PoliticsLp3

[|Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.doc]
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 12:40-1:30

Housekeeping Stuff: Take attendance. (2 minutes)
 * Each teacher asks student, "Did you finish the book?"
 * If a student had access to the book but did less than half of the assigned reading, the student will sit out of the activities and read the assigned pages. Once the student is done reading the assigned pages, the student can participate in the rest of the activities.

Student/Classroom Description: Five students. 8th grade Language Arts class. Four boys, one girl. 12:30 in the afternoon. All Caucasian. No Known exceptionalities.

Lesson Description/Rationale: This lesson is important because it checks for the students' comprehension. It also aides in applying their knowledge of their president and get them thinking at higher levels. The questions posed in the SPAWN activity will help the students synthesize and evaluate the information they have read and attained.

Materials & Equipment:
 * Assigned books that students are reading
 * Katelin- Theodore Roosevelt: Champion of the American Spirit
 * Matt- FDR
 * Karen- Dwight D. Eisenhower
 * Laura- John F. Kennedy
 * Kaitie- Bill Clinton
 * Foldable students made last teaching session
 * 3 sheets of lined paper for each student
 * SPAWN worksheet for each student

Lesson Objectives:
 * The students will be able to check their own comprehension of what they have read by summarizing/retelling the text through selected pictures.
 * The students will be able to write about what they would do in certain scenarios pertaining to the events that occurred when their president was in office.
 * The students will be able to write a speech and participate in a mock election explaining why they think their president is the best president.

Illinois Learning Standards: Reading: 1.B.3c Continuously check and clarify for understanding (e.g., in addition to previous skills, draw comparisons to other readings). Reading: 2.B.3c Analyze how characters in literature deal with conflict, solve problems and relate to real-life situations. Writing: 3.A.3 Write compositions that contain complete sentences and effective paragraphs using English conventions. Writing: 3.B.3a Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration, and coherence.

=Lesson Content=

(10 minutes) Individual Comprehension Check
Transition into set induction-Ms. Glendon: "It's great to see everyone back together again. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. The last time we were together we assigned everyone to finish the last half of their book. Hopefully everyone was able to get that finished. Let's start by pairing up with your teacher and going over any questions in your foldable that were not answered the last time we met. Then discuss the questions you created that the book did not answer." 1. Each teacher will sit with his/her student and individually go over the answers to the questions he/she did for homework. 2. Teacher: “Read me the questions and answers that you have found so far.” 3. If the student has answered any questions incorrectly or has not answered a question that should have been found in the assigned reading pages, the teacher will direct the student to the general area in the book that the answers are located and have the student fill in the correct answer. 4. Teacher: "Read me the questions that you wrote that the book did not answer." Transition: "Those are interesting questions. There are so many places you can go to find those answers. Now, let's see what you can remember from your reading." 5. Teacher: "I am going to show you some pictures from the book and I want you to tell me what is going on in the picture. In other words, make a caption for each picture." 6. Teacher will open the book to a page with a picture and cover up the caption. 7. Teacher: "What is going on in this picture?" or "What was going on in the president's life when this picture was taken?" or "Who are the people in this picture? Why are they important to the president?" 8. If student has difficulty answering the questions, then the teacher will write down the page number the picture is on and have the student re-read that page after the activity is done. 9. Teacher will do this for five pictures (more if the other groups are not yet done).

