Presidential Succession Lesson Plan

The lesson plan below is intended to work with elections covered by ProCon, but may be adapted to work with other elections.

Objective:

Students will learn about and critically evaluate the presidential succession.

Students will:

Resources/Materials:

Preparation:

Teachers should prepare their preferred lecture or activity to learn about the history of the presidential succession
This assignment may be completed in class or as homework but should be written.
This assignment may also be the precursor to a debate or discussion on the answers students provide

Activity:

Teach students about the succession using the teacher’s preferred method and materials
Show students the 2020election.procon.org resource, “Order of Presidential Succession”
Have students consider some or all of the following in writing:
a. Consider the order itself: Why is the Speaker of the House above the Secretary of State? Why is the Secretary of Homeland Security last? If students were to change the order of succession, how would they do so and why?
b. The political implications of the order: For example, the Vice President and most of the appointed officials are likely to be of the same political party as the President. Does this matter? Why or why not?
c. The number of officials: Do we need 18 people on the list? Why or why not? If we don’t, why do we have a list of 18? Or, should more people be on this list? Explain why and who should be added.
d. The qualifications of the officials on the list. Have students choose one official to research briefly and consider whether that official is qualified to be president.
The students should turn in their writing assignments.
The lesson may be extended to have students share, either in discussion or debate, with their classmates in class.

Evaluation: