On Jan. 20, within the end result of a unprecedented political comeback, Donald J. Trump was formally sworn in as president of the USA for a second time. Mr. Trump’s return comes 4 years after being voted out of workplace and being impeached for attempting to overturn that election.
Inside hours of taking the oath of workplace, he had signed dozens of govt orders and issued almost 1,600 pardons. His actions touched on a number of the greatest coverage points in American life, together with well being, the setting and immigration. Mr. Trump additionally promised different consequential modifications within the coming days.
This lesson plan gives college students with a option to sustain with the flurry of bulletins and to trace, analyze and critically assess Mr. Trump’s ambitions to remake America and usher in what he calls a brand new “golden age.”
As a warm-up exercise, college students share their hopes and fears concerning the new presidency. Then, they give attention to one subject that Mr. Trump has addressed and observe it over the approaching weeks. To go additional, we encourage college students to write down an open letter about a problem they care about and submit it to our contest this spring.
What are your hopes and fears for President Trump’s second time period? Why?
Spend a while answering that query. You could freewrite, create a two-column listing, construct a mindmap or use another methodology that helps you brainstorm.
For those who want extra info earlier than answering, you may watch the video embedded above with highlights from Mr. Trump’s inaugural handle, learn his speech in full or learn this information evaluation from The Instances about his first hours in workplace.
After you’re completed, it’s possible you’ll need to briefly talk about your ideas, emotions and concepts with a companion or your class.
Then, if you need, go additional by responding to our associated scholar discussion board and studying what different youngsters needed to say.
Exercise
In a barrage of govt orders, Mr. Tump signaled a pointy reversal from present insurance policies on points together with immigration, the setting and variety initiatives.
Right here is a few of what he has mentioned or performed within the first hours of his presidency:
Half I: Choose one in all these points — or select one other from this listing of govt orders — and dig deeper to learn the way the Trump presidency will have an effect on it. Listed below are questions to handle now:
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What’s the subject, why does it matter to you, and what’s at stake for the nation and the world?
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What has Mr. Trump mentioned he would do — or what has he already performed — about this subject?
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How are you aware? What sources are you utilizing to get your info?
Half II: Over the subsequent few weeks and months, hold observe of what’s going on with this subject and share your reactions and questions:
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What actions has the Trump administration taken, what has been the influence and what obstacles or pushback has it confronted?
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Are you happy or essential of the outcomes? How would you’ve gotten dealt with the problem in a different way?
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What questions do you continue to have?
Going Additional
1. Mirror on what you’ve gotten realized.
Think about these questions, whether or not in writing or dialogue along with your class:
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What have you ever realized about how the federal government works? How a lot energy does the workplace of the presidency have? What checks and balances are in place, and the way effectively do they work?
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How a lot impact can unusual individuals have on these points, whether or not on a nationwide or native degree? How are you aware?
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What questions got here up as you adopted the problem? What predictions are you able to make about its future?
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How do Mr. Trump’s actions measure as much as what he mentioned he would do? What grade would you give him?
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Return to the hopes and fears you wrote about firstly of the lesson. Have they modified? If that’s the case, how or why? What are you pondering or feeling about Mr. Trump’s second time period?
2. Write an open letter.
In our Open Letters Contest, which runs from March 12 to April 16, we invite college students to write down public-facing letters to individuals or teams about points that matter to them. For those who really feel strongly concerning the subject you tracked for this exercise, then think about submitting to our contest. Consider carefully about to whom you need to handle your letter — whether or not it’s the president, a member of Congress, somebody concerned within the subject or who it impacts, or anybody else — and the way you need that individual or group to take motion.
Discover extra lesson plans and educating concepts right here.
