Evaluate President Bush's first year in office

 

President George W. Bush

Overview: What grade would you give President George W. Bush at the end of his first year in office? Learn more about the different roles of a U.S. president and evaluate Mr. Bush's performance during his first year in office in each category. Use the article and lesson plan to have students determine if their of opinions of Bush have changed in light of the events in the past year.

Curriculum connections: Government, U.S. History, Media Literacy, Current Events

Objectives
Students will be able to:

• Identify the roles of the U.S. president and their functions.
• Evaluate President George W. Bush's performance during his first year in office.

Standards
National Council for the Social Studies
VI. Power, Authority and Governance, grades nine -12
High school students study the various systems that have been developed over the centuries to allocate and employ power and authority in the governing process. Students should have opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in understanding the various levels of power, authority and governance.

Materials
CNNfyi.com article
"Bush’s mettle tested in freshman year"
Internet access
Government textbooks

Suggested time
Article and questions only: 30 minutes
Full lesson plan: Two to three classroom periods

Procedure
1. As students enter the class, have them create a list of what they feel are the most important roles of the president. Then ask: What are some events that have taken place this year that illustrate some of those roles?
2.Have students read the CNNfyi.com article"Bush’s mettle tested in freshman year", and ask the following:

• Share the quote by John F. Kennedy "Great crises produce great men and great deeds of courage." How do you think this quote might be applicable to President Bush? Do you the events on September 11 "produced" a great man? Why or why not?

• How is the term "bipartisan" defined? Why is it significant that Mr. Bush's speech after the terrorist attacks was met with bipartisan praise? Why were many Democrats upset after the presidential election? What were some examples given in the article of Congress' support of Bush? How did Bush handle the situation in China?

3. Point out to the students that many political scientists see the U.S. President as having six basic roles: chief of state, chief executive, commander in chief , chief diplomat,chief legislator and political party leader. Direct students to use their textbooks and online resources to learn more about the specific functions of each role, and other roles the president might have Students might want to create a T-chart of each role and the its specific functions. Then ask: Can you think of any instances in which these roles might overlap? What do you think is the most important role of the president? Why do you think that role is so important?
4. Have each student create a progress report for President Bush's first year in office. Refer students to Article II of the U.S. Constitution.to investigate the power given to the president. Have students evaluate Mr. Bush's "performance" in each of the six roles listed above. Have students use information about the events given in the article and the following guidelines to determine the grade for each category:

• Determine the nature of the decision and surrounding circumstances at the time it was made.
• List other choices and alternatives that were available at the time.
• Determine the risks and the benefits of each alternative.
• Analyze the results of the president's decision.

Assessment
Have students write brief essays answering the following: "Has your opinion of President Bush changed since he came into office? If so, why did it change? If not, why has it stayed the same?"

Challenge
Students can make a list of ten executive orders or agreements made during Bush's first year as President. Direct students to list the public response and consequences of these orders or agreements. Have students present their findings to the class.