Just Do It:

On your notes handout, please explain who

is your favorite US President, and elaborate
on why you feel this way. Are there certain
characteristics or actions which swayed
you to pick this person?
Picking the Perfect
Presidential Candidate
Erin Dreelin and Brian Odenwald
Historical Methods EDCI 5724
Guiding Question:

What characteristics,
attributes, and actions shape
the ideal presidential
candidate?
Standards Addressed:
VA DOE CE. 3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of citizenship
and the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens
VA DOE CE.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of personal
character traits that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation
in civic life

NCSS Standard #2: Time, Continuity, and Change

NCSS Standard #3: People, Places, and Environments
NCSS Standard #5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
NCSS Standard #6: Power Authority and Governance
NCSS Standard #10: Civic Ideals and Practices
Lesson Objectives
Identify the powers and responsibilities of the
President, as outlined in the U.S. Constitution
Recognize alternative expectations and roles of
presidential candidates
Explore the role that presidential campaigns play
in shaping the image of a candidate
Design a unique presidential candidate
The Roles, Requirements,
and Responsibilities of the
US Presidency

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Seal_of_the_President_of_the_United_States.svg/2000px-Seal_of_the_President_of_the_United_States.svg.png
Where do we find this information?
An entire breakdown of the
expectations, roles, and
requirements of the executive
branch can be found in Article
II of the US Constitution. The
rest of the articles (there are
seven total!) deal with different
aspects of the US government. http://static.wixstatic.com/media/888310_40006bf856fa4889a
769e8d5541e98d4.jpg

In a sense, the Constitution

acts as a set of guidelines for
So what does Article II say?
Article II begins by stating the the President of the
United States will act as the head of the executive
branch
The President will serve a four year term, with the
opportunity for re-election once (therefore, at most, a
President can serve for eight years total).
Additionally, should something bad happen to the US
President (resignation, death, impeachment, you
name it), the Vice President will take over the position
of the presidency.
Requirements of the Presidency
- Must be at least 35 years old (our youngest
president ever was 43 years old when elected
can you guess who it was?)
- A natural born citizen
- Must live in the United States for at least 14 years
Roles of the President
Commander in Chief of the US Military
Power to make treaties*
Appoints foreign ambassadors, ministers, and
Supreme Court Justices*
Grants reprieves and pardons except for cases of
impeachment
* indicates a check/balance from another branch
(Can you name which branch/office and what
Expectations of the President
Provide an annual State of the Union
Address
Take an oath of office
Uphold the law faithfully
Can be impeached if found guilty of high
crimes, treason, bribery, or other bad
behavior
Class Discussion
Beyond the text of the Constitution, what are the other expectations
and roles of the presidency?

Consider questions such as:

Should a presidential candidate be tech savvy and actively shape

their public image?

Is having a family a modern expectation of a presidential candidate?

Does a presidential candidate have to be religious?

Does the President play peace-keeper between both parties?

How do presidential candidates interact with media?

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2632886.1462976353!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_750/instagram12n-1-web.jpg
https://cdn3.iconfinder.com/data/icons/social-icons-5/607/Twitterbird.png
Activity Time - Instructions
Move into the following groups

Group 1 (Caitlin, Daniel, Maggie M)

Group 2 (Maggie C, Patricia, Mason)

Await further instructions

Activity Time: Designing the Perfect
Candidate
Its time to put what youve learned about the presidency to good work,
and design your ideal candidate! On the paper provided, depict what
you think our next President should look like. After drawing them, make
sure to write down some small details, like:

How old are they?

Where are they from? Are they wealthy, or can they relate to the
middle/lower classes?

What kind of experience do they have ( are they in business? Do they

have a strong military background? Are they hip to social media
sites like Twitter and Facebook?)

Do they have a family, and if so, what does it look like?

Bringing it Together
What similarities appeared between your candidates?
What differences?
In what areas do we seem to hold expectations about
being a candidate (family, background, wealth, etc)?
What can we take away from these depictions?
Do we hold higher expectations for presidential
candidates than those outlined in article II of the US
Constitution?
Thats a Wrap / Exit Slip

On your half sheet of paper,

answer the following question
in one or two sentences: What
characteristics, attributes, and
actions shape the ideal
presidential candidate?