Objectives:
- Identify growing diversity among American politicians.
- Analyze the significance of the election of President Obama.
Scene 1 — Engage
Student Activity
Students read an introduction about how the appearance of leaders in government has changed over time and review the lesson objectives. They examine a collage of official portraits of the first forty-four U.S. presidents and respond in a shared chart to the prompt, “What do you notice about the Presidents?”
Teacher Moves
Preview the experience by explaining that students will explore increasing diversity in U.S. government. Clarify vocabulary as needed (collage, comparable, colleague). Guide students’ observations of the presidential portraits, prompting them to notice that all are men and that, except for Barack Obama, they are white. When discussion is complete, transition students to the next scene.
Scene 2 — Explore
Student Activity
Students read background information about how Congress and executive branch leaders have become more racially and ethnically diverse over time. Using the three timelines—Timeline of Black Americans in Congress, Timeline of Women in Congress, and Timeline of Hispanic Americans in Congress—they complete a graphic organizer by identifying for each group the first member of the House of Representatives and year, the first member of the Senate and year, and one additional interesting fact from the timelines.
Teacher Moves
Support students in navigating and interpreting the timelines, ensuring they accurately record key names, dates, and facts in the organizer. Prompt students to draw conclusions about patterns they see, such as the connection between gaining voting rights and election to Congress, and the long gap before the first Hispanic senator. Facilitate a brief discussion to compare the three groups’ experiences and highlight trends in growing diversity.
Scene 3 — Explain
Student Activity
Students view an image of Barack Obama and read an explanation of the historic significance of the 2008 and 2012 elections, including the possibility of the first woman elected to federal executive office and the later election of Vice President Kamala Harris. They read the biography Barak Obama to learn about his life and presidency, then post to a class wall choosing one of Obama’s contributions and explaining why it is important.
Teacher Moves
Connect back to the earlier collage of presidents and emphasize the historic nature of Obama’s election as the first Black U.S. president. Ensure students understand the broader context of representation in national leadership. After students post, highlight one or more strong or insightful responses for whole-class discussion. Summarize that Obama is especially associated with the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which expanded health care coverage to many people who previously lacked it.
Scene 4 — Elaborate
Student Activity
Students examine images and captions of Representative Young Kim and Representative Ilhan Omar as examples of recent diverse leaders in Congress. They read a quote from Chelsea Clinton about the importance of girls seeing role models who “look like them.” Students then respond on a shared wall to a prompt about whether it is important for young people to see ethnically and racially similar role models in government, business, law enforcement, the arts, and academics, explaining their reasoning. Finally, they review classmates’ posts and reply to at least two with a question or positive comment.
Teacher Moves
Direct students’ attention to the portraits of Young Kim and Ilhan Omar and ask which ethnic or religious groups they represent. Lead a discussion about why visible role models matter, especially for children and for girls in underrepresented groups. Encourage respectful, thoughtful responses to the wall prompt and model how to ask constructive questions or offer supportive comments. Optionally extend the conversation by connecting to other examples of role models, such as efforts to feature clothing and product models with healthy body weight.
Scene 5 — Evaluate
Student Activity
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher Moves
Facilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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