Which US President are YOU? | Worksheet

In this simulation you will learn about the foreign policy of US foreign policy during some of the most critical years of the Cold War. For each of seven different policy areas, you will choose your favoured course of action from a list of five options. You will then be told whether your chosen option was that pursued by Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson or Nixon.

Who was the best US President for the Americas?

Classroom debate: Which President achieved the most for the USA and for Latin America?

Stage 1: Decide as a class upon the three main themes to look at for domestic policy. Add these as the headings in the right-hand side of the table.
Stage 2: Start by completing a chronological-based summary in the row of the table allocated to you. Aim to include around three key points in each cell.
Stage 3: go back through and highlight successes / failures in different colours.
Stage 4: Frame TWO prosecution questions against the President you have been allocated ("It is not true that...and my evidence for this is...").
Stage 5: Share these questions before the end of the lesson. You will then be given a different president to DEFEND. Prepare your responses over the weekend in preparation for the debate that will take place in a later lesson.

Detailed summary sheet for revision

This comprehensive printout provides a thorough breakdown of the domestic and Latin American policy achievements and failures of every US president between 1945-1980. An ideal revision resource in the run-up to the final examinations.

Who was the best US President on the World Stage?

Classroom debate: Which President achieved the most success outside of the Americas?

Stage 1: Start by completing a chronological-based summary in the row of the table allocated to you (NOTE: Your teacher may ask whether you would rather 'swap' to a president you have neither prosecuted nor defended yet). Aim to include around three key points in each cell.
Stage 2: Go back through and highlight successes / failures in different colours.
Stage 3: Frame TWO prosecution questions against the President you have been allocated ("It is not true that...and my evidence for this is...").
Stage 4: Share these questions before the end of the lesson. You will then be given a different president to DEFEND. Prepare your responses over the weekend in preparation for the debate that will take place in a subsequent lesson.

One sentence summaries: conclusions on the Presidents

At the end of the debate outline above, each member of the class at the International School of Toulouse had to sum up each President's performance as a 'topic sentence'.
Suggested task: Consider which sentence you think is the best expressed; which sentence agrees / disagrees with your own view; what particular evidence you would use to develop / challenge different viewpoints.