EGP 335.

535 Lesson Plan

Dr. Leaman, Spring 2017

Lesson Plan Details: Foreign Policy and the Presidential Role, Izabella Geltman
Expected Duration: 60 min
Social Sciences: Civics, Geography, Economics, Anthropology, History
Concepts: Understanding the basics of Foreign Policy
Vocabulary and operational definitions: Foreign Policy, Foreign Aid, Military, Issue,
Treaties
Skills: Discuss, write, and create their own definitions. Analyze information to make a
decision.
Goals of Lesson: Get students interested in issues involving other countries

Integration of Learning Outcomes/Objectives

1. Students will be able to describe in their own words the definition of foreign
policy
2. Students will be able to recognize the differences in power of the President and
Congress in relation to Foreign Policy.
3. Students will be able to work in teams where they sort out foreign policy issues
such as the military, treaties, and foreign aid.

Standards PA Civics, History, Economics, Geography

NCSS and Sub Themes

People, Places and Environment
Time, Continuity and Change
Power Authority and Governance
Understanding responsibilities of government
Global Connections
Building world wide relationships in a variety of dimensions
Civic Ideals and Practices

PA Standards
Civics:
Standard - 5.2.4.B Describe the sources of conflict and disagreement and different ways
conflict can be resolved.
Standard - 5.3.4.F Explain how different perspectives can lead to conflict.

Economics
Standard - 6.3.4.A Explain how government responds to social needs by providing public
goods and services.

Geography:
Standard - 7.4.4.AIdentify the effect of the physical systems on people within a
community.

History:
Standard - 8.3.4.A Differentiate common characteristics of the social, political, cultural
and economic groups in United States history.

Anticipatory Set
Teacher will talk about a current event happening in the students lifetime. Ask
the students a series of questions such as
Who is affected in this situation?
How do two or more countries solve problems?
What type of problems do countries face in relation to one another? List on
the board all of the students answers

Procedures
A. Teacher will start the lesson by introducing a current foreign policy issue that is
currently happening. For example the Paris Climate Agreement. While explaining
what countries are involved and the basics of the events, I will ask what the
students think this type of relationship with other countries is called. After they
brainstorm some ideas, if they do not know I will tell them, The answer is Foreign
Policy and how the United States goes about making decisions.
B. 1. Definition of FP will be on the board and we will work through the wording as
a class: Plan of actions adopted by one nation, established as a systematic way to
deal with issues that may arise with other countries.
C. 1. Students will do a WPS to create their own definitions
D. Explain who has the power to make rules in relation to Foreign Policy
E. 2. Make a graphic organizer of the roles of Congress and Presidents powers with
the teacher. (Worksheet example below)
F. 2. Assess students by making a flip-book. Students will fold a piece of paper into
three parts labeled Powers of the President Powers of Congress
G. 2. Teacher reads out roles of congress previously discussed and the students sort
them.
H. 2. Students turn in their papers for grading.
I. 2. Students who are struggling during the flip-book portion of the assignment can
leave spaces blank and have the opportunity to meet with the teacher and discuss
the different roles of the President and Congress.
J. 3. The teacher will define vocabulary about specific roles Congress and the
President are faced with. By doing this the students get to see real life applications
of FP and how it affects people all over the world and at home with the following
handouts.
K. Hand out Voting cards for students to take notes on.
A. Military Issue: Main goal is to prevent war and protect the United
States. Composed of the Army, navy, Air Force, and Marines.
 B. Treaties: Countries form alliance through this. Normally say that if
one country is attacked, the other will help protect them. The president
must negotiate and sign a treaty but it must be approved by 2/3 of the
senate.
C. Foreign aid: Main goal is to create friendships abroad and create
trade partners. Economics with helping pay after disasters struck, advice
such as how to create a democracy
L. 3. Read the Foreign Policy Scenarios one at a time (Worksheet below). Read
each scenario aloud to the class and instruct the students to determine if the
scenario deals with a foreign policy issue related to the military, a treatys, or
foreign aid.
M. 3. Once the pairs have determined their answer, they will hold up the appropriate
card.
N. Call on a pair to explain the text that led them to their chosen answer.
O. 3. Accelerated Learners will have the opportunity to take notes on paper other
than the cards they are holding up. This will allow the students to not be able to
look back at notes
P. Students who are struggling to find the answer in the FP card activity will have
the notes in front of them
Q. Explain that every decision that students just made are choices that the president
and congress have to make every day with foreign policy.

