U.S. Government
Social Studies
Unit: 05
Lesson: 03
Suggested Duration: 4 Days
Bureaucracy: Agencies and Departments
Lesson Synopsis:
To fully understand the role the executive branch plays in our government, students must also understand the federal
bureaucracy.
TEKS:
G.1
G.1F
G.4
G.4A
G.4B
G.6
G.6A
G.6B
G.8
G.8B
G.8D
History. The Student understands how constitutional government as developed in America and expressed in the
Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution, has been influenced by ideas,
people, and historical documents. The student is expected to:
Identify significant individuals in the field of government and politics including George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, John Marshall, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and
Ronald Reagan.
Geography. The student understands why certain places and regions are important to the United States. The
student is expected to:
Analyze the political significance to the United States of the location and key natural resources of selected global
places or regions.
Analyze how U.S. foreign policy affects selected places and regions
Economics. The student understands the relationship between U.S. government policies and the economy. The
student is expected to:
Examine how the U.S. government uses economic resources in foreign policy.
Understand the roles the executive and legislative branches have in setting international trade and fiscal policies.
Government. The student understands the structure and functions of the government created by the U.S.
Constitution. The student is expected to:
Analyze the structure and functions of the executive branch of government, including the constitutional powers of
the president, the growth of presidential power, and the role of the Cabinet and executive departments.
Identify the purpose of selected independent executive agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) and regulatory commissions including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC).
Social Studies Skills TEKS:
G.20
G.20A
G.20B
G.21
G.21D
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a
variety of valid sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
Analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing,
contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences
and conclusions.
Create a product on a contemporary government issue or topic using critical methods of inquiry.
Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
Create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Performance Indicator(s):
Conduct a hypothetical interview with the head of a Cabinet department or independent agency of the executive branch.
In your transcript of the interview, provide both questions and answers covering when the department was created, size of
the department, responsibilities of the department, and current issues. (G.8B, G.8D; G.20B)
ELPS: 5F; 5G
Key Understandings and Guiding Questions:
•
The administrative system of government requires a bureaucracy that divides the work into specific categories to
be carried out by specialized departments.
©2013, TESCCC
04/19/13
page 1 of 8
U.S. Government
Social Studies
Unit: 05 Lesson: 03
 How do the Cabinet and other agencies of the executive branch affect daily life?
 What factors explain the growth in the federal bureaucracy from just a little over 2000 to over 3 million
employees since the creation of the executive branch by the Constitution?
 What role does the State Department have in the world today?
 How do government policies affect daily life?
Vocabulary of Instruction:
• bureaucracy
• specialization
•
•
Cabinet
agency
•
department
Materials:
•
Refer to the Notes for Teacher section for materials.
Attachments:
•
Teacher Resource: Power Point: Who Should Help the President?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: The President’s Cabinet
Handout: Cabinet Departments (1 per student)
Handout: Worksheet on Cabinet Departments (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Worksheet on Cabinet Departments KEY
Handout: Choices on the Decision-Making Spectrum (one class set)
Handout: For the President’s Eyes Only (1 per student)
Handout: The Crisis Scenarios (10 copies of each scenario – used a class set)
Handout: The Presidential Decisions (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Amendment XXV (optional if a copy is available in the textbook)
Handout: Cabinet Department Scenarios (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Cabinet Department Scenarios KEY
Handout: What Should the President Do? – Chart (1 per student)
Handout: What Should the President Do? – Scenarios (1 per student)
Resources and References:
• None identified
Advance Preparation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson.
Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson.
Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this lesson.
Preview available resources and websites according to district guidelines.
Download the two PowerPoint presentations related to this lesson.
Prepare materials and handouts as needed.
Background Information:
Understanding the Bureaucracy of Government: The Executive Branch and the Cabinet
“The purpose of the Cabinet is to advise the President on matters relating to the duties of their respective offices. As the
President's closest and most trusted advisors, members of the Cabinet attend weekly meetings with the President. The
Constitution does not directly mention a "Cabinet," but the Constitutional authority for a Cabinet is found in Article II,
Section 2. The Constitution states that the President "may require the opinion, in writing of the principle officer in each of
the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices." The Constitution does not
say which or how many executive departments should be created.
Who makes up the Cabinet?
©2013, TESCCC
04/19/13
page 2 of 8
U.S. Government
Social Studies
Unit: 05 Lesson: 03
The Cabinet traditionally includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments-the Secretaries of
Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and
Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, and the Attorney General.
