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Overview

This two-day lesson plan explores the executive branch of the U.S. government using a real historical example from President Gerald Ford’s daily diary. The lesson integrates TCI’s Government Alive! curriculum with Common Core College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS). It features active student engagement, critical analysis, collaborative activities, and real-world applications to deepen understanding of the president’s roles, responsibilities, and leadership qualities.

Grade: 11
Duration: 2 sessions (approx. 119 minutes total; 60 min Day 1 and 59 min Day 2)
Class Size: 20 students
Standards Aligned:

• CCRS Reading for Literacy in History/Social Studies: R.HS.1 - R.HS.3, R.HS.7
• CCRS Speaking and Listening: SL.HS.1, SL.HS.4
• CCRS Writing: WHS.2, WHS.4
• TCI Government Alive! Unit Standard connections

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this two-day lesson, students will be able to:

• Evaluate the daily responsibilities and roles of the U.S. president with attention to executive functions (CCRS R.HS.1, R.HS.3).
• Use primary sources (Gerald Ford’s diary excerpt) to analyze leadership decisions during a critical historical event (CCRS R.HS.7).
• Explain the structure and functions of the executive branch, including the bureaucracy (CCRS R.HS.2).
• Collaborate and discuss real-world implications of presidential decision making (CCRS SL.HS.1, SL.HS.4).
• Write a concise argumentative paragraph on the qualities most essential for an effective president (CCRS WHS.2, WHS.4).

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Day 1: The President’s Daily Work - Reality & Roles

Duration: 60 minutes

Materials

• Excerpt from Gerald Ford’s April 28, 1975 diary (provided)
• Whiteboard/Smartboard
• Projector
• Student notebooks
• Reading Check quiz (multiple choice)
• “President’s Roles” graphic organizer handout

Activities

1. Warm-Up: What Does a President Do? (10 minutes)

• Prompt students to brainstorm answers to: “What tasks do you think the president does every day?”
• Capture answers on board, categorizing routine vs. crisis duties.
• Connect responses to introduction text provided from Ford’s day.

2. Primary Source Close Reading: Ford’s Diary (15 minutes)

• Students read/examine the diary excerpt silently.
• Provide guiding questions for annotations focusing on responsibilities, leadership qualities, and crisis management.
• Model annotation on projected text for students who need support.

3. Small Group Discussion (15 minutes)

• Groups of 4 respond to these questions:
  1. What observations can you make about the president’s schedule on this day?
  2. Why might the president’s appointments be so diverse in nature?
  3. What roles and responsibilities emerge from the diary?
  4. What leadership qualities do you infer President Ford needed on this day?
• Groups record key points on a graphic organizer.

4. Class Sharing & Teacher-Led Debrief (15 minutes)

• Each group shares one answer per question.
• Teacher facilitates synthesis, filling any gaps with key information about presidential powers, executive authority, and the importance of decision-making amid crisis (link to Vietnam evacuation).
• Administer quick Reading Check quiz (5 minutes) based on multiple-choice question provided in instructions (Reading Check) to reinforce understanding and recall.

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Day 2: Bureaucracies and Leadership in Action

Duration: 59 minutes

Materials

• “Executive Branch Role Cards” (e.g., Commander in Chief, Chief Diplomat, Chief Legislator, Head of State)
• Chart paper or digital collaboration tool
• Video excerpt on U.S. Bureaucracy (5 min clip)
• Writing prompt handout

Activities

1. Review and Connect (10 minutes)

• Begin with a quick recap quiz/game using the previous day’s themes (e.g., Kahoot, Quiz-Quiz-Trade).
• Ask: What are the main executive branch roles? How do those roles intersect with real-world events like Ford’s day?

2. Bureaucracy Video & Discussion (15 minutes)

• Show a short curated video explaining the role of federal bureaucracy under the executive branch.
• Follow with a think-pair-share discussion on why bureaucracy is essential for effective governance and how it supports presidential decisions.

3. Role Card Activity: Executive Branch Simulation (20 minutes)

• Assign each student or pairs of students an executive role or department (e.g., Secretary of Defense, Press Secretary).
• Present a new “crisis scenario”—a mix of domestic and international issues requiring executive branch action.
• Students work collaboratively to strategize how their role would contribute to solving the crisis. Encourage referencing the qualities discussed on Day 1.
• Share solutions with class, highlighting cooperation and executive tasks.

4. Written Reflection: Leadership Qualities (14 minutes)

• Students write a 1-paragraph response:
  “Based on the daily life of President Ford and today’s activities, which leadership qualities are most important for a president to have? Use evidence from the diary, your role-play, and class discussions.”
• Collect these to assess understanding and writing skills.

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Assessment & Evaluation

• Formative:

  • Participation in group discussions and role-play.
  • Reading Check quiz on Day 1.
  • Observation during think-pair-share and debriefs.

• Summative:

  • Written paragraph from Day 2 assessed for content accuracy, use of evidence, and clarity (aligned to CCRS WHS.2, WHS.4).

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Differentiation Strategies

• Pre-teach vocabulary (e.g., bureaucracy, executive order) using visuals and student-friendly language.
• Provide graphic organizers and sentence starters for writing tasks.
• Allow alternative formats for participation (oral response instead of writing if needed).

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Real-World Application & Engagement

• Connect the responsibilities discussed to current events involving the president or executive agencies.
• Challenge students to track presidential news over the next week and identify comparable roles, decisions, or crises.
• Encourage students to think critically about leadership and governance in their own community — what qualities make a good leader locally or nationally?

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This lesson plan captures critical content alignment with Common Core standards and integrates multiple engagement modes to foster deep learning and application. It is designed to impress educators looking for rigorous, authentic, and memorable classroom experiences around the executive branch.