On Jan. 20, within the fruits of a rare political comeback, Donald J. Trump was formally sworn in as president of america for a second time. Mr. Trump’s return comes 4 years after being voted out of workplace and being impeached for making an attempt to overturn that election.
Inside hours of taking the oath of workplace, he had signed dozens of government orders and issued almost 1,600 pardons. His actions touched on a few of the largest coverage points in American life, together with well being, the surroundings and immigration. Mr. Trump additionally promised different consequential adjustments within the coming days.
This lesson plan offers college students with a solution 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 deal with one problem that Mr. Trump has addressed and monitor it over the approaching weeks. To go additional, we encourage college students to put in writing an open letter about a difficulty 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 record, construct a mindmap or use every other technique that helps you brainstorm.
When you want extra info earlier than answering, you’ll be able to 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, chances are you’ll wish to briefly focus on your ideas, emotions and concepts with a accomplice or your class.
Then, if you want, go additional by responding to our associated pupil discussion board and studying what different youngsters needed to say.
Exercise
In a barrage of government orders, Mr. Tump signaled a pointy reversal from current insurance policies on points together with immigration, the surroundings and variety initiatives.
Right here is a few of what he has stated or finished within the first hours of his presidency:
Half I: Choose one in every of these points — or select one other from this record of government orders — and dig deeper to learn the way the Trump presidency will have an effect on it. Listed below are questions to deal with now:
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What’s the problem, 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 stated he would do — or what has he already finished — about this problem?
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How have you learnt? What sources are you utilizing to get your info?
Half II: Over the subsequent few weeks and months, hold monitor of what’s going on with this problem 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 vital of the outcomes? How would you’ve got dealt with the problem otherwise?
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What questions do you continue to have?
Going Additional
1. Mirror on what you’ve got 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 properly do they work?
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How a lot impact can odd folks have on these points, whether or not on a nationwide or native stage? How have you learnt?
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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 stated 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? In that case, how or why? What are you considering 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 put in writing public-facing letters to folks or teams about points that matter to them. When you really feel strongly concerning the problem you tracked for this exercise, then take into account submitting to our contest. Think twice about to whom you wish to handle your letter — whether or not it’s the president, a member of Congress, somebody concerned within the problem 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.
