Students will learn about the executive branch, including the unique role and powers of the president and the function of executive departments and agencies. They will explore key facets of foreign policy and the president’s role in it.
View our Constitution Explained video series for short-form videos to share with students about the executive and other branches of government.
Sign up to save to your favorites
Explore resources in this unit
President Jefferson usually gets the credit for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which doubled the size of the young nation. But this ignores one important actor, the U.S. Congress.…
When President Eisenhower authorized troops under federal authority to desegregate Little Rock Central High School in 1957, he became the first president since Reconstruction to…
This lesson plan teaches the fundamentals of Supreme Court Justice nominations and helps students understand the politics behind the nominations. It challenges students to cut…
President Jefferson usually gets the credit for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which doubled the size of the young nation. But this ignores one important actor, the U.S. Congress.…
In this lesson, students learn to use reputable news sources to investigate social media posts about the executive branch.
It can be hard to determine what is a reliable source and what’s fake news. In this lesson, students learn the importance of avoiding clickbait.
Order up! What the president says goes. or does it? Discover what executive orders are, how they work, and what they can be used for, and how they are limited.
The president’s job is clearly defined, but what is the role of the First Lady and how has it evolved over time? In this WebQuest, students learn how first spouses have contributed to the leadership of the country.
President Jefferson usually gets the credit for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which doubled the size of the young nation. But this ignores one important actor, the U.S. Congress.…
When President Eisenhower authorized troops under federal authority to desegregate Little Rock Central High School in 1957, he became the first president since Reconstruction to…
This lesson plan teaches the fundamentals of Supreme Court Justice nominations and helps students understand the politics behind the nominations. It challenges students to cut…
President Jefferson usually gets the credit for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which doubled the size of the young nation. But this ignores one important actor, the U.S. Congress.…
In this lesson, students learn to use reputable news sources to investigate social media posts about the executive branch.
It can be hard to determine what is a reliable source and what’s fake news. In this lesson, students learn the importance of avoiding clickbait.
Order up! What the president says goes. or does it? Discover what executive orders are, how they work, and what they can be used for, and how they are limited.
Everything changes over time. The presidency is no exception. In this lesson, students look at the Framers’ original vision for the presidency and explore how the role has expanded…
Whether you enjoy finding opportunities within a well-structured sequence of resources or prefer looking around for pieces and bits that can be jigsawed together, our Scope & Sequence documents are a perfect reference point for planning. Scope & Sequence documents are available for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and list all of our resources in one place.
