President Richard Nixon's Role in the Watergate Scandal

Introduction

This is a web quest that will help you understand President Richard Nixon's role in the Watergate scandal.

During this web quest, you will learn about Nixon's presidency, the Watergate scandal that brought down his administration, and his resignation from the highest office in the land.

Task

Students will complete the following tasks:

Number 1 will be completed by students breaking up into groups of four and assembling their information in a power point presentation

Number 2 will be completed by each group and consist of short answers and should be approximately 2-3 paragraphs per question

Number 3 is an essay and will be completed individually by each student
1) Describe the events involved in the Watergate scandal including thefollowing:
 - Deep Throat
- The “smoking gun tape”
- The people involved in the scandal
- The burglars reason for breaking into Watergate
- The Pentagon Papers
- CREEP
- The “Saturday Night Massacre”
2) Answer the following questions:
- Who took the fall for the break in?
- What caused Nixon to be caught?
- Why was the public so outraged about Nixon’s actions?
3) Write a 2-4 page essay on whether you feel Nixon deserved to be pardoned ornot.
Process

The following Websites will assist you in finding out the information about the Watergate scandal. Use these sites to gather information and answer the questions posed on the task page.
http://watergate.info

http://watergate.info/chronology
http://www.rvv.com/peacemaker/whatergate.htm
http://www.history.com/topics/watergate
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/watergate.html
http://vault.fbi.gov/watergate

Evaluation

Below is a rubric that will show how each student will be evaluated.

Beginning

Satisfactory

Accomplished

Excellent

Points

1 point

2 points

3 points

4 points

 

Partially complete. Minimal effort put into project. Very little amount of information given to answer questions. 

Complete. Some effort put into project. Minimal amount of information given to answer questions.

Complete. Effort put toward project. Questions answered. Decent amount of information.

Complete. Extra effort put toward project. Questions fully answered. Good amount of information.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Essays and other written work will be graded separately, but will be factored into each student's overall assessment.

Conclusion

After completing this assignment, each student should be able to understand the events that caused the Watergate scandal, the resignation of President Nixon, and why he was pardoned by President Gerald Ford.

Teacher Page

Rick Scotti

Grade 9-10 Social Studies

Watergate Scandal Fallout

“Big Idea”-- What was the Watergate scandal and how did it affect the Presidency of Richard Nixon?

 

 

 

Watergate: The Scandal that brought down a President

What was the scandal and how did it help bring down Nixon

 

GSE’s/GLE’s/

Frameworks/Common Core/NETS- Standards

 

 

Acquire the knowledge about the scandal and Nixon’s presidency.

 1.       CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.1

  2.       CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.4

  3       CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.2                                                                                                           

       Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity

      Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments

 

 

Lesson Objectives:

 

 

 

 

 

  • Students will summarize key events in the Watergate scandal
  • Use links provided to cull information about Watergate and Nixon
  • Work in groups to complete tasks
  • Students will use multi-media for gathering information and presenting it to the class
  • Students will be able to present work using powerpoint
  • Students will learn how this scandal brought down a President
  • Students will use critical thinking skills to form an opinion about why Nixon was pardoned by President Ford
  • Students will evaluate the evidence against Nixon and decide if pardoning him was right legally, morally, and ethically.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Materials

Computer, Tablet, or Smartphone with internet access

Microsoft Powerpoint

Printer

 

 

Anticipatory Set

Show Nixon resignation

Show film “All the President’s Men”

 

 

 

 

Procedures

  1.         Students will watch both the Nixon resignation and the film
  2.         Students will break up into groups of four in order to do research
  3.         Each group will do research and answer the questions in the web quest
  4.         Each group will produce a powerpoint presentation according to web quest
  5.         Each group will present their powerpoints to the class
  6.         A question/answer period will follow
  7.         Each group will submit their answers to part 2 in web quest
  8.         Each student will write their essay per webquest

Closure

Students will reflect on what they have learned during the webquest and share any insights with the class. A teacher led discussion, with questions for each group will help students review what they learned about Watergate and the downfall of Nixon.

Assessment

 

Essay, powerpoint, and written work will be graded individually. Rubric for groups found in webquest.

 

Modifications/

Accommodations

 

 

Modifications will include extra help in the classroom

Visuals if needed

After school help

IEP Plan

powerpoint tutorial