Cabinet-level rank has also been given to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; the Director of the
Office of Management and Budget; the Director of the National Drug Control Policy; the Assistant to the President for
Homeland Security; and the U.S. Trade Representative.
When requested by the President, other officials are asked to attend these weekly meetings including, the President's
Chief of Staff, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, the
Counselor to the President, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Administrator of the Small
Business Administration, and the U.S. Representative to the United Nations.
How does one become a member of the Cabinet?
The 15 Secretaries from the executive departments are appointed by the President, and they must be confirmed by a
majority vote (51 votes) of the Senate. They cannot be a member of Congress or hold any other elected office. Cabinet
appointments are for the duration of the administration, but the President may dismiss any member at any time, without
approval of the Senate. In addition, they are expected to resign when a new President takes office.”
Text courtesy of the: Superintendent of Documents. (2007, February 1). The president's cabinet. Retrieved from
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/government/national/cabinet.html
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENT
Instructors are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners.
The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus
Document for this unit. Instructors are encouraged to create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab located at the top of the page.
All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
ENGAGE – Brainstorm and Scenarios
1. Facilitate a brainstorming exercise. Ask questions such as:
•
Have you made a crucial decision, such as the choice of
the college to attend?
•
Who did you turn to for advice?
•
Do you have a decision coming up?
•
Who will you go to for advice?
Note: 1 Day =50 minutes
Suggested Day 1 – 10 minutes
Attachments:
• Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Who
Should Help the President?
TEKS: G.1A; G.8B, G.8D, G.8G
2. Continue the discussion, applying the need for advice to the
President. Help conclude that it is often very important to hear
different points of view before making the final decision (i.e.,
parents, counselors, alumni).
•
The president makes countless important decisions
every day, and to help him/her make these decisions
various agencies, as well as a cabinet of advisors have
been created.
3. Show the Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Who Should Help the
President? This PowerPoint contains four scenarios. Discuss the
role of agencies in the executive branch (especially NASA,
OSHA, the FCC, the CIA, and the EPA).
4. Discuss information in the PowerPoint. Ask questions such as:
•
Why were these agencies created? What is their
function in the U.S. today?
©2013, TESCCC
04/19/13
page 3 of 8
U.S. Government
Social Studies
Unit: 05 Lesson: 03
Instructional Procedures
EXPLORE – Executive Departments and the Constitution
1. Students (in pairs or individually) search in the Constitution (refer
to the textbook or other source) to find the citation that validates
the creation of various executive departments and agencies to
carry out the duties of the executive branch. Answer: Article II,
Section 2 “He {the President} may require the Opinion, in writing,
of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments,
upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective
Offices…”
2. To begin to look at the role of the Cabinet, students speculate on
the number and type of cabinet positions that President
Washington might have needed to carry out executive duties in
1789.
• What kinds of problems was the new nation facing for
which Washington might have needed advice? Create a
list. Suggested responses might include maintaining the
army, negotiating trade agreements with foreign countries,
managing the nation’s money, paying the war debt,
enforcing new federal laws. (See the Instructional Note for
Washington’s first Cabinet officers.)
Notes for Teacher
Suggested Day 1 continued – 15 minutes
Materials:
• U.S. Constitution
• U.S. Constitution, Article II
Secretary of State
Thomas Jefferson, 1789
Edmund Randolph, 1794
Timothy Pickering, 1795
Secretary of the
Treasury
Alexander Hamilton, 1789
Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 1795
Secretary of War
Henry Knox, 1789
Timothy Pickering, 1795
James McHenry, 1796
Attorney General
(Justice Dept.)
Edmund Randolph, 1789
William Bradford, 1794
Charles Lee, 1795
Instructional Note:
Washington’s Cabinet
3. Ask questions such as:
• What factors explain the growth in the federal
bureaucracy from just a little over 2000 employees to
over 3 million employees since the creation of the
executive branch by the Constitution? Answers will vary,
but might include the growth of the size of the country and
its population, technological developments that require
supervision and assistance from the government, the
complexity of world relationships today, etc.
• What kinds of problems does the nation face today for
which the president might need advice? Students should
brainstorm the problems facing the country today and
speculate on a list of cabinet departments that the current
president would need in the executive branch.
