Social Studies Enduring Themes: Governance & Distribution of Power
Unit:
Curriculum Map
American Government
Unit 5: Executive Branch
Enduring Themes:
Governance, Rule of Law, Distribution of Power
Time Frame (Fall Semester):
12 Days
TimeFrame (Spring Semester):
13 Days
Unit Resources
Unit 5 Content Map
Unit 5 Sample Test Questions Version 1
Unit 5 Sample Test Questions Version 2
SSCG12 The student will analyze the various roles played by the President of the
United States; include Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, chief executive,
chief agenda setter, representative of the nation, chief of state, foreign policy
leader, and party leader.
Unit Standards
SSCG13 The student will describe the qualifications for becoming President of
the United States.
a. Explain the written qualifications for President of the United States.
b. Describe unwritten qualifications common to past presidents.
SSCG8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of local, state, and national
elections.
a. Describe the organization, role, and constituencies of political parties.
b. Describe the nomination and election process.
c. Examine campaign funding and spending.
d. Analyze the influence of media coverage, campaign advertising, and public
opinion polls.
SSCG15 The student will explain the functions of the departments and agencies
of the federal bureaucracy.
a. Compare and contrast the organization and responsibilities of independent
regulatory agencies, government corporations, and executive agencies.
b. Explain the functions of the Cabinet.
Unit Concepts
SSCG20 The student will describe the tools used to carry out United States
foreign policy (diplomacy; economic, military, and humanitarian aid; treaties;
sanctions and military intervention).
Roles of the President
Qualifications of the President
Presidential Election Process
Campaign Influences
Political Parties
Campaign Funding and Spending
Voting Rights Amendments
Agencies of the Federal Bureaucracy
The Cabinet
Tools of Foreign Policy
Social Studies Enduring Themes: Governance & Distribution of Power
Concept 1: Roles of the President
Standard: SSCG12 The student will analyze the various roles played by the President of the
United States; include Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, chief executive, chief agenda setter,
representative of the nation, chief of state, foreign policy leader, and party leader.
Lesson EQ: How does the president execute each of his roles?
Know
Understand
 Commander-in-Chief of the
 The president has many roles.
Armed Forces
 Commander in chief role involves the
 chief executive
command of America’s armed forces in war
-pardon
time.
-reprieve
 Chief Executive role involves the execution
-amnesty
of the law
-impoundment
 pardon: forging of punishment
 chief agenda setter
 reprieve: postponement of
 representative of the nation
punishment
 chief of state
 amnesty: group pardon
 foreign policy leader
 impoundment: refusal to release funds
-treaties
 Chief agenda setter role involves the setting
-executive agreements
of what important issues will be pushed by
 party leader
the executive branch
 Representative of the nation involves the
ceremonial functions
 Chief of State involves pushing legislative
agendas in Congress
 Foreign Policy leader involves being the
head of all diplomacy with other countries
 treaties: agreement between countries,
Senate approval needed
 executive agreements: agreement between
President and another chief of state, no
Senate approval needed
 Party Leader involves the setting of the
affiliated party’s agenda
Resources
I Do (Teacher Point)
We Do (Guided/Differentiated Instruction)
 Duties of the President
 The Executive Branch Outline
Video
(*Note this outline you can fill in as you move
through the Unit. So, for example this is listed
 The Executive Branch
in the “We Do” for Concept 2 as well to have
PowerPoint
students work with the Qualifications)
 The Executive Branch
Guided Notes
Be Able To Do (DOK 3)
 Contrast the roles played by
the president, citing the
unique jobs found in each
role.
 Recite the differences
between the varied methods
of administering the chief
executive position (DOK 1)
You Do (Independent Practice)
 Presidential Roles Project
 Roles of the President TOTD
Social Studies Enduring Themes: Governance & Distribution of Power
Concept 2: Qualifications for President
Standard:
SSCG13 The student will describe the qualifications for becoming President of the
United States.
a. Explain the written qualifications for President of the United States.
b. Describe unwritten qualifications common to past presidents.
Lesson EQ: What are the qualifications for the office of President?
Know
Understand
Written Qualifications:
There are 3 written qualifications for
President:
 35 years old
 35 years old
 Resident for 14 years
 Resident for 14 years
 Natural born citizen
 Natural born citizen
Unwritten Qualifications:
There are various unwritten
 Money for Campaign
qualifications for President. These
 Moderate Positions
are 5 that are generally agreed upon:
 White Male
 Money for Campaign
 Law Degree
 Moderate Positions
 Held prior political office
 White Male
 Law Degree
 Held prior political office
Resources
I Do (Teacher Point)
We Do (Guided/Differentiated
Instruction)
The Executive Branch PowerPoint
The Executive Branch Outline
The Executive Branch Guided Notes
Be Able To Do (DOK 1/2)
List the 3 written qualifications for
President
List and explain the 5 provided
unwritten qualifications for
President.
