Kelly's Class

This lesson allows students to apply their knowledge of checks and balances, and separation of powers, to recent events in the terms of our two most recent presidents (Obama and Trump). 5 sets of current events are summarized for students, and students must answer the accompanying questions on the worksheet for each event, This can be made into an entire packet, or the events can be scattered around a large classroom or hallway with pictures for a more station-like activity.

A simple worksheet to accompany the "The Basics of Executive Orders" powerpoint. Using this sheet, students will independently research an executive order from either President Barack Obama or President Trump. Then, students will find two other students who researched two different executive orders to share with for the second page. Great activity for if students need a day of something a little less structured, or if you want students to practice their academic research skills.

When teaching my students the complexities and dramatics that a Supreme Court nominee must go through, I used recent Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch as an example using this text set including a political cartoon, tweet, an image and news articles. This also includes the comparisons many make between Neil Gorsuch and the late Antonin Scalia, which students can assess for themselves is positive or negative. To make the most of this resource, I would provide background information about the la