Susie A. Scott, K. O. Knudson School, Las Vegas, NV

PRESIDENTIAL INTERVIEW:  A PANEL OF PRESIDENTS

Appropriate for grade 8.

OVERVIEW:  The past five and alive forum seeks to give students
access to events that are historical and current.  The
characterization of the presidents is to present information about
historical events that were played out in America's domestic and
foreign policies.

PURPOSE:  Students of political thought using the forum interview
with these political leaders develop an awareness of the role of
the Chief Executive in America's complex domestic international
relationships.

OBJECTIVES:  Students will be able to:

 1.  Identify and analyze domestic and foreign policy.

 2.  Develop analytical questions to ask panel.

 3.  Develop a sequence of events of each presidential office
     holder.

 4.  Recall and build upon yesterday's lesson as they approach a
     domestic issue.

ACTIVITIES:  A structured forum of the last five presidents of the
United States will be interviewed by the former White House
correspondent, Sam Donaldson.  The panel of five come alive will
answer questions as they recap their foreign and domestic policies
they faced, as they served as Chief Executive in the White House. 
Questions posed by other class member are to elicit responses so
that students will become familiar with the implications of
leadership of the former presidents and the incumbent.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS NEEDED:

-  Semi Circle Panel

-  Sample of Analytical Questions

   1.  What are/were ten issues or programs you wished to see
       accomplished?

   2.  How do you plan the balance the military budget and the
       national debt?

-  Role Characterization by Students

       President #37 - Richard Nixon
       President #38 - Gerald Ford
       President #39 - Jimmy Carter
       President #40 - Ronald Reagan
       President #41 - George Bush

       White House Correspondent - Sam Donaldson
       KBS Reporter - Maria Shriver

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  On the first day, following the forum,
have a discussion session to analyze the role of each president. 
Second day, students will infer how, if they were president,
he/she would have responded to a hypothetical domestic crisis
issue (Environment vs. Free Enterprise)