What is a President’s Legacy? Evaluating a Presidency and Leadership

Legacy “Something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor or from the past.” –

Presidential Legacy Project Each president earns a legacy – the lasting effects the president has on the country. You must determine that legacy and what it is based on. Working in groups, you will analyze successes and failures in foreign and domestic policies. You also will consider what great leadership is - how else can we know whether he has measured up or not?

VH1: Behind the question: What makes a legacy? –Contributions? –Mistakes? –Controversies? –Perception: In their own time? By historians now? By historians now? –What is great leadership?

Product A 15 minute PowerPoint presentation –Should have a clear thesis. –Should demonstrate how evidence was weighed. –Should include multimedia (audio, video, etc.). –May include handouts and other materials that enhance the audience’s learning. –Presentations that do not take audience’s learning into account will not be considered successful. –Individual bibliographies should be turned in.

Recommended Process – Stage 1 First Stage – Mucking Around: – Background info questions for Stage 1: What’s the basic story of this presidency? Contributions? Mistakes? Controversies? Perception: In their own time? By historians now? What is their lasting legacy? DO NOT look at the whole biography! Just look at the domestic or foreign policies relevant to their legacy. Recommended timeline: Two days Recommended Sources Encyclopedic (including textbooks!) American Government American Government American National Biography American National Biography

Recommended Process – Stage 1.2 Conference with other group (“domestics” should meet with “foreigners”) –Share research –What are the major events you are focusing on? –What are the big questions you are trying to answer? –Can you determine legacy of president yet? Draft thesis –Any big holes in your research so far? –Next steps? Where and how to dig deeper? Recommended timeline: one day Recommended timeline: one day

Stage 2 – The Big Dig Take those big issues and questions and dig deeper! Consider non-encyclopedic sources. Look for key experts, key pieces of evidence, and at least 3 sources, including: 1 scholarly biography; 1 historical analysis or book review; and 1 citation from that president’s library and/ or memorial, if available on line. NOW look at the whole biography. What is relevant to an informed discussion of the presidency? Recommended timeline: two days Recommended Sources –All previously listed sources plus: Proquest or Ebscohost Academic Journals

Stage 2.2 Again, Conference with other group (“domestics” should meet with “foreigners”) –Review your research. –Weigh the evidence. This is where your group synthesizes the research. –Agree on final thesis. final thesis with group members’ names to Recommended timeline: one day

Stage 3 : Construction All group members actively involved in preparing presentation and related materials as well as in the actual presentation in class. Each presentation should have a clear thesis that answers the question: “What is your president’s legacy?” You should present how you weighed the evidence – this will help you avoid the pitfall of a presentation that actually feels like two or more separate presentations. Information/ideas/quotes/images/etc. should be cited in-text as appropriate. Final individual bibliographies should be prepared. Follow HGHS Style Sheet. Recommended timeline: two days

Stage 4 - Rehearsal Rehearse your presentation! You should focus on: –clarity; –transitions; –pacing; –use of multimedia and technology; and –perspective of audience. Recommended timeline: one day

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