Subjects: U.S. History, U.S. Government, Civics, Comparative
Governments
Grade Level(s): 8-12
Time Frame: 3, 50-minute periods
Objectives [What the student should know and be able
to do at the end of the lesson]:
1.0 Overall: The purpose of this lesson is for the
student to understand the sharing of powers between the Executive
and Legislative branches in the war-making power. Students
will also gain an insight into the events surrounding the declaration
of war in 1941 and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964.
Bloom's Taxonomy: CongressLink lesson plans are built
around Bloom's
taxonomy. The purpose of the taxonomy is to provide a coherent
format for lessons and to make it easier for teachers to design
them according to CongressLink's standards.
2.0 Knowledge: Locate those sections of the Constitution
that relate to war-making powers.
3.0 Understanding: Summarize the war-making powers
of each branch of government. Compare the war-making powers
of each branch. Describe the procedure for declaring war in
1941.
4.0 Application: How does the procedure followed in
1941 resemble or differ from that followed in 1964?
5.0 Analysis: What inferences can you make in the relationship
between Congress and the executive in making war? Based on
your reading of the "Summary of Leadership Meeting" document,
did Congress take a leading role in making war in 1964? Why
or why not? Was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution a declaration
of war? Can the president act alone in making war?
6.0 Synthesis: Compare/contrast the U.S. war-making
process to that of another nation. Construct a new, improved
process by which the U.S. would declare war.
7.0 Evaluation: What do you think would have happened
in 1964 in Congress had not passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
Is the war-making process balanced between the two branches
of government? If not, which branch possessed the greater power?
How might it be balanced?
Procedure/Sequence
Class 1:
Students will locate the relevant sections of the Constitution
related to war-making powers. They will individually compare
the powers of each and then share their findings with a partner.
The partners will summarize the war making powers of each
branch.
Day 1 readings:
U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8 and Article 2 Section
2;
FDR's
Message to Congress, December 8, 1941
War
Resolution, December 11, 1941
Class 2:
The partners will describe the procedure and sequence of events
followed in 1941 for declaring war. They will then compare/contrast
that procedure with the one followed in passing the Gulf
of Tonkin Resolution. Students will make inferences regarding
the relationship between the President and Congress in making
war. Students will compare the war-making process with that
of Great Britain. See www.uni-wuerzberg.de/law/uk00000_.html.
Day 2 readings: Gulf of Tonkin Packet. Great Britain's "Constitution."
Class 3:
Students will critique the current process for war making as
stated in the Constitution. Students will construct a new/improved
process through which the U.S. would declare war or take military
action.
Materials:
U.S.
Constitution (Article I, Section 8 and Article II, Section
2)
Franklin Roosevelt's Message to Congress, December 8, 1941
War Resolution, December 11, 1941
Summary of Congressional Leadership Meeting,
August 4, 1964
Lyndon Johnson's Message to the American
People, August 4, 1964
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, August 10, 1964
National Standards Addressed by Lesson [based on National
Standards for Civics and Government, Center for Civic Education,
1994. Citation based on section, subsection, standard of the
document]:
Section A - How are power and responsibility distributed,
shared, and limited in the government established by the
United States Constitution?
Content Standard 1 - Distributing governmental power and
preventing its abuse.
Section B - How is the national government organized and
what does it do?
Content Standard 1 - The institutions of the national government.
Content Standard 2 - Major responsibilities of the national
government in domestic and foreign policy.
Evaluation/Assessment: See http://www.congresslink.org/rubric/pdf
Author(s):
Stan Mendenhall
Broadmoor School
Pekin, IL 61554
Leadership Meeting Minutes, August
4, 1964
President Lyndon Johnson's Address
to the Nation, August 4, 1964
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Click here for
larger version)
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