Gulfport High

Course: AP US Government and Politics                                                                                   

Unit Plan: The Executive Branch

This unit on the executive branch (which I taught to seniors in my two sections of U.S./VA Government) introduces students to the process by which law and policy are enacted and enforced. Over the course of these lessons, students explore the purpose, structure, influences, and limits of the executive branch by examining both the powers and the players involved. Though a series of activities designed to activate prior knowledge and construct further understanding, students learn about presidential powers, the individuals and agencies who exercise executive power (including the Vice President, White House Office, and the Federal Bureaucracy), and finally the evolution of and limits on the executive branch. Using concrete and contemporary examples to enhance their study, students build connections between content material and current events, thereby furthering their understanding of the executive branch’s importance.

• Weekly Assignments and Due Dates: Test Friday. All podcasts and online quizzes due Friday.