Subjects
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only |
Social Studies and History
--U.S. History
--Civics
Current Events
Grade
6-12
Brief Description
Students learn about, then teach classmates about, presidential term limits and factors influencing presidents’ time in office.
Objectives
Students will:
Keywords
President, term limits, current events, election, history
Materials Needed
Lesson Plan
Provide an introduction by explaining to students that thanks to a relatively recent amendment to the Constitution (the 22nd amendment, ratified in 1951), a person can serve as president of the United States for a total of no more than eight years, or two four-year terms. Many disagree with this amendment, and attempts have been made to repeal it. Prior to 1951, extenuating circumstances led to several unusually long or short presidential terms, resulting in a surprisingly small number of presidents who actually have served a strict two terms.
This lesson uses the jigsaw method to help students process information regarding presidential terms and term limits. The jigsaw method lets students take ownership of their learning by asking them to share acquired knowledge with classmates. Students start in a “home group” responsible for learning an assigned portion of a task. Then the teacher re-organizes students so that each member of each new “jigsaw” group represents a different home group.
First, divide students into five home groups. Task each of the five home groups with researching presidents who fall into one of the following categories:
Group 1 – Less than one term
Group 2 – One complete term
Group 3 – More than one term but less than two terms
Group 4 – Two complete terms
Group 5 – More than two terms
Each group will be responsible for answering the following questions using Internet sources. The official White House Web site offers a thorough list of presidents, complete with a bio of each. In addition, students can use the following sources to learn about presidential term limits, including arguments for and against them:
Each home group member should take notes so that s/he is prepared to convey the information to a new group.
Support students as they are doing their Internet research and ensure that they are retrieving relevant information.
After the students have researched and discussed and recorded their answers to the above questions, re-organize them into jigsaw groups. In their new groups, give each student three minutes to tell the other group members about the presidents they researched as well as the information they collected. Also, have the groups share their thoughts and opinions regarding current term-limit laws.
As jigsaw groups are working together, circulate to provide support, provoke deep discussion and ensure that groups complete their intended work.
To wrap up, ask a spokesperson from each group to give a brief presentation that addresses two points:
Assessment
Evaluate student participation in terms of the following:
Submitted By
Jason Tomaszewski, EducationWorld Associate Editor
National Standards
Social Studies and History
U.S. History
Grades 5-12
NSS-USH.5-12.3 Era 3: Revolution and the New Nation
NSS-USH.5-12.4 Era 4: Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
NSS-USH.5-12.5 Era 5: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
NSS-USH.5-12.6 Era 6: The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
NSS-USH.5-12.7 Era 7: The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
NSS-USH.5-12.8 Era 8: The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
NSS-USH.5-12.9 Era 9: Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
NSS-USH.9-12.10 Era 10: Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
Civics
Grades 5-8
NSS-C.5-8.1 Civic Life, Politics and Government
NSS-C.5-8.2 Foundations of the Political System
NSS-C.5-8.3 Principles of Democracy
Resource Page: Primaries, Voting and Elections
Presidents’ Day Resource Page
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