EGP 335: Unit Plan Lesson Plan Template

Author: Ryan McNulty

Unit: Government
Lesson: Executive Branch & The President

Lesson Preparations
I. Learning Objectives
a. The student will research their favorite president and record at least three
important changes, impacts, or events that their president was involved in.
b. The student will present the information they learned about their favorite
president to the class.
II. Standards by Discipline & Content Themes
a. Social Studies
i. Standard - 5.3.3.A Identify the roles of the three branches of government
b. English
i. Standard - CC.1.4.3.AWrite informative/ explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
c. NCSS Theme:
i. VI Power, Authority, & Governance
1. Distinguish among local, state, and national government and
identify representative leaders at these levels such as mayor,
governor, and president;
III. Academic Language
a. Executive Branch: the branch of government, led by the president, that enforces
the laws of the United States. The Government of the United States has an
executive branch.
b. The President: The highest elected or appointed officer or position within an
organization. The former president of the United States was President Obama.
c. Biography: A retelling of important events in someones life. Many famous
people, like Drew Barrymore, have biographies that explain their
accomplishments.
d. Republican: A political party of the USA government that tends to take a more
traditional approach with their beliefs. Donald Trump is a Republican.
e. Democrat: A political party of the USA government that tends to take a more
liberal approach with their beliefs.
IV. Technology, Materials, Resources
a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQGAnSk77osWhite Board
 b. SMARTboard or projector to play the video found above
c. Computers, iPads, or other electronic research devices.
d. The Presidents Fact Book; The Achievements, Campaigns, Events, Triumphs,
and Legacies of Every President by Roger Matuz
e. Any other books that has all the past presidents accomplishments.
f. http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents

Instructional deliveries

V. Anticipatory set
a. The teacher will explain that they students will be continuing their learning of the
executive branch. Specifically, the next lesson will focus on all the presidents of
the United States
b. The teacher will generate interest by playing a short video that displays all the
past presidents of the USA. Click HERE to see the video or see the technology
section
VI. Instructional Activities
a. I Do: The teacher will explain that students will be creating biographies of any of
the presidents that were just shown in the video. They may choose any president
they want (even Donald Trump I suppose). They may work individually or in
pairs, however, every student must research, record, and present equally. They
will have thirty to forty minutes to research the following about their president:

My President
Directions: Use technology or the provided informational books to research your favorite
President of the United States of America. Record your findings in the chart below and be
prepared to share them with the class. If you finish early, please work on the bonus section of the
worksheet.

What is your presidents name?

What years did he serve? How many terms is that

Who were some of the important people in his

life? (Family, Vice President, Important Friends)
 What political party does your president belong
to? (democrat or republican)

At least three important changes, impacts, or

events that your president was involved in.

Bonus: What are some interesting facts about

your president?

b. You Do: The class will now begin the researching process. They will record all
their information on the sheet above. The teacher will walk around and assist
whenever s/he is needed. The room will have plenty of tech and books for
students to conduct their research in. The teacher will give them a warning when
they are almost out of time. S/he may give extra time to complete the research if
necessary.
c. We Do: Once everyone is done researching, they will all come sit in down in the
classrooms comfiest spot to begin the presentations. Students will tell the teacher
what president they had, and the teacher will put an image of him on the
SMARTboard for the class to see. Students will teach the class about their
presidents and answer questions that they know the answers to. If they cant
answer the question, the teacher will write it down to answer later.
VII. Closure
a. The teacher will recap that The President of the United States is the leader of the
executive branch, and that we have had 45 presidents so far.
b. The teacher will restate some of the names and accomplishments of the presidents
that were presented to the class.
c. The teacher will then collect the graphic organizers, and have students write about
the following prompt in their journal: what would you do or change if you were
president of the United States, what changes would you make?

Meeting All Learners

VIII. Differentiation
a. Auditory learners: The clear concise instructions that the teacher gives orally will
help auditory learners understand exactly what it is that they need to do.
 b. Visual Learners: The graphic organizers, videos, and presentations help visual
learners make connections and learn the content.
c. Intrapersonal Learners: The ability to research independently will give
intrapersonal learners the space and alone time they need to effectively learn from
this assignment.
d. Interpersonal Learner: This is especially true if the students decide to work
together on this project. Additionally, the presentations will help develop a sense
of community and increase interpersonal communication.
IX. Accommodation
a. Students with an IEP/504 will be given accommodations that meet their specific
needs. For example, a child with ADHD will be given a break halfway through
the research to walk a lap around the school with a buddy. Additional research
time will also be granted if need be.
X. Modification
a. The lesson will be modified for students with an IEP/504 by decreasing the
following objective: At least three important changes, impacts, or events that
your president was involved in. to only one. They may also choose to present to
a smaller number of peers, depending on their comfort level with public speaking.

Meeting Objectives

XI. Assessment
a. The graphic organizer worksheet will be collected at the end of the day. The
product collected will assess students ability to achieve the objective.
b. The teacher will use a checklist when students stand up and present. A student
gets a check if they orally presented their research to the class. (If working in
pairs: both students must present. They should try to do it as evenly as possible,
give or take a few bullet points)