Procedures

• VOCABULARY INTRODUCTION:

  Introduce the vocabulary relating to the executive department and the cabinet by using the Google Slides presentation to match the key terms to the relevant department or handout to brainstorm keywords for each department. The Google Slides presentation and handout can be used to access all of the videos and activities in this lesson.

  Lesson Activities: Executive Departments (Google Slides)

  Handout: Executive Departments (Google Docs)

• EXPLORATION:

  Review vocabulary activity results and address any misconceptions.

  Use the Google Slides presentation or the Google Doc handout to have students view video clips of each head of the executive departments discuss the role of the departments during their confirmation hearings. Students will view these opening statements from the cabinet secretaries’ confirmation hearings to make inferences about the role and responsibilities of each head of the executive departments.

  Lesson Activities: Executive Departments (Google Slides)

  Handout: Executive Departments (Google Docs)

  Teachers can choose to have students complete all 15 slides, choose one and share it with the class, or complete a specified number of slides.

  For each department, students should include the following:

  • Nominee’s Relevant Experience and Leadership Style

  • Policies and Proposed Actions Discussed

  • How the Nominee views the Role of the Department

  • Duties of this Cabinet Position

  • Keywords and Issues Relating to the Function of this Department

• EXECUTIVE BRANCH DEPARTMENTS:

  • Video Clip: Department of Agriculture- Tom Vilsack (4:45)

  • Video Clip: Department of Commerce- Gina Raimondo (4:45)

  • Video Clip: Department of Defense- Lloyd Austin (5:09)

  • Video Clip: Department of Education- Miguel Cardona (5:36)

  • Video Clip: Department of Energy- Jennifer Granholm (4:21)

  • Video Clip: Department of Health and Human Services- Xavier Becerra (4:41)

  • Video Clip: Department of Homeland Security- Alejandro Mayorkas (5:24)

  • Video Clip: Department of Housing and Urban Development- Marcia Fudge (5:06)

  • Video Clip: Department of the Interior- Deb Haaland (6:03)

  • Video Clip: Department of Justice- Attorney General Merrick Garland (7:06)

  • Video Clip: Department of Labor- Marty Walsh (5:00)

  • Video Clip: Department of State- Antony Blinken (9:18)

  • Video Clip: Department of Transportation- Pete Buttigieg (4:48)

  • Video Clip: Department of the Treasury- Janet Yellen (5:59)

  • Video Clip: Department of Veterans Affairs- Denis McDonough (5:51)

• APPLICATION:

  Review the students’ answers and address any misconceptions about the roles of specific executive departments. After viewing the video clips about the executive departments, address the following prompt:

  • How do the heads of the executive departments assist the president in fulfilling his policy goals? Use specific examples from the video clips to support your answer.

• WRAP-UP:

  As an exit slip, have the students answer the following question in 1-2 sentences.

  • What is the overall job of a cabinet secretary?

• ALTERNATIVE/EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  Ranking the Executive Departments- Rank the 15 executive departments from most important to least important. For your top and bottom ranked departments explain why.

  Reorganizing the Federal Bureaucracy- Develop a plan to reorganize the 15 executive departments. Include explanations of which departments you would combine, expand or eliminate to improve the efficiency of the federal bureaucracy.

• ADDITIONAL PROMPTS:

  • How can the backgrounds and beliefs of a cabinet secretary influence the functioning of an executive department?

  • How do presidents and cabinet secretaries work together to execute laws?

  • How do the backgrounds of cabinet secretaries often match their department’s responsibilities?

  • What factors should president consider when nominating cabinet secretaries?