Content & Activities:
**Whole Group Lecture (5 minutes)** Transition: Mr. Nickels: "It sounds like everyone has done a good job recalling what they have read. We're glad to see that you have been using the reading strategies and that they have been helpful. Now you are going to apply the knowledge you gained from reading the book to five new scenarios connected to the life and times of your president." 1. Mr. Nickels: "We are going to do an activity called SPAWN. In this activity, you are going to write about what you would do in five different scenarios. The first scenario involves having special powers. In the second scenario, you will solve a problem that the president faced. For the third scenario, you will write from an alternative or different viewpoint than that of your president. The fourth scenario is a hypothetical what if scenario. The final scenario involves writing about what would happen next after a given scenario. For each scenario, you will write at least one paragraph. A paragraph will have five to eight sentences in it. You are more than welcome to go back and look in your book if you wish." 2. Mr. Nickels: "We are going to use President Reagan as an example. The scenarios for President Reagan will not be the same scenarios that you will write about. 3. Mr. Nickels: "Remember, for each of these scenarios you are to write at least one 5 to 8 sentence paragraph. You can use your book if you wish." 4. Mr. Nickels: "Who can summarize what all of you are going to do?" Individual Work (20 minutes) 5. Each teacher will sit with his/her student individually and quickly review what the students are supposed to do. 6. The teacher will hand the student the SPAWN worksheet and read the first scenario. 7. The student will then write his or her response. When the student is done with the first scenario, the teacher will read the second scenario and the student will write his or her response. This will continue until all five scenarios are complete. The students can write as much as they want but the teacher should encourage completing each scenario repsonse after about five minutes of writing. 8. If the student's writing is not as complete as the teacher may like, the teacher will help the student brainstorm some more ideas that the student could write about.
 * For the first scenario, imagine that you are Ronald Reagan and that you have the power to end communism in the Soviet Union. What would you have done to help the Russian people make the transition to a democratic form of government? What would you have done with all of the Soviet's nuclear weapons? What else would you do?
 * For the second scenario, your task is to figure out a solution to the problem of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. How would you respond to the Soviet presence in a neutral country?
 * For the third scenario, pretend that you are a member of the audience in Berlin, Germany for Reagan's speech in front of the Berlin Wall when he told Soviet Premier Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall!" How would you have felt? What would you have done to help bring down the Berlin Wall?
 * For the fourth scenario, imagine what would have happened if John Hinckley, Jr. would have assassinated President Reagan just two months into his first term. How would the country have reacted? Would Vice-President George H.W. Bush have carried out Reagan's agenda?
 * For the final scenario, imagine that you are President Reagan and you just saw on the news that the stock market crashed (like it did in 1987). What would you do?

SPAWN worksheets to be printed off Mr. Nickels' SPAWN for FDR: S- Imagine that you are FDR and you have the special power that you know when the Japanese were going to bomb Pearl Harbor. What would you do? Would you attack Japan first? P- How would you have supported the Allied Powers in 1939-1941 while still attempting to make America appear neutral? Would you have followed FDR's ideas? Is there anything he did that you would not have done? Is there anything he did not do that you would have done? A- Pretend that you are a Republican member of the House of Representatives from a very Republican district during the 1930s. Would you have supported the New Deal? Would you have proposed alternatives to the New Deal? If so, what alternatives? W- What if FDR would have decided not to run for a third term in 1940? How would American history have been affected? Do you think a Republican would have won in 1940? Would America still have pursued a pro-Allied agenda? N- Based on what you know about FDR, had he survived into his fourth term and, after Germany surrendered, was faced with a single front war against Japan in 1945, what would he have done next? Would he have invaded Japan? Would he have used atomic weapons against Japan? Why or why not?

Ms. Hicks' SPAWN for Bill Clinton: S- You have been granted special powers. You use them to erase the scandal involving Monica Lewinsky. How would this change the end of your term? How would this change how American people think of and remember you today? P- President Clinton helped decrease the nation’s budget by 60%. Do you agree with the tactics he used to cut the deficit? Would you have done anything different? If so, what? A- You are a Republican Senate member during the impeachment trial of President Clinton. How do you vote? Are you happy with the results? Do you think he should have been impeached? If so, why? If not, why? W- What if President Clinton didn’t use his political connections to find a way around the draft and had to go to Vietnam? How do you think this event would have changed his political life? Would he have become governor of Arkansas? Would he have become president? Explain what you think would have happened. N- You are part of the African American population in Harlem when President Clinton moves in. How do you and your family feel about him moving to Harlem? What do you do next? Do you protest? Do you move? Do you do nothing? Explain what you do and why you would do that.

Ms. Leisch’s **// SPAWN //** for **J**ohn **F**. **K**ennedy**:**
 * S -** You have been granted special powers. You use them on November 22, 1963 to warn JFK about the shooting and subsequently save his life. How would American history have been affected? What effect would this have had on the world?
 * P -** There was much debate about the situation in Cuba in 1961. Shortly after taking office, President Kennedy had to make a monumental decision. What did he decide to do and what were the results? Would you have proposed an alternative plan? If so, what would you have done and what do you believe the outcome would have been?
 * A -** In his inaugural address, President Kennedy had challenged citizens to ask not what their country could do for them, but what they could do for their country. It is now 1961. As a recent graduate, you listened to his words and joined the Peace Corps. You are on the plane right now. Where are you going? What are you going to be doing there? How do you feel? Imagine you are writing an entry in your journal.
 * W -** What if President Kennedy had not been born into a wealthy and politically well-connected family ? Would he still have become involved in politics? Would he have become president? What path do you think his life would have taken? Explain what you think would have happened.
 * N -** In June 1963, President Kennedy delivered a televised speech to the nation. He made the case for a larger program to ensure racial equality. He said it should be possible “for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or his color.” Forty-six years later, in 2009, President Obama became the first African-American president of the United States. It is now 8 years later (2016). Who is running for President and what are the major issues facing this person and the country as a whole?

