SINGLESUBJECTLESSON

1.
TITLEOFLESSON
:PresidentialPowerintheVietnamWar

th
2.
CURRICULUMAREA&GRADELEVEL
:12
GradeAmericanGovernment

3.
DATEOFLESSON/TIMENEEDED:
Period1:60minutes,8:00to9:00a.m.,Dec.3,2014
Period4:60minutes,10:15to11:15a.m.Dec.4,2014

4.

RESOURCES:
Documentcameraprojector
WordCloudfordocumentcameraprojector
Printedcopyofstandards,objectivesandessentialquestionsfordocumentcameraprojector.
ExcerptfromArticleII,Section2oftheConstitutionfordocumentcameraprojector
Studenthandoutbooklet,including1.4:TonkinGulfResolution&relatedchart,1.6:WarPowersResolutionexcerpts
andquestions,1.7:PresidentialPowerscomparisonchart,and1.8:DevelopinganInterpretationParagraphframe.

5.

CACONTENTSTANDARD(S)
:
CAHSSCS12.7.8:Understandthescopeofpresidentialpoweranddecisionmakingthroughexaminationofcase
studiessuchastheCubanMissileCrisis,passageofGreatSocietylegislation,WarPowersResolution,GulfWar,
andBosnia

6.
CAELDSTANDARD(S):
CAELDPartI,6a)(Bridging):Explainideas,phenomena,processes,andrelationshipswithinandacrosstexts(e.g.,
compare/contrast,cause/effect,themes,evidence
-
basedargument)basedonclosereadingofavarietyof
grade
-
leveltexts,presentedinvariousprintandmultimediaformats,usingavarietyofdetailedsentencesand
precisegeneralacademicanddomain
-
specificwords.

7.
BIGIDEAADDRESSED/ENDURINGUNDERSTANDING:
ThePresidentspowertowagewarwasgreatlychangedasaresultoftheVietnamWar.

8.

ESSENTIALQUESTIONS:
HowdidthePresidentswarmakingpowersevolveoverthecourseoftheVietnamWar?
ArethesechangesinlinewiththeoriginalintentionsoftheConstitution?

9.

OBJECTIVE(S)ORLEARNINGGOAL(S)
Cognitive
:StudentswillbeabletoanalyzethechangingpowerofthePresidenttomakewarduringtheVietnamwar
byformingathesisstatementandparagraphframewhichwillbeturnedin.
LanguageDevelopment
:StudentswillbeabletocloselyreadprimarysourcedocumentsfromtheVietnamWarand
understandtheirrelationtothechangesinpresidentialpower,asdemonstratedbythethesisstatementand
paragraphframetheywillcomplete.

10.

ASSESSMENT(S):
Formativestudentswillcompleteaparagraphframedetailingthechangestothepresidentspowertowagewar
resultingfromAmericaninvolvementintheVietnamWar..

11.

INSTRUCTIONALSTRATEGIES:

12.

STUDENTACTIVITIES:

1.
AnticipatorySet(5minutes)
TeacherwilldisplaytheWordCloudsheetonthe
documentcameraprojectorsotheentireclassmay
seeit.Theteacherexplains:
Thisisagraphicrepresentationofthefrequencyof
wordsfromawrittensource.Studythiswordcloud
silentlyforoneminute.Then,writedownthewordsin
thecloudthatstandouttoyou,andpredictwhatthe
cloudrepresents.

Teacherpausestoallowstudentstocompletethese
tasks.

Teacherexplains:
ThiswordcloudisfromArticleII,Section2ofthe
Constitution,whichdetailsthePresidentspowersto
makewar.

2.
StateObjective(5minutes)
Teacherintroducesthestandards,objectives,and
essentialquestionsforthelessonbydisplayingthem
onthedocumentcameraprojectorandaskinga
studenttoreadthemaloud.

Teacherdistributesthestudenthandoutsforthe
lesson.

3.
InputModeling(5minutes)
Teacher:
Asweknowfromoutstudyofthe
Constitution,thepowertomakewarisshared
betweentheexecutiveandlegislativebranches.
However,wealsoknowthattheexactwordingofthe
Constitutionleftthingslikethisopentointerpretation,
andovertheyears,thebalancebetweenbranches
hasoccasionallyshifted.

TeacherplacesaportionofArticleII,Section2on
thedocumentcameraprojector,andreadsit:
The
PresidentshallbecommanderinchiefoftheArmy
andNavyoftheUnitedStates,andofthemilitiaof
theseveralstates,whencalledintotheactualservice

1.
AnticipatorySet
Studentsviewthewordcloudontheprojector
screenandlistentotheteachersexplanation.They
studythewordcloudsilentlyforoneminute,then
beginwritingdownthewordsinthecloudthatstand
outtothemandwritingdowntheirpredictionofwhat
thewordsrepresent.

Studentslistentotheteachersexplanationofthe
wordcloudsmeaning.

2.
StateObjective
Studentsreadthroughthestandards,objectivesand
essentialquestionsforthelessonasdisplayedon
theprojectorscreen.Astudentvolunteer(orone
selectedbytheteacher)readsthestandards,
objectivesandessentialquestionsaloudsothe
entireclasscanhearthem.

