We found some very interesting podcasts by Nixon about the Watergate scandal. Many of the podcasts we found were Nixon's phone interviews about the scandal. This was very interesting to hear, and I believe that students would find this to be far more interesting and entertaining than reading about Watergate in the texts (though it was one of the more interesting things I studied in history). I feel like these podcasts would be very useful to integrate into an activity for a lesson on Watergate.
I think an interesting assignment would be to have the students study the case United States v. Nixon. The students could read up on details of the case and get in groups and discuss key points. One they decide on the basic facts of the case, they could discuss and decide on the constitutional issues regarding the case. They then could research and state why the Court made the decision that they did.
In addition to researching the details of the case, which students should do on their own or in their groups to work on their researching skills, they should be provided the podcasts to listen to so that they can get a different perspective on the case. Through these podcasts, Nixon is confronted with the scandal at hand, and students can see how he reacts to the accusations and questions. I think that these primary sources would certainly prove to be great additions to the lesson on Watergate. Furthermore, one of the podcasts is a video podcast, which is an interesting bonus for students to watch. Students could also be given the website http://www.oyez.org/cases/1970-1979/1974/1974_73_1766 which they could research the basic information of the case, and listen to oral arguments and the opinion announcement.
What students really are researching and deciding on (though the Court already made the decision) is this... Is the President's right to protect certain information, using his "executive privilege" confidentiality power, entirely immune from judicial review? The students can discuss this issue via groups and present their findings to the class.
Another perhaps more engaging activity would be for students to have a "mock trial" with the United States v. Nixon case. Students could each be assigned certain roles, including prosecutor, defense, witnesses, jury, etc. Students could research for their role, and be prepared to "go to trial." This would be a fun topic for students to participate in. They could use the podcasts as "evidence" for the trial, and it would make the trial more engaging because they have "actual proof" of what has been said by Nixon. It just makes the process seem more realistic!
Another great source for information...
http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/museum/exhibits/watergate_files/index.html
(I love the set up of this website!)
This is also a cool site with Nixon's resignation letter...
http://www.landmarkcases.org/nixon/home.html
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This is a great topic with some interesting resources. It's cool that it was recent enough to have actual audio of the phone conversations, and I think the students would like to see his resignation letter (even if just to laugh at it). I like your mock trial too! It would be interesting to see what the students dug up for and against Nixon, and how they could relate that to other events.
ReplyDeleteI think this another great way to present students to Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal. I also created my iTunesU about Richard Nixon, and he is certainly an interesting topic. My collection and corresponding lesson plan skewed more towards U.S. History, focusing on some of the major events occurring during Nixon's political career.
ReplyDeleteThis collection seems to skew towards Government/Civics, and I think that is really cool. Asking students to consider issues of executive privilege and judicial review as part of the lesson plan should give a historical basis for theoretical concepts.
Like me, your active learning focuses on putting students in the role of investigator. Students should enjoy being able to have a hands-on role with something they are learning in class.
Mallory-
ReplyDeleteI thought looking at the presidency of Richard Nixon via Watergate was an excellent idea. Watergate is one of the most controversial, yet profound events of 20th century America. The explanation of the event is great background for students to truly comprehend Watergate. Then, exploring the case of the US vs Nixon is excellent because it brings to light a high profile, significant executive transgression. This collection is also superb because it becomes involved on the interdisciplinary level. This collection can really be helpful more for Government, but American history is also a relevant discipline.
I think I would have paid more attention in class if Watergate was taught like this, instead of in the traditional lecture form. This will definitely grab students attention and make it more interesting for them. They'll also be more engaged when it comes to participating in the mock trial. Your critical thinking questions do pose some controversy, but that's a good thing! A lot of students will eat that up and you can have them find other examples in history where a president was attempting to keep parts of his life private. You can compare and contrast the situations. One example could be Bill Clinton and his affair. It'll make students think outside of the box.
ReplyDeleteThe Watergate scandal was a very interesting thing, and I don't think that students know enough about it. Once again, history is all about people and what they did and how they did things. Nixon was a very interesting individual and this is a great way to give kids more information. I especially like the podcasts of phone calls. Giving kids things like that, actual recordings or something like that, will definitely interest them. At least that's the hope.
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