You Do (Independent Practice)
Quad Cluster Summarizer
Presidential Bio
(also linked in Concept 1)
Qualifications for President TOTD
Social Studies Enduring Themes: Governance & Distribution of Power
Concept 3: Presidential Election Process
Standard:
SSCG8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of local, state, and national elections.
b. Describe the nomination and election process
Lesson EQ: How does one become president?
Know
Understand
Political Party
The order of events for winning the
270
presidential race.
Popular Vote
Oath of Office
Nomination of candidates for each political
Negative Campaigning
party occurs at Primary Elections
Nomination
Caucuses are had by political parties to plan
Order of Events:
campaigns
1. Primary Election
2. Caucuses
Campaigning is done to persuade voters to
3. Campaigning
vote for candidates and often involves
4. General Election
negative campaigning, which involves
5. Electoral College
negative statements on opponents
6. Inauguration
General Election Day in the United States of
America is the Tuesday following the first
Monday in November. This is when
citizens choose who will win the popular
vote
The president is chosen by the Electoral
College. The winner must get a minimum
of 270 of 538 electoral votes.
Be Able To Do (DOK 1/2)
Recite the series of events to become
president
State the purpose of:
Primaries
Caucuses
Campaigning
Negative Campaigning
Electoral College
Inauguration/Oath of Office
Compare and impact of popular vote
vs. electoral vote in a presidential
election (DOK 2)
State that the winner of the
presidential election must earn 270
of the 538 electoral votes
Describe how the number of electors
a state gets is determined
The number of electors a state gets is
determined by the number of House and
Senate representatives.
The President “Elect” becomes the
President at the inauguration, when he
takes the Oath of Office
Resources
We Do (Guided/Differentiated Instruction)
Candidate Evaluation
Candidate Statements
2012 Electoral College Predictor
I Do (Teacher Point)
Video (Primary Elections)
Video (National Convention)
Video (Primaries and
Caucuses)
Video (Does your vote count…) (NOTE: Since 2016 is an election year, these
resources can be updated with current
Presidential Elections Power
candidates/EC predictions!!)
You Do (Independent Practice)
270 To Win Activity
Electoral Process TOTD
Social Studies Enduring Themes: Governance & Distribution of Power
Point
Presidential Elections Guided
Notes
Concept 4: Campaign Influences
Standard:
SSCG8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of local, state, and national elections.
d. Analyze the influence of media coverage, campaign advertising, and public opinion polls.
Lesson EQ: In what ways do media coverage, campaign advertising, and public opinion polls influence national
elections?
Know
Understand
Be Able To Do (DOK 3)
Media coverage
Media coverage can increase or decrease
Critique the impact of the media
Campaign advertising
public opinion of candidates based on the
on election outcomes
Negative campaigning
portrayal of the candidates
Public opinion polls
Compare the use of campaigning
Platform
Media coverage is important to inform the
and negative campaigning
public of candidates and the opinions of
candidates
Analyze the impact of public
opinion polls on elections
Campaign advertising helps candidates
inform the public of their campaigns and
platforms
Much of campaign advertising is negative
Public Opinion Polls are administered by
various agencies to gage public opinion of
candidates in major elections
Public Opinion Polls can influence voter
turnout on election day and for whom
citizens vote
I Do (Teacher Point)
Media Powerpoint
Resources
We Do (Guided/Differentiated Instruction)
Most Influential Campaign Ads
You Do (Independent Practice)
Summarizer: Media Constructed
Response
http://mashable.com/2012/09/13/influentialcampaign-ads/
Presidential Campaign Influences
TOTD
Social Studies Enduring Themes: Governance & Distribution of Power
Concept 5: Political Parties
Standard:
SSCG8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of local, state, and national elections.
a. Describe the organization, role, and constituencies of political parties
Lesson EQ: What are the characteristics of major political parties in the U.S.?
Know
Understand
Political Parties
Political parties have a major influence
political office in the U.S. Most offices are
 Republican
held by members of major parties
 Democrat
 Libertarian
The predominant political parties in the U.S.
 Green
are Republican and Democrat
 Constitution
Constituency
Major 3rd parties in the U.S. are Libertarian,
Liberal
Constitution, and Green Parties
Conservative
Moderate
Constituents of the Democratic Party tend to
be moderate liberals in favor of major
financial regulation and moderate social
regulation. Major Democrat support is
2.
concentrated in New England and west coast.