Studentsreceivethehandoutsforthelesson.

3.
InputModeling
Studentslistentotheteacher,readingtheexcerpt
fromtheConstitutionwhenitisvisibleonthe
projectorscreen,andlisteningtotheteachergive
themdirectionsontheTonkinGulfResolution

oftheUnitedStates

Teacherquestionstheclass:
Isthissentencevery
clearonwhattheroleofthePresidentis?What

exactlydoesitmeantobecommanderinchief?

TeacherdirectsstudentstoreadtheTonkinGulf
resolutionandcompleteStudentHandout1.4to
understandtheargumentscontainedwithinit:
All
right,sonowyoureallgoingtoreadtheTonkinGulf
Resolution,andusetheinformationinthereto
completethegraphiconthenextpage.Asyoudo
this,keepinmindthequestion,whatexactlydoesit
meantobecommanderinchief?thenanswerthe
questionatthebottom
.(Astheteacherexplainsthis,
theyplacethestudenthandoutonthedocument
cameraandpointsoutthepartsthatstudentswillbe
workingon)

4.
CheckforUnderstanding
Teacherselectsastudentandasksthem:
(name),
doyouunderstandwhatyouredoingonthispage
?
(ifyes):
Canyouexplainittotherestoftheclass,
then?
(
ifno,askanotherstudent)

5.
GuidedPractice1(10minutes)
Teachercirculatestheroomasstudentsreadthe
TonkinGulfresolutionandcompletethegraphicon
thestudenthandout,checkingforunderstandingand
providingassistancetostudentsasnecessary.

6.GuidedPractice2(10minutes)
TeacherintroducestheWarPowersResolutionto
students:
SoweseehowtheTonkinGulfResolutiongavethe
PresidentthepowertoleadtheU.S.intheVietnam
War.PresidentJohnsonandthenPresidentNixon
usedthispowerandkeptsendingmoreandmore
AmericantroopstherewithoutaskingCongress.
Thenwhathappened?Thewarstartedtobecome
unpopular,andCongressstartedtogetworriedthat
theygavethePresidenttoomuchpower.Sothey
passedanewlaw,theWarPowersResolution.
Everyonetakeyourhandoutandlookatthisone.In
yourgroups,readtheexcerptsandthenanswerthe
questionsonthesheet.
(Teacheralsodisplayson
documentcamera).

6.
IndependentPractice(20minutes)
Teacherinstructsstudents:
Nowthatyouveread
theseprimarysources,itstimetogatherthe
informationfromthemtotrytoanswertheessential

4.
CheckforUnderstanding
Chosenstudent(s)respond(s),andasksany
questionsneededforclarification.

5.
GuidedPractice
StudentsworkonreadingtheTonkinGulfresolution
andcompletingthegraphiconthestudenthandout,
communicationanyquestionsorissuestheyhaveto
theteacher.

6.
GuidedPractice2
Studentslistentotheteachersdirections,andread
theexcerptsontheWarPowersResolution
handout,carefullyrespondingtothequestion
promptscontainedonthehandout.Theirresponses
shoulddemonstratethatintheWarPowers
Resolution,Congressasserteditsroleintheability
tomakewarbymandatingthatthePresidentconsult
withthemregularly,thusplacingalimitonthe
PresidentspowertowagewarinVietnam.

6.
IndependentPractice
Studentslistentotheteachersdirections,thenbegin
fillinginthechartwithinformationfromeachofthe
documents.Studentsthenprogresstocompleting
theframingsheet,whichbuildsaparagrapharound

questionsaboutthissubject.Inyourgroups,fillinthe
chartwithinformationfromthedocumentsweve
lookedat:ArticleIIoftheConstitution,theTonkin
GulfResolution,andtheWarPowersResolution.
Thenatthebottom,formathesisstatementbased
onthisinformation.

Onthenextpage,theresaframingsheetyoucan
usetobuildaparagrapharoundthatthesis,citing
examplesfromthedocumentswevelookedat.This
iswhatyoullbeturningitattheendoftheclass.

7.
Closure(5minutes)
Teacherrevisitstheessentialquestionswiththe
classbycallingonastudent:
(studentname),How
didthePresidentswarmakingpowersevolveover
thecourseoftheVietnamWar?

Teachercontinueswiththeremainingessential
questions:
(otherstudentname),arethesechanges
inlinewiththeoriginalintentionsoftheConstitution?
Whydoyouthinkthat?

Teachercanaskthesamequestionstoother
studentsasnecessarytofillouttheremainingtimein
theperiod.Teacherwillthencollectthecompleted
sheetsthatstudentshaveworkedonduringthe
lesson.

theirthesisstatementbyspecificallycitingdetails
fromthedocumentswhichwereexaminedearlierin
thelesson.

7.
Closure
Studentsrespondtotheteachersquestion,
providingdetailsofhowthePresidentswarmaking
powersevolvedduringtheVietnamWar.Thenext
studentrespondstotheteachersquestionbygiving
theiropiniononwhetherthechangeswhichtook
placeduringtheVietnamWarwereinlinewiththe
originalintentionsoftheConstitution.Questioning
maycontinuetofilltimeasnecessary.

Studentsturnintheircompletedworktotheteacher.