Summary
This lesson can be taught as an extension activity to the National Government Unit or with the Executive Branch Unit. After the class has reviewed the rolls of the President and his relationship with his cabinet through delegation in executing the laws, the students can use this lesson to further explore the function of the cabinet. Students are asked to group themselves in pairs or groups of three. One member of their group will need to select the name of a department, randomly from a container and may trade if they do not find it to their interest. After researching the cabinet and learning about their current goals, the students will need to prepare a short movie that will act as a progress report for the President on what they’ve been working with currently and make a persuasive argument on why this goal should receive continued or additional funding.
TIPC Ratings
Students created their own inquiring questions relating to the cabinet position chosen by their group. They researched the current goals of their cabinet position and created a movie that reflected why this cabinet should or should not continue to receive funding for their goals. A cabinet-specific website was provided as guidance. However, students were also instructed to use other online sources and the research skills they were taught during their grade level enrichment sessions, to further their research of their chosen cabinet position and to defend and justify their persuasive argument.
Students worked in self-selected groups of 2 or 3 according to their interest in a particular Cabinet position. They established norms and roles for each person in their group in order to complete the assignment. Each person contributed to the final product. Each group had to determine which digital tool would be the most appropriate to deliver their message. Each final product was presented to the class.
Each group selected the cabinet position of their choice to research. Each group created their own questions to help determine the purpose and goals of their cabinet position. As a result of their research they had to create a persuasive argument defending their research with the goal of persuading the U.S. to continue current funding, increase current funding and support for their Cabinet position. This research was incorporated into their final product.
Each group created a product using Windows Movie Maker and reflecting their research. This movie incorporated the questions they created and the research they conducted about their particular cabinet position. This movie had to support their persuasive argument reflecting the goals of their chosen cabinet position.
Student Artifact
Student Sample Department of Transportation from HCPS Instructional Technology on Vimeo.