Minorities tend to be Democrats.
Constituents of the Republican Party tend to
be moderate conservatives in favor or major
social regulation and moderate financial
regulation. Major Republican support is
concentrated in the Midwest and South. The
white middle class tends to be Republican.
1. At the national level, political parties run
candidates for Congress and the presidency.
Each party has its own national committee
made up of party leaders, elected officials,
and the chairs of the state party
organizations.
Resources
I Do (Teacher Point)
We Do (Guided/Differentiated Instruction)
Political Parties Power Point Party Platform Comparison
Political Parties Guided
Notes
Be Able To Do (DOK 1/2)
Tell that Political parties have a
major influence political office in the
U.S. Most offices are held by
members of major parties (DOK 1)
Recognize the major political parties
and the major 3rd parties in the U.S.
(DOK 1)
Distinguish the constituencies of the
Democratic and Republican Parties.
(DOK 2)
Recall that at the national
level, political parties run candidates
for Congress and the presidency.
Each party has its own national
committee made up of party leaders,
elected officials, and the chairs of
the state party organizations. (DOK
1)
You Do (Independent Practice)
Political Parties Practice Multiple
Choice
Political Parties Ticket Out the Door
Social Studies Enduring Themes: Governance & Distribution of Power
Concept 6: Campaign Funding and Spending
Standard:
SSCG8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of local, state, and national elections.
c. Examine campaign funding and spending
Lesson EQ: In what ways is campaign funding and spending governed?
Know
Understand
Hard Money
3. When cash is contributed directly to a
Soft Money
political candidate, it is known as a "hard
Political Action Committees
money" contribution. These contributions
Federal Election Commission
may only come from an individual or a
political action committee, and must
follow the strict limits set forth by the FEC.
Soft money is money raised in unlimited
amounts by political parties for party
building purposes. Now largely illegal
except for limited contributions to state or
local parties for voter registration and getout-the-vote efforts.
Be Able To Do (DOK 2/3)
Compare and contrast the use of
hard money and soft money as
used for campaign funding and
spending (DOK 3)
Explain the relationship between
PACs and the FEC as related to
campaign financing and spending
(DOK 2)
FEC regulates campaign financing
I Do (Teacher Point)
Campaign Finance PowerPoint
PACs are set up by corporations, unions,
or interest groups that donate money to
political campaigns and are governed by
the FEC. PACs can give $5,000 to a
candidate committee per election
Resources
We Do (Guided/Differentiated Instruction)
C-SPAN Money in Politics Lesson
You Do (Independent Practice)
Ticket out the Door: Campaign
Finance
Social Studies Enduring Themes: Governance & Distribution of Power
Concept 7: Voting Rights Amendments
Standard:
SSCG8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of local, state, and national elections.
e. Identify how amendments extend the right to vote
Lesson EQ: How has voting been extended over time through the amendment process?
Know
Understand
Be Able To Do (DOK 1)
th
15 Amendment:
All of these amendments helped to extend
Recall the amendments that
voting rights
extended voting rights
th
19 Amendment:
15th Amendment:
Recall how each of the listed
rd
23 Amendment:
No denying right to vote based on race
amendments extended voting rights
24th Amendment:
19th Amendment:
No denying right to vote based on gender
26th Amendment:
23rd Amendment:
Washington DC gets 3 Electoral Votes
24th Amendment:
No poll Taxes (charging money to vote is
illegal)
I Do (Teacher Point)
Voting Amendments Guided
Notes
Voting Amendments PPT
26th Amendment:
Voting age moved from 21 to 18
Resources
We Do (Guided/Differentiated Instruction)
Voting Rights Match Up Activity | Teacher
Notes
You Do (Independent Practice)
Voting Rights Extending
Amendments TOTD
Social Studies Enduring Themes: Governance & Distribution of Power
Concept 8: Agencies of the Federal Bureaucracy
Standard:
SSCG15 The student will explain the functions of the departments and agencies of the federal bureaucracy.
a. Compare and contrast the organization and responsibilities of independent regulatory agencies, government
corporations, and executive agencies.
Lesson EQ: What is the function of federal bureaucracy?
Know
Understand
Departments
There are a variety of departments of
Federal Election Commission
the executive branch that serve to
Central Intelligence Agency
delegate work of the branch.
Executive Office of the President:
 Council of Economic Advisors
 Office of Management and Budget
 National Security Council
The Council of Economic Advisers
(branch of EOP) is an agency that
advises the President on economic
policy and assists with the writing of
the budget.