Worksheets

Compare and Contrast Chart- Flip Book

President Congress

Proposes laws Approves treaties

Commands armed forces- army, navy, Declares war
Appoints ambassadors and other officials Grants money
Negotiates treaties Cuts funds
Recognizes foreign governments
Collect foreign intelligence

Foreign Policy Activity Questions

1. Upon President Wilsons request on April 6, 1917, Congress declared War on

Germany and gave the President the power to lead the army and navy to fight
Germany in World War I. (military)

2. The United States government provides advice and help for countries wanting to
 start new democracies by showing them how to run fair elections. (foreign aid)

3. In response to the January 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti, the United
States has given the country significant aid in the form of food, water, and
medical care. (foreign aid)

4. In 1968, the major countries of the world agreed to the Nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty, which is aimed at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons.
As of 2010, over 180 countries have joined. (treaty)

5. The United States has a program aimed at helping people in developing countries
have access to safe drinking water. (foreign aid)

6. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This act would bring
the U.S. into World War II. The next day, Congress passed a war declaration
giving President Roosevelt the power the lead the entire U.S. military against
Japan. (military)

7. The United States, Canada, and Mexico agreed to the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA), whose goal is to make it easier to trade among the three
countries. (treaty)

8. The United States was the first country to approve of the document that created
the United Nations, an international organization created after World War II, that
tries to keep world peace. (treaty)

9. After World War II, the United States gave more than $13 billion to help rebuild
countries and support their democratic governments. (foreign aid)

Foreign Policy Activity Cards

Differentiation
Students will work in groups for FP activity.
Students who are struggling during the flip book portion of the assignment can
underline different information and have the opportunity to meet with the teacher
and discuss the different roles of the President and Congress.
Accelerated Learners will have the opportunity to take notes on a separate paper
other than the cards they are holding up. This will allows the students to not be
able to look back at notes and instead form their answers based on memory.
Students who are struggling to find the answer in the FP card activity, will have
the notes in front of them as help.

Closure
The teacher will address the anticipatory set and ask the students if they have
learned any new information that makes the current foreign policy issue relatable.
The students will all be asked to say 1 thing that they have learned and how it
relates to the idea of foreign policy. The students Homework will be to go home
and read the newspaper to find a current affair and learn about it.

Formative/Summative Assessment of Students (P-12)

A. Students will be able to describe in their own words the definition of foreign
policy
B. Students will be able to recognize the differences in power of the President and
Congress in relation to Foreign Policy. (Chart Below)
 C. Students will be able to work in teams where they sort out foreign policy issues
such as the military, treaties, and foreign aid. Students will be graded on their
explanation and if the correct card is held up.

Flip Book Scoring Guide

Congress President Both

5- All information is
correct
3- Three or more
roles are placed
wrong
1- Limited
information is
correct

Materials/Equipment

A. A current event
B. Paper for flip book on roles of Congress and President
C. Worksheet on FP
D. Cards for FP activity

Technology
No technology is used besides the teacher print outs that are given to the students.

Reflection on Planning
Overall I think the lesson is solid in teaching the importance of having foreign policy in
a government. The lesson does its job of explain the Presidential role and Congresss role
in Foreign Policy as well as explaining the inner workings of what Foreign Policy
consists of. I feel as though the activity with the cards will be enjoyable for students and
the flip book assessment will make the work feel like simple note taking instead of test
taking. Concerns for implementation would of course be time. You never truly know how
long or short something will take unless it is completed. Another concern is the lack of
technology. Students seem to be interested in information when you use sources such as
the computer or iPad apps.
Lesson Plan Fact Sheet and Current Event

List your references

American Government. Retrieved June 14, 2017, from

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/american-government
Foreign policy. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2017, from
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/foreign-policy
U.S. Foreign Policy Powers: Congress and the President. (n.d.). Retrieved June
14, 2017, from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-foreign-policy-powers-
congress-and-president
What is foreign policy? Definition and meaning. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2017,
from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/foreign-policy.html

Definitions of Foreign Policy

A government's strategy in dealing with other nations
A policy pursued by a nation in its dealings with other
nations, designed to achieve national objectives.
Plan of actions adopted by one nation, established as a systematic way to deal
with issues that may arise with other countries.

Powers of the President:

The leader of a democratic Republic
Commander of the Army and Navy
Use Military force to project power to send a message but can not declare
war
Make executive agreements
Paris agreement on climate change
Make treaties
War
Recognize foreign governments
Collect foreign intelligence
Immigration Laws
More recently, many Democratic lawmakers said President Donald
J. Trump overstepped his constitutional and statutory authority when
he attempted to block travelers from seven Muslim-majority
countries from entering the United States.

Powers of Congress and Foreign Policy

Approve Treaties
Appoint diplomats
Regulate commerce
Declare War
Can cut or increase aid for FP funds
Current Event: The Paris Climate Change Agreement

This current event relates to the United States and a large group of other countries
because it sets rules and regulations all participants must follow on climate stability and
maintaining the world wide environmental crisis.

Notes from Articles

Under the Paris agreement, the US had agreed to:

Cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 1.6 billion tonnes by 2025

Contribute up to $3bn in aid to poorer countries through the Green Climate Fund

The cut in greenhouse gas emissions was part of a global effort to keep temperature rises
below 1.5C (3.5F) above pre-industrial levels. If the US pulls out and other countries do
not adjust their plans, that target will not be met, which would raise the risks of flooding,
extreme weather including heat waves, and changes to freshwater patterns and food
production.

List of 175 Signatories to Paris Agreement- 15 States Deposit Instruments of Ratification-

Link Below

Links
http://newsroom.unfccc.int/media/632121/list-of-representatives-to-high-level-signature-
ceremony.pdf
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40131918