Ms. Keacher's SPAWN for Theodore Roosevelt:

=

 * S**- You have special powers and are able to be President Roosevelt during the time when the country needed a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, however you find that there is not a way to do this and the Panama Canal is not created as a result. How is history different because you choose to use your powers in this way? How will our future be different because of this?======

=

 * P**- President Roosevelt chose to create the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act as after being informed of the unsanitary conditions. How would you have solved this problem differently?======

=

 * A**- You are a journalist from the //Kansas City Star// and you are visiting Sagamore Hill, which was Roosevelt’s favorite place in the world that he loved dearly. What does it look like? What does Roosevelt’s house look like? Why did he love this place so much? Describe the scenery.======

**N**- You’re in the Navy and are forced to sail out of Hampton Roads, Virginia to begin your round-the-world voyage. What do you do next?
Ms. Glendon's **SPAWN** for Dwight D. Eisenhower:
 * S**- Imagine you are Dwight D. Eisenhower, and you have special powers. You foresee the result of the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka case. Seeing as how you are not in favor of the result, what actions would you have taken to change the ruling?
 * P**- The Soviet Union launched //Sputnik// which caused public fear and dissatisfaction of the United States' status in the Space Race. President Eisenhower tried to catch up by launching unsuccessful rockets, and then he agreed to the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Agency. How would you have handled the situation differently? Say you did launch unsuccessful rockets, what would you have done differently to correct the problem?
 * A**- President Eisenhower would not increase defense spending, such as producing more missiles, even though the Democrats in Congress pushed for it. Pretend you were a Democrat in Congress at the time. Give reasons for why you wanted the president to increase defense spending.
 * W**- What if the U-2 plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers never crashed in the Soviet Union. How would the Paris summit gone differently? Would a comprehensive test-ban treaty been signed between the Soviet Union and U.S.? What would the Soviet Union and United States' relationship been like from 1960 to today?
 * N**- Say President Eisenhower was able to run and was re-elected for a third term. What would he do to correct the repercussions of the U-2 crash? How would he fix relations with Khrushchev? What might he have focused on in foreign and domestic affairs?

 **Activity:“Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award” Individual Presentations (10 minutes)** Transition-Ms. Leisch: "It looks like everyone has written some thoughtful responses to each of your scenarios. It's always fun to put yourself in someone else's shoes and wonder what you would do in a given situation. Now we are going to switch gears and vote on which president was the best." Ms. Leisch: “You have finished reading the biography about your president, so you are an expert on him. All five of the presidents contributed greatly in forming society as we know it today. But, who contributed the most? Who deserves the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award? You are now __(individual president’s name)__ and you must convince the rest of us to vote for you. Take a few minutes to jot down some notes about why you deserve this prestigious award and then you will take turns making a one minute speech to try to convince the rest of us to vote for you. Everyone will cast one vote on the ballot and remember, you may NOT vote for yourself-even if you think you are the best president!” (2 minutes)Students: Will have a few minutes to make notes for their speech. Their ISU teacher will monitor and elicit positive attributes of their president if necessary. SPEECH TIME: “Presidents” will randomly be selected to make their 1 minute speeches. Teacher: “Good luck to all the “presidents”. Students: Take turns making short, persuasive speeches on why they deserve the award. Students “go to the poll” to vote ((see attached ballot)) and receive a” I voted” sticker!!! Teacher: tallies votes while Ms. Hicks sings the president song. Winner is announced and revered by all!! **Lyrics for the President's Song (To the Tune of "Yankee Doodle") ** o // “Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe” // o // “John Quincy Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler, Polk” // o // “Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, and Hayes” // o // “Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison, Cleveland, McKinley, Roosevelt” // o // “Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman” // o // “Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon,” // o // “ Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush” // o // “We have one more president, Obama is his name,” // // “ Being our first black president, is his ticket to fame” //

Closure: (4 minutes)
1. Transition-Ms. Hicks: "Great job today with your speeches and writing very creative responses to the tough scenarios you were given! We know it took a lot of thought and effort on your part." 2. Ms. Hicks: "Also, we were very impressed with your presidential speeches. They were all very enjoyable and convincing!" 3. Ms. Hicks: "Since this is our last day teaching, We all would like to say that you were a great group of students to work with. All of the homework assigments were completed on time, and you all were great workers and thinkers. Thank you!" 4. Ms. Hicks: Does any other teacher have any thing to say?" 5. If a teacher has something to say about the group as a whole, now is where he or she would say it. 6. Ms. Hicks: Have a great rest of the semester and a great summer!"

**Literacy Techniques Used:**
SPAWN Large Vocabulary Book Foldable Concept Ladder