NCSS.D2.Civ.1.3-5. Distinguish the responsibilities and powers of government officials at various levels and branches of government and in different times and places.

NCSS.D2.Civ.3.3-5. Examine the origins and purposes of rules, laws, and key U.S. constitutional provisions.

NCSS.D2.Civ.5.3-5. Explain the origins, functions, and structure of different systems of government, including those created by the U.S. and state constitutions.

NCSS.D2.Civ.8.3-5. Identify core civic virtues and democratic principles that guide government, society, and communities.

NCSS.D3.3.3-5. Identify evidence that draws information from multiple sources in response to compelling questions. D3.4.3-5. Use evidence to develop claims in response to compelling questions.

For background information about the three branches of government and how the president's role fits in, you may want to review this page at Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government.

Background Information

The major functions of the three branches of our government:

Legislative—make laws (decide on rules for people to live by in our country)

Example: The Congress passed a law stating that all American children are entitled to a free quality education.

Executive—implement laws (plan how to carry out rules and make sure people follow them)

Example: The president and the Department of Education make a plan to ensure that all children in this country have equal opportunities to learn how to read, write, and do math.

Judicial—interpret laws (make decisions when people disagree about what laws mean)

Example: The Supreme Court decided in 1954 that it is illegal to keep a student from attending a public school because of race. At the time, there were separate schools for whites and blacks, but the Court determined that this was not fair because having separate schools resulted in unequal opportunities for children to learn.

In preparation for Lesson 1, you may want to familiarize yourself with roles and responsibilities associated with the American presidency.

The president's principal roles

• Approve federal laws (bills) created by Congress (Senate and House of Representatives), which is the legislative branch of government
• Lead the nation's people, making sure citizens obey the laws and setting priorities for the country, including helping the Congress decide how the budget is spent
• Manage the government, making sure that decisions and programs are being carried out effectively, with the help of the vice president and appointed cabinet members who head different departments (agriculture, commerce, defense, education, energy, health and human services, housing and urban development, interior, justice, labor, state, transportation, treasury, veterans affairs)
• Represent the U.S. in meetings with leaders of other countries, including signing treaties and other agreements (with approval from Congress) on behalf of the U.S.
• Command the U.S. military, including declaring war (with approval from Congress)

For more information, visit the following webpages:

• The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden, Activities page
• The current presidential cabinet

Drawing upon these sources, make a list of presidential roles for the class. Prepare to discuss these roles with your students, including examples of tasks related to each role.

In preparation for Lesson 2, you may want to review "Communicating the Presidency" from The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden, which provides background information about how the president has communicated with the public throughout history. You should also consult the "Children Write to the President" activity from The American Presidency.

You may also want to review the stages of the writing process with the students:

Prewriting—planning what you will write

Drafting—writing the first copy without worrying too much about how good it is

Revising—making changes in words and sentences to improve your writing so that people will understand what you want to say

Editing—fixing punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar, and usage to make sure that your writing clearly and correctly communicates your thoughts

Publishing—writing a final copy that looks finished

Activity 1. How does someone become President of the United States?

Begin by reviewing the three branches of U.S. government: executive, legislative, and judicial. You may want to consult this section of Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government to give students a context for discussing the role of the president.

Ask students what they know about the official requirements someone must fulfill in order to be President of the United States. According to the U.S. Constitution:

"No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."

—Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States

Students can then consider what the unofficial requirements are for someone to become President. The question "What should someone who wants to be President do, say, or believe?" Student responses will reveal values and contribute to the point that despite only three official requirements for someone to be President, the unofficial requirements tend to be more important when it comes to who runs and who is elected. 

Activity 2. Understanding the President's Job: The Role of the President

What does the POTUS do? They can give general descriptions (e.g., represent our country internationally as chief diplomat) or specific examples (e.g., meet with leaders of other countries to decide what to do about terrorism). Write down the ideas for all to see. If possible, group related ideas into a concept map with "The President's Job" in the center as the main idea, different roles at the next level, and then specific tasks for each role. Alternatively, make a two-column chart with roles and associated sample tasks. After determining what students know, provide the official requirements listed within the U.S. Constitution

"The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he 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, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session."

—Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States

After identifying the official responsibilities of the President, students can discuss if they think this section of the Constitution should be amended (updated) to better reflect the current nature of the job. Providing examples of sample presidential roles may prove helpful in stirring conversation:

• Visit a school and talk about a new education bill
• Call the Prime Minister of India to discuss trade between India and the U.S.
• Meet with Congress about how to spend Americans' tax money
• Sign a Congressional bill that helps to protect people's civil rights and prevent discrimination
• Meet with advisors to discuss U.S. foreign policy
• Meet with the President of Brazil to discuss how Brazil and the U.S. can work together to improve life for people in both countries
• Present the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy to the U.S. Air Force Academy
• Make a speech about the importance of ensuring that senior citizens can get the medicine they need through Medicare

This video provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the President of the United States, including the major seven: 

• Chief of State
• Chief Executive
• Chief Diplomat
• Commander-In-Chief
• Legislative Leader
• Chief of Party
• Guardian of the Economy

Activity 3. President for a Day

You can access an overview of the President's daily schedule at the White House Press Briefings page and use these current examples to discuss events in the news and extend the list of presidential responsibilities. 

With the class, work through the interactive online activity "President for a Day!" from The PBS Kids Democracy Project. This is a simulation of a typical day on the job as president, in which students make choices about which duties to perform. Ask students to identify the kinds of people they would want to meet with, the topics they would want to discuss, and other goals they would want to accomplish if they were President for the Day. Students should use the above seven roles as a guideline for determining what to prioritize as they create their own schedule for their day as President. 

Students can compare what they designed with their classmates to see what they want to accomplish, the similarities and differences in their schedules, and whether they understand the seven roles of a President. 

Provide students with the list of specific examples of Presidential roles above or create a new one based on current events that students use to match the correct role of the President with the correct example.

• Students who are writing can write brief biographies or create multimedia slide shows or Web sites about selected presidents. The Selected EDSITEment Websites listed below provide excellent resource material. Students can work in small groups or individually.
  • Each student can make a page for a book of presidents, with a picture, basic facts, and a completed sentence that reads, "President ______ is remembered for…"
  • Groups of students can make simple multimedia slide shows on different presidents, including a picture, basic facts, and major accomplishments, with each student creating one slide.
  • Each student can take on the persona of a particular president and give a speech to the class, focusing on key facts, issues, and accomplishments from his presidency.

Other Extension Activities

• In small groups, students can dramatize "A Day in the Life of the President" based on what they have learned in this lesson.
• Help kids understand how the government affects their lives through The PBS Kids Democracy Project.
• You can play a matching game with young students about children who grew up in the White House at the Activities page of The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden. (See "All the President's Children.")