Education Resources

Option One

Power of the Veto

Students should review the Veto Power page on the Constitution and the Clinton Administration exhibit before completing any of the following assignments. Students may work individually or in groups.

Split students into three groups, the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Executive Branch. Students will create their own bill they wish to pass through legislation. Once decided, one student is chosen to be the bill, and will walk through all three groups to be passed (House, Senate, and the Executive Branch). After visiting the House group and the Senate group, the ‘bill’ student should visit the Executive Branch group, to decide whether or not the bill will be signed by the President, and turned into a law.

If the Executive Branch group (President) signs and approves the bill, that is the end of the activity. If the executive group vetoes the bill, they must give a reason as to why, and the bill may start the legislation process over, and try again. Allocate 3-5 minutes for students to write 5-8 sentences on if they believe presidential veto power is fair, why or why not?

By the end of this activity, students will be able to understand the legislative process of passing a bill, and understand what a presidential veto is. Students should be able to explain both of these acts.

Option Two

Appointing Federal Judges

Students should review the Appointment of Federal Juges page on the Constitution and the Clinton Administration exhibit before completing any of the following assignments. Students may work individually or in groups.

Begin activity with a brief overview of the 3 branches of government (Legislative, Judicial, and Executive). Put student names in a bowl and randomly pull names for 1 President Clinton, 1 Nominee Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and all other students shall be members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The "President Clinton" will choose a "Nominee" for a federal judge position. The "Nominee (Ruth Bader Ginsburg)" will give a brief speech about why they are qualified. The "Senators" will ask questions, examples being, “How do you interpret the constitution?” and questions about the nominee’s loyalty to the Constitution of the United States. Senators will then vote on the placement of the presidential nominee, and if they are voted in, “Nominee RBG” will become an appointed federal judge. 

By the end of the activity, students will understand how presidential appointments for federal judges work. Students will also be able to explain the process of a president nominating someone, the process of interviewing from the Senate, and the vote on whether or not to appoint said nominee. For all intents and purposes of the activity, the Senators will vote yes for the Presidential nomination. 

Option Three

25th Amendment

Students should review the 25th Amendment - Presidential Succession (1967) page on the Constitution and the Clinton Administration exhibit and then split into 4 groups for the activity. Each group of students will be provided one section of the 25th Amendment and using information from the online exhibit, students will summarize their group’s section of the 25th Amendment in a few sentences. After being given 5-10 minutes to do this with their group, each group should stand and discuss their section and the procedures it outlines. By the end of this activity, students will have knowledge of the 25th Amendment and the guidelines it sets for presidential succession, as well as understand how the amendment gives examples of checks and balances.
Sections of the amendment for each group:

  1. Presidential Succession
  2. Vice Presidential Vacancy
  3. President's declaration of inability
  4. Declaration by Vice President and cabinet members of Presidential inabilit2

Option Four

War Powers

Students should review the Constitutionality of War Powers Resolution (1973) page of the Constitution and the Clinton Administration exhibit before completing any of the following assignments. Students may work individually or in groups.

Materials Needed:

  • Copies of the U.S. constitution (Article I section 8 and Article II Section 2)
  • Whiteboard or paper
  • Markers
  • Timer
  • Printed Scenario cards (options down below)

Scenario Options:

  • The President orders a military strike in response to an imminent threat from another country.
  • The President wants to send troops to support a conflict in a foreign country without a formal declaration of war
  • The President and Congress are in disagreement over military intervention in a conflict in a foreign country.

Review the sections of the Constitution listed above to explain war powers before splitting students into small groups of 3-5. Give each group a scenario and have them answer the following questions in their group: 

  1. What role does Congress play in this situation? 
  2. What checks and balances exist to ensure the President does not overstep their authority in your scenario?
  3. What are the constitutional implications of the President’s actions in your scenario?

Facilitate a class discussion about the different scenarios and have each group present briefly on their scenario and the group’s answered questions. 

By the end of this activity, students will understand the war powers of the president and be able to explain the balance between the executive and legislative branches of government. 

Education Resources