Resources

• Article II primary source
  • AP version
  • Scaffolded version
• Responsibilities of the President Graphic Organizer
• Executive Branch Job Description Template
• Civic Virtues Handout

Anticipate

• Before the lesson, ask students to think about a job or career they want to pursue in the future. Have them write a brief job description for this position and a description of the person who would be successful in that role.

Engage

• To begin, have students share their job descriptions with a partner.
• Ask for volunteers to share their descriptions.
• Ask students to consider the job of the president. Ask, “How would you write a job description for this role? How would you describe the ideal candidate?”
• Have students discuss with a partner or in small groups.
• Lead a brief discussion on the major themes and patterns seen in student answers. Encourage students to differentiate the job responsibilities with the skills they would need to perform that responsibility.
• Transition to the next part of the lesson by asking, “In what Founding document would we look to find the actual job description of the president?”

Explore

• Have students review the Article II primary source to see how the Constitution outlines the role of the president. Note that there are two versions of the source.
• Review the main ideas of the source with your students. Encourage students to find the explicit responsibilities of the president in the source (Chief Executive, Chief Diplomat, and Commander-in-Chief), and have them consider how carrying out these responsibilities would require certain skills. For example, the president serves as Chief Diplomat (responsibility to appoint and receive ambassadors and make treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate). To appoint ambassadors and receive them, the president should have a good knowledge of world affairs. To work with the Senate, the president should be a good listener and negotiator. If students need additional support here, use the Responsibilities Graphic Organizer alongside the Article II primary source.

Reflection and Assessment

• Distribute the Job Description Template. Working individually or in pairs/small groups, have students create a posting for the president’s job.
• After students have finished their job description, have them respond to the following questions in their journals:
• What skills do you think are the most important for the president to have? Explain.
• What character traits or civic virtues are most important for the president? Explain.

Reflection and Assessment

• Distribute the Job Description Template. Working individually or in pairs/small groups, have students create a posting for the president’s job.
• After students have finished their job description, have them respond to the following questions in their journals:
• What skills do you think are the most important for the president to have? Explain.
• What character traits or civic virtues are most important for the president? Explain.

Extend

• Assign students a past president and have them, as that president, apply for one of the job postings created by the class. Students should be prepared to explain, in character to the class, why they are a good candidate for the position.