Summary
In this lesson, students evaluate the foreign policies of Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. Students consider the dilemmas presidents faced and learn the motivations behind their diplomatic policies. The use of diplomacy is extended to the modern era through a video of how George Bush used diplomacy. Students complete an exit ticket to reflect on how presidents use diplomacy to benefit the United States.
Essential Question(s)
How do presidents conduct foreign policy?
Snapshot
Engage
Students analyze a quote to infer the meaning of diplomacy.
Explore
Students discuss solutions to historical diplomatic scenarios faced by presidents.
Explain
Students jigsaw three readings in groups and summarize how Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson used diplomacy.
Extend
Students describe how a modern day president used diplomacy.
Evaluate
Students respond to an Exit Ticket question, "How have presidents used diplomacy to benefit the United States?"
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Diplomatic Dilemmas handout (attached; one per group)
Diplomacy Jigsaw packet (attached; one per group)
Diplomacy Jigsaw Note Catcher (attached; one per student)
Art of Leadership handout (attached; one per student)
Engage
5 Minute(s)
Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Begin with slide 3 and display the quote for students, "Diplomacy is the art of letting somebody else have your way" by David Frost. Tell students to Think-Pair-Share what they think the word diplomacy means. Ask for a few volunteers to share their thoughts. Then, ask students to think about how presidents might use diplomacy and have some students share their thoughts.
Move to slide 4 and tell students that the definition of diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between nations.
Display slide 5 and read the Essential Question to students; then move to slide 6 and review the Lesson Objectives. Tell students to keep the Essential Question and Lesson Objectives in mind during the lesson.
Explore
15 Minute(s)
Place students into groups of three and pass out the attached Diplomatic Dilemmas handout to each group. Move to slide 7 and ask students to read each dilemma and decide on a possible solution within their groups. After providing time for students to discuss the three dilemmas, ask each group to share their solutions for each scenario. After each scenario is discussed, move through slides 8-10 and reveal how each president responded to the dilemmas.
Explain
20 Minute(s)
Using the Jigsaw strategy, keep students in their groups and pass out the Diplomacy Jigsaw packet. Each group receives one packet and distributes the three readings amongst the group. Provide each student with a Diplomacy Jigsaw Note Catcher handout as well. Display slide 11 and ask students each read one of the diplomatic tactics used by Presidents Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson. As they read, they should fill in the information on the Note Catcher. After students have read, tell students to share what they have learned with their group members so that the Note Catcher is completed with all three President’s diplomacy tactics.
Ask students to share how each President approached diplomacy during their presidency. Have a class discussion about the use of diplomacy to benefit the United States. Some questions to consider are:
How is diplomacy used by presidents?
Why is diplomacy important for presidents?
How can a president’s use of diplomacy help or hurt the country they represent?
Extend
15 Minute(s)
Pass out the attached Art of Leadership handout to each student or have students divide a paper into four quadrants with the labels: What, Interesting, Confusing, and Kind of like. Move to slide 12 and play the video for students in which George Bush explains how he used diplomacy during his presidency.
Have students use the WICK strategy to complete The Art of Leadership handout. After students have had time to fill in their handout, have students talk to an Elbow Partner and discuss what they wrote down regarding Bush’s diplomacy approach. Ask for volunteers to share and have a discussion about the way Bush conducted diplomatic relations with world leaders. Ask students to consider how Bush’s tactics are different from the previous presidents they have learned about during the lesson.
Evaluate
5 Minute(s)
Move to slide 13 and have students complete the Exit Ticket on the back of the Art of Leadership handout. Provide time for students to respond to the question, how have former president’s used diplomacy to benefit the United States?
Collect student responses and assess understanding of the lesson content.
Resources
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow Partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116
K20 Center. (n.d.). Bell Ringers and Exit Tickets. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/125
K20 Center. (n.d.). Jigsaw. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/179
K20 Center. (n.d.). Think-Pair-Share. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/139
K20 Center. (2022, Sept 16). Wick. Strategies. https://learn.K20center.ou.edu/strategy/2513
The Bush Center. (2014, April 4). "The art of leadership: A president's personal diplomacy" by @thebushcenter. YouTube. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQJw-363WiQ