EXPLAIN – Acrostic Poem
1. Based on the student’s understanding of bureaucracy, students
create an acrostic poem using the word:
B
U
R
E
A
U
C
R
A
C
Y
EXPLORE – President’s Cabinet
1. Show the Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: The President’s
Cabinet to introduce today’s Cabinet Departments.
©2013, TESCCC
04/19/13
Suggested Day 1 continued – 10 minutes
Instructional Note:
Explain to students that there is no right or wrong
answer, but that each of the letters should
include a word (or statement) that comes to mind
when explaining bureaucracy through an acrostic
poem.
Suggested Day 1 continued – 20 minutes
Attachments:
• Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: The
page 4 of 8
U.S. Government
Social Studies
Unit: 05 Lesson: 03
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
2. Distribute copies of the Handout: Worksheet on Cabinet
Departments.
•
3. Using the information in the PowerPoint and other resources like
their textbook, students complete the activity during the time
remaining in class using their textbooks and other online
resources. It may be finished for homework if time is short.
EXPLAIN – Perspective
1. Students draw a political cartoon that illustrates the increase in
members of the Cabinet. The perspective may be from one that is
against the growth in the number of cabinet members or in
support of the added members.
ELABORATE – Problem Solving
1. Tell students that today they are going to have the chance to
advise 6 different former Presidents who faced a problem
requiring that a decision be made in a time of crisis.
2. Display a copy of Handout: Choices on the Decision-Making
Spectrum.
3. Discuss how each step escalated actions and tensions. Explain
that most of the choices on the spectrum are related to foreign
policy. Also discuss the reality/practicality of the decision steps
including possible clever presidential decision-making by
providing a unique solution not necessarily in this decision model.
4. Display a copy of the graphic organizer Handout: For the
President’s Eyes Only.
5. Explain that the class will shortly be given the task of advising a
president on how to handle a crisis, and the organizer will be
used as an aid in considering alternatives available to the
president.
6. Demonstrate how the organizer might be used by a student in
making a decision.
7. Divide the class into 6 groups. Give each group one of the
presidential decision readings from Handout: The Crisis
Scenarios. Explain that these are actual challenges encountered
by past presidents.
•
President’s Cabinet
Handout: Worksheet on Cabinet
Departments (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Worksheet on Cabinet
Departments KEY
TEKS: G.8B, G.8D, G.8G
Suggested Day 2 – 10 minutes
TEKS: G.21D
Suggested Day 2 continued – 40 minutes
Materials:
• butcher paper
• markers
Attachments:
• Handout: Choices on the Decision-Making
Spectrum (class set or 1 per student)
• Handout: For the President’s Eyes Only (1
per student)
• Handout: The Crisis Scenarios (8 of each
scenario, with each scenario a different color)
• Handout: The Presidential Decisions (1 per
student)
TEKS: G.1F; G.4A, G.4B; G.6A, G.6B; G.8B,
G.8G
Instructional Note:
If your class is small, you may wish to eliminate
one of the crisis scenarios. Groups should ideally
have between 3 and 5 students in them.
IMPORTANT: Be sure to emphasize the due
date for this research and that it will be used
in an assignment on day 4.
8. Students read about their president’s problem and discuss
alternative solutions to solve it. They should refer to Handout:
Choices on the Decision-Making Spectrum for suggestions,
but they are not limited to those actions.
9. Monitor groups to help select alternatives.
10. Everyone in the group should fill in the graphic organizer outlining
three alternatives and three pros and three cons for doing each
alternative. Encourage innovative thinking that might not be along
the decision-making spectrum.
©2013, TESCCC
04/19/13
page 5 of 8
U.S. Government
Social Studies
Unit: 05 Lesson: 03
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
11. Provide butcher paper and markers for each group. They are to
draw a large copy of the graphic organizer on the butcher paper.
When they have completed their posters, display them on the wall
and ask each group to explain their crisis and what decision they
chose.
12. Compare student decisions with those actually made by the
Presidents. (See Handout: The Presidential Decisions.) You
may choose to give a copy of these decisions to each student.
13. Homework: Assign each student a Cabinet Department or one of
the four independent agencies from Day 1 (NASA, OSHA, FCC,
CIA, or EPA) to research. Include information on the date the
department/agency was created, its size, its responsibilities, any
current issues it is facing, and the qualifications/background of
the current head of the department/agency. This will be due at the
start of Day 4 of this lesson.
14. Inform students that this task is necessary in order for them
to complete the performance task in the Evaluate section of
Day 4.
