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Presidential Power

Lesson Author
Frieling, Derek
Course(s)
20th Century American History
Required Time Frame
One class period
Subject(s)
Three Branches Of Government
Grade Level(s)
9
10
11
12
Lesson Abstract
Student will rank the Presidential powers from most important to least important.
Rationale (why are you doing this?)

Develop framework of executive powers within the checks and balances system. Understanding between expressed and implied powers.

Lesson Objectives - the student will

Rank Presidential powers
Enhance research skills for necessary additional material.
Practice debate and public speaking skills.

District, state, or national performance and knowledge standards/goals/skills met

GI.T3C C. Trace the significant changes in roles, powers and size of the three branches of government.

Secondary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed

Implied Powers of the President: https://u.osu.edu/ratliff.121/2016/05/23/what-the-president-can-and-cannot-do/

Primary sources needed (document, photograph, artifact, diary or letter, audio or visual recording, etc.) needed

Second Article of the Constitution: https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/articles/article-ii

Fully describe the activity or assignment in detail. What will both the teacher and the students do?

Students will be provided with Article 2 of the Constitution. Students will be asked to determine the six enumerated rights and duties of the President. Once all six have been discovered, students will rank them from least to most important considering presidential power. Students will be required to defend their rankings.

Next, students will be asked if presidents do anything beyond what is listed in the Constitution. This will open discussion to implied powers. Once several actions of the president have been analyzed as implied powers, students will add these powers to previous rankings. Once again, students will defend their rankings.

Optional assignment: Students will write a reflection on the exercise. They will state if they agreed with the group on the rankings and explain why or why not.