The OMB (branch of EOP) assists the
president in preparing the annual
budget, clearing and coordinating
departmental agency budgets, and
supervising the administration of the
federal budget
Be Able To Do (DOK 1)
Recite that there are a variety of
departments of the executive branch
that serve to delegate work of the
branch.
Compare the roles of FEC and CIA in
assisting the function of the
Executive Branch.
Compare and Contrast the roles of
the CEA, OMB, and NSC in assisting
the EOP.
National Security Council serves as a
link between the President’s top
foreign policy and military advisors
*FEC regulates campaign financing
I Do (Teacher Point)
Bureaucracy and the Cabinet Power
Point
Bureaucracy and the Cabinet Guided
Notes
CIA is an independent agency of the
United States government
responsible for collecting and
coordinating intelligence and
counterintelligence activities abroad
in the national interest
*Repeat from concept 5
Resources
We Do (Guided/Differentiated
Instruction)
Bureaucracy Practice Multiple Choice
(Group Competition)
You Do (Independent Practice)
Agencies of the Federal Bureaucracy
TOTD
Social Studies Enduring Themes: Governance & Distribution of Power
Concept 9: The Cabinet
Standard:
SSCG15 The student will explain the functions of the departments and agencies of the federal bureaucracy.
b. Explain the functions of the Cabinet
Lesson EQ: What is the function of the cabinet as an entity of the federal bureaucracy?
Know
Understand
Be Able To Do (DOK 1)
Senate
The cabinet serves as an advisory board for the Recall that The cabinet serves as an
Pentagon
President and as leadership to the departments advisory board for the President and
Cabinet
of the Executive Branch.
as leadership to the departments of
the Executive Branch.
 Secretary of State
Cabinet positions are appointed by the
 Secretary of
President and must be approved by the Senate
Recall that Cabinet positions are
Treasury
appointed by the President and must
 Secretary of
Secretary of State
be approved by the Senate
Defense

Head
of
Department
of
state
and
serves
as
 Secretary of
Compare the roles of the 5 listed
head of diplomacy
Education
cabinet positions (DOK 2)
Secretary of Treasury
 Attorney General
 Manages federal finances, collects taxes,
produces stamps, and provides government
advice on matters of economic policy
Secretary of Defense
 Head of Department of defense and chief
military advisor. Housed at the Pentagon
Secretary of Education
 Manages federal student aid programs,
monitors academic performance
nationwide, and administers federal
education legislation like No Child Left
Behind Act
Attorney General
 Enforces federal laws by taking offenders to
court, investigates and detains offenders
through the FBI
Resources
I Do (Teacher Point)
We Do (Guided/Differentiated Instruction)
You Do (Independent Practice)
Video (The Presidential
Cabinet…)
The President’s Cabinet Washington Post
Activity
The President’s Cabinet TOTD
Social Studies Enduring Themes: Governance & Distribution of Power
Concept 10: Tools of Foreign Policy
Standard:
SSCG20 The student will describe the tools used to carry out United States foreign policy (diplomacy; economic,
military, and humanitarian aid; treaties; sanctions and military intervention).
Lesson EQ: In what ways does the President use tools of foreign policy?
Know
Understand
Diplomacy
 Diplomacy: Discussion and deal making to keep
Economic tools
peace between countries
 Tariff
 Economic: Tariff (tax on imports), Embargo
 Embargo
(refusal to buy goods)
Military Aid
 Sanctions: Deal-Making tactics that involve
Humanitarian Aid
limitations on a country and maybe a military
Treaties
threat if not followed.
 Bilateral
 Military Intervention: Troops doing anything
 Multilateral
other than fighting war in a foreign country
Sanctions
 Military: War is always a tool of last resort when
Military Intervention
other methods fail.
 Treaties: Agreements to peacefully resolve
problems
-Bilateral: 2 countries
-Multilateral: 3 or more countries
 Humanitarian Aid: Assistance to other countries
in $, food, tools/equipment to help the
unfortunate
Resources
I Do (Teacher Point)
We Do (Guided/Differentiated Instruction)
Foreign Policy
War and Treaty Powers Web Quest:
Powerpoint
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conla
w/warandtreaty.htm
Be Able To Do (DOK 1)
Recall the different tools of
foreign policy and their definitions
Differentiate between each of the
tools of foreign policy (DOK 3)
Recite the definitions of tariff and
embargo
Recite the deference between
bilateral and multilateral teaties
You Do (Independent Practice)
Tools of foreign Policy TOTD