EXPLORE – Succession
1. The Cabinet also has a significant role in preserving and
continuing the executive branch in times of emergency or crisis.
2. Students read the Teacher Resource: Amendment XXV in pairs
or individually. (See Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: The
President’s Cabinet – slide 5, which lists the fifteen departments
in the order of succession to the presidency after the vice
president, the Speaker of the House, and the President Protempore of the Senate)
Suggested Day 3 – 10 minutes
Materials
• Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: The
President’s Cabinet – slide 5
Attachments:
• Teacher Resource: Amendment XXV (1 per
student pair or 1 per student)
TEKS: G.8B
3. Facilitate a discussion with questions including:
• What happens if something occurs that prevents the
president from carrying out his duties (death while in
office, serious illness)?
• The language “the Vice President shall become President”
was inserted in the amendment to clarify language elsewhere
in the Constitution that said he shall “assume the duties” of
President.
• The amendment provides for filling a vacancy in the vice
presidency.
• The amendment is relatively new, coming from after
President Kennedy’s assassination. Lyndon Johnson served
almost half of Kennedy’s term without a Vice President. The
amendment was needed to assure the continuation of the
presidency.
• The amendment was applied when Richard Nixon’s vice
president, Spiro Agnew, resigned in 1973 when convicted of
tax fraud. Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as Vice President.
When Nixon himself resigned in 1974, Ford became
President and then named Nelson Rockefeller as Vice
President. The nation had a President and a Vice President,
neither of whom was elected by the people.
©2013, TESCCC
04/19/13
page 6 of 8
U.S. Government
Social Studies
Unit: 05 Lesson: 03
Instructional Procedures
4.
Notes for Teacher
Ask:
• What happens if a President cannot perform his duties,
either temporarily (as in recovering from an illness) or
permanently (as in a debilitating stroke)? How might a
President return to performing his duties? See sections 3
and 4 of the amendment.
• In the event the President and Vice President both die at the
same time, the order of succession then goes through the
Speaker of the House, the president pro tempore of the
Senate, and the Cabinet Departments in the order in which
they were created. For this reason, the President and Vice
President do not travel in the same car or plane. When the
President gives his State of the Union Message to a joint
session of Congress, all of the people on the succession list
are in the same room with him (along with the Supreme Court
and heads of the Armed Forces), with the exception of one
designated Cabinet secretary who remains behind in the
White House bunker.
EXPLAIN
1. Distribute copies of the Handout: Cabinet Department
Scenarios.
2. Students answer the questions posed on the handout. They
should refer the PowerPoint and their textbook if needed.
Suggested Day 3 continued – 10 minutes
Materials
• Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: The
President’s Cabinet – slide 5
Attachments:
• Handout: Cabinet Department Scenarios (1
per student)
• Teacher Resource: Cabinet Department
Scenarios KEY
TEKS: G.4A, G.4B; G.6A, G.6B; G.8B, G.8G
Instructional Note:
This activity may be done in pairs or by the class
as a whole.
This can be used as a formative assessment to
check student understanding of the material
presented so far.
ELABORATE
©2013, TESCCC
Suggested Day 3 continued – 30 minutes
04/19/13
page 7 of 8
U.S. Government
Social Studies
Unit: 05 Lesson: 03
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
1. Distribute:
• Handout: What Should the President Do? – Chart
• Handout: What Should the President Do? – Scenarios
Attachments:
• Handout: What Should the President Do? –
Chart
• Handout: What Should the President Do? –
Scenarios
2. Place students in small groups of 2-4. Groups should read the
scenarios and fill in the chart. Groups discuss their charts,
including information on decisions, Cabinet members’ roles,
advice, etc.
TEKS: G.4A, G.4B; G.6A, G.6B; G.8B, G.8G
3. Discuss and clarify as needed.
4. Remind students to bring to class the next day the
homework assignment they were given on Day 2 to research
a Cabinet Department. They will use the information gained
through their research to complete a performance indicator
assignment.
EVALUATE
1. Conduct a hypothetical interview with the head of a Cabinet
department or independent agency of the executive branch. In
your transcript of the interview, provide both questions and
answers covering when the department was created, size of the
department, responsibilities of the department, and current
issues. (G.8B, G.8D; G.20B)
ELPS: 5F; 5G
©2013, TESCCC
04/19/13
Suggested Day 4 – 50 minutes
TEKS: G.8B, G.8D; G.20B
page 8 of 8