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Chapter Planner and Suggested Pacing Guide

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN®

Enduring Understanding

  • Key components of presidential leadership include understanding the public, the ability to communicate, a good sense of timing, the ability to compromise, and political courage.
  • The presidential selection process is influenced by communications technology, campaign financing and regulations, and the Electoral College system.

Essential Questions

  • What are the key components of presidential leadership?
  • What are the structure and functions of the executive branch?
  • Why and how has the process for nominating and electing presidents changed over time?

Students will know:

  • the process of selecting and confirming cabinet officials.
  • the functions and roles of the cabinet.
  • the roles and responsibilities of the agencies in the Executive Office of the President (EOP), including the Office of Management and Budget, the National Security Council, and the White House Office.
  • the roles and responsibilities of key presidential advisers, including the White House chief of staff, the press secretary, and the National Security Advisor.
  • that Presidents use executive privilege to keep information confidential from other branches.
  • the functions of the 15 cabinet departments in the Executive Branch.
  • the purpose of the independent agencies, government corporations, and regulatory commissions that make up the federal bureaucracy.
  • the origins of the  spoils system and how it was reformed into the existing civil service system.
  • the role of the civil service.
  • the role of political appointees in the executive branch.
  • the role of the bureaucracy in making, administering, and implementing public policy.
  • the role of public input and interest groups in the making of public policy.
  • checks on the power of the bureaucracy.
  • the causes of the growth of the federal bureaucracy and efforts to reduce the size of the bureaucracy.
  • how iron triangles operate in many policy areas.
  • the costs and benefits of federal government regulation.

Students will be able to:

  • identify the role of the president’s cabinet.
  • analyze how the role of the cabinet has changed over time.
  • describe the role of the Executive Office of the President.
  • draw conclusions about the importance of executive departments.
  • classify the roles of different executive departments.
  • differentiate regulatory commissions and independent agencies.
  • identify the origins of the civil service system.
  • compare and contrast the spoils system and the civil service system.
  • explain the role of the civil service today.
  • describe the advantages and disadvantages of presidential appointees serving in the government.
  • analyze the advantages and disadvantages to government regulation.
  • explain how bureaucrats used to shape public policy.
  • summarize reasons behind the growth of the federal bureaucracy.
  • describe iron triangles.

Predictable Misunderstandings

Students may think:

  • that the president’s skills and qualifications are set by the Constitution or Congress. The fact is that they are set by voters. The Constitution says the president must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old and a U.S. resident for at least 14 years. Past experiences, jobs, military service, economic standing, ethnicity, and ethical values are not mentioned.
  • that presidents should make every effort to stay within their political party’s guidelines, but history has shown that extremely liberal or conservative candidates have little chance of winning, with a few exceptions. For this reason, presidents must reach out to both sides of the political spectrum.
  • that running a presidential campaign is free. All advertising, whether on radio, TV, or on billboards and posters, must be paid for, as well as travel and conventions. For this reason, personal wealth is of some importance, although public funding is available to a limit.

Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks:

  • Hands-On Chapter Project

Other Evidence:

  • Guided Reading Activities
  • Vocabulary Activity
  • Lesson Quizzes
  • Chapter Tests, Forms A and B

SUGGESTED PACING

½ day — Introducing the Chapter
 1 day — Lesson 1
½ day — Lesson 2
 1 day — Lesson 3
½ day — Chapter Wrap Up and Assessment

3.5 Days — Total

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

The activities presented are suitable for all levels. Modifications for student ability levels are available for many of the activities. The type of modifications available are indicated by the icons below.

DI for AL Approaching Level

DI for BL Beyond Level

DI for ELL English Language Learner

All students benefit from activities that utilize different learning styles. Activities are designated with the labels below to help you differentiate teaching by the types of learners.

Intrapersonal
Logical/Mathematical
Visual/Spatial
Verbal/Linguistic
Interpersonal
Auditory/Musical
Kinesthetic
Naturalist

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

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  • Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

    Below are the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills covered in this chapter.

    (1) History. The student understands how constitutional government, as developed in America and expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution, has been influenced by ideas, people, and historical documents. The student is expected to:

    (D) identify the contributions of the political philosophies of the Founding Fathers, including John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Jay, George Mason, Roger Sherman, and James Wilson, on the development of the U.S. government

    (E) examine debates and compromises that impacted the creation of the founding documents

    (F) identify significant individuals in the field of government and politics, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan

     

    (7) Government. The student understands the American beliefs and principles reflected in the U.S. Constitution and why these are significant. The student is expected to:

    (E) describe the constitutionally prescribed procedures by which the U.S. Constitution can be changed and analyze the role of the amendment process in a constitutional government

    (G) examine the reasons the Founding Fathers protected religious freedom in America and guaranteed its free exercise by saying that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” and compare and contrast this to the phrase, “separation of church and state.”

     

    (8) Government. The student understands the structure and functions of the government created by the U.S. Constitution. The student is expected to:

    (B) analyze the structure and functions of the executive branch of government, including the constitutional powers of the president, the growth of presidential power, and the role of the Cabinet and executive departments

    (C) analyze the structure and functions of the judicial branch of government, including the federal court system, types of jurisdiction, and judicial review

     

    (10) Government. The student understands the processes for filling public offices in the U.S. system of government. The student is expected to:

    (A) compare different methods of filling public offices, including elected and appointed offices at the local, state, and national levels

    (B) explain the process of electing the president of the United States and analyze the Electoral College

     

    (13) Citizenship. The student understands rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The student is expected to:

    (C) identify the freedoms and rights guaranteed by each amendment in the Bill of Rights

     

    (14) Citizenship. The student understands the difference between personal and civic responsibilities. The student is expected to:

    (C) understand the responsibilities, duties, and obligations of citizenship such as being well informed about civic affairs, serving in the military, voting, serving on a jury, observing the laws, paying taxes, and serving the public good

     

    (15) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of voluntary individual participation in the U.S. constitutional republic. The student is expected to:

    (C) understand the factors that influence an individual’s political attitudes and actions

     

    (19) Science, technology, and society. The student understands the impact of advances in science and technology on government and society. The student is expected to:

    (B) evaluate the impact of the Internet and other electronic information on the political process

     

    (20) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:

    (A) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions

    (C) analyze and defend a point of view on a current political issue

    (D) analyze and evaluate the validity of information, arguments, and counterarguments from primary and secondary sources for bias, propaganda, point of view, and frame of reference

    (E) evaluate government data using charts, tables, graphs, and maps

     

    (21) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:

    (A) use social studies terminology correctly

    (B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation

    (D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information