Wednesday, 11/30

Framing/Objectives for today
Today we are going to dive into the 3 branches of the government and look specifically at the President's powers during wartime.  This is important to understand in order to evaluate past and present Presidential decisions during times of war and to ensure they're acting within the bounds of the Constitution!

Starter 35: 

• What do you know about the 3 branches of the US government?   What are they? What are their main powers? How do they check each other? 
• Some comic relief (How does this Onion article satirize Congress? What societal attitudes might it reflect?)

Agenda
We'll watch this Crash Course on US History about the Three Branches of Government. You should take notes in the table on page 5 (Unit 1, Part 2).

Complete the second half of page 5!

1. After we watch a Saturday Night Live skit on Obama’s Executive Order regarding illegal  immigration, jot down your ideas on what an executive order is.  Does it seem like it violates the separation of powers our 3 branches of government are designed to protect?
2. Add more notes that add to your understanding of executive orders from the youtube video, “What are Executive Orders”

Unit 1, Part 4: Presidential Powers During Wartime (Pages 6-11)

1. Read the introduction on the top of page 6 and then complete the table at the bottom of the page
2. We'll share out answers to compare. Continue to add to your chart and then answer Question #2 on page 7.
3. Examine the excerpts from the U.S. Constitution (listed on page 9 of your notebook) regarding the powers of the president and legislature in war (located on the next page of this notebook) and answer the questions listed under #3 on page 7.
4. What powers should the president really have during wartime? While the U.S. Constitution may appear clear in the way it divides power, in practice, there have been questions over whether presidential actions in wartime were constitutional. You will read about three Supreme Court cases in this vein, located on the next page of this notebook. 
   • You will be assigned situation #1, 2 or 3 described on pages 10 and 11 of this notebook.  Read the question on the first page for your situation and then read the full summary on the second page.  Discuss your reactions as a group. Then, in the space provided on page 8, individually write a detailed response explaining your answer to the question posed on the first page pertaining to your assigned Supreme Court case/situation.
5. Share your ideas with a new group!  Summarize your “situation” and explain your personal response to the question.  Should the president have the power in wartime to do as he did with your situation?
6. Debrief as whole class
   

Homework:  Continue Zinn/Schweitzer reading and response.  If you didn't finish today's work, be sure to have completed pages 5-8 in the notebook.