc…) to form the formal and informal groups necessary in implementing the daily and weekly lesson plans. 107

Inquiry–based Instruction

In inquiry–based instruction, the teacher acts as a facilitator of the activity verses the disseminator of information. Students seek out the knowledge and then present their knowledge for assessment in a way that best fits their learning style. The purpose of an inquiry is to enable the students to develop mental programs for applying their new–found knowledge and to wire the knowledge into their long term memory. 108

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