What Makes A Great President? | C-SPAN Classroom

April 12, 2017

Lesson Plan: What Makes a Great President?

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What Makes a Great President?

Barbara Perry talked about the traits that make a great president, including self-confidence, emotional intelligence, and the ability to learn from mistakes.

Description

Barbara Perry, Presidential Studies Director, University of VA, Miller Center of Public Affairs, talked about the traits that make a great president, including self-confidence, emotional intelligence, and the ability to learn from mistakes. She used George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt as examples of how great presidents cultivated their leadership skills and won popular support.

Procedures

• Step 1:

  As students view the video clips in this lesson, they can complete the chart on the handout.

  HANDOUT: What Makes a Great President? (Google Doc)

  Students will:

  • take notes on the qualities that are found in presidential leadership

  • explain the leadership qualities each president demonstrated through their experiences

  • consider the traits and examples that were presented and explain the leadership qualities they look for in their presidential candidates

• Step 2:

  As a class view the following video to provide context.

  VIDEO CLIP: What Makes a Great President? (2:48)

  Barbara Perry talked about some of the traits that make a great president.

• Step 3:

  Students may work independently or you can jigsaw your class into groups to view the videos below.

  VIDEO CLIP: George Washington (9:43)

  Barbara Perry discusses the traits that make a great president and provides examples through Washington's life.

  VIDEO CLIP: Abraham Lincoln (5:23)

  Barbara Perry talked about the traits author Doris Kearns Goodwin maintains Lincoln exhibited during his presidency.

  VIDEO CLIP: FDR (6:34)

  Barbara Perry talked about the traits Professor Fred Greenstein maintains FDR exhibited during his presidency.

  VIDEO CLIP: Context of the Presidency (6:11)

  Barbara Perry talked about Professor Stephen Skowronek's theory of presidential leadership.

• Step 4:

  As a class, discuss the presidential qualities and examples that were presented. Then ask students to write an essay explaining the traits they look for in a presidential candidate.

  Students may also select a president they would like to research and explain the leadership qualities and examples that were demonstrated during that person's time in office.

Additional Resources

• Video Clip: Historians Survey of President Leadership
• C-SPAN Survey on Presidents 2017

Vocabulary

• Abolish
• Emancipation
• Federalist
• French And Indian War
• Gettysburg Address
• Great Depression
• New Deal
• Nonpartisan
• Orator
• Reconstructive
• Self-deprecating
• States Rights

Topics

Executive BranchU.S. History

Grades

Middle SchoolHigh School