U.S. v. Nixon Watergate Scandal Activity for Civics & American History

Teach U.S. v. Nixon and the Watergate Scandal with this hands-on activity all about the rule of law and executive power! In this U.S. v. Nixon Watergate Scandal Activity for Civics & American History, students follow each step of the scandal that brought down a presidency. Their investigation will take them through a series of informational texts, video clips, and primary source quotes and images! Students will need internet access to view four videos related to the Watergate investigation. Ideal for middle or high school students studying the rule of law, the Executive Branch, and the landmark Supreme Court case U.S. v. Nixon. 

Use this as an engaging, hands-on Folder Pass activity, at tables in centers or stations, or even create a Walking Timeline around your classroom! Several options are given in the PDF!

This U.S. v. Nixon Watergate Scandal Activity for Civics & American History includes:

✯ Five Watergate Investigation Folders. Teach the Watergate scandal, U.S. v. Nixon, and Nixon’s resignation with this engaging walk through history! Each folder contains cover images and 4-6 artifacts, with everything from QR codes to historic photographs, brief reading passages and primary source quotations and newspaper headlines. 

Topics covered:

• Break-in at the Watergate Hotel: In this folder, students watch a movie clip simulating the break-in at the DNC offices in the Watergate hotel, learn about the burglars, read Richard Nixon’s campaign manager’s very clear denial of the President’s involvement, just as the burglars are found with a check made out to the President’s re-election committee…
• The Investigation Begins: This folder details the Senate and Special Prosecutor’s investigations into the Watergate burglary, including a video clip of Alexander Butterfield’s shocking confession that the President of the United States had placed listening devices in the Oval Office.
• The Saturday Night Massacre: Students learn about Nixon’s attempt to obstruct justice in the Saturday Night Massacre and view a video clip of his “I’m Not a Crook” speech.
• U.S. v. Nixon: As the walls close in around the President, students watch a video clip of the Supreme Court issuing their ruling in U.S. v. Nixon, the landmark Supreme Court case that decided the limitations of executive privilege and forced Nixon to comply with the law. 
• Nixon Resigns: Finally, the scandal comes to a close as Nixon becomes the first (and only) President in history to resign from office. Students watch a final video clip of his resignation speech, then read about Ford’s presidential pardon and the aftermath of the Watergate investigation. 

Students will need internet access during this activity to watch several YouTube and one NBCNews video clip related to the events of the Watergate scandal. Both QR codes and URLs are provided in the folder artifacts. 

✯ A One-Page What Happens When the President Breaks the Law? Reading Passage. This pre-lesson activity introduces students to the historical context and main vocabulary of the lesson.

Vocabulary include: 

• Obstruction of Justice
• Rule of Law
• Impeachment
• Presidential Pardon

✯ The Three-Page United States v. Richard Nixon Case File Worksheet. As students work through the folder activity, they will fill out this comprehension review on the major details of each step in the timeline. A “Case Closed” section is included at the end, where they will synthesize their knowledge to answer several Big Idea questions on executive power and the rule of law. 

Sample questions in the comprehension review include:

• Why was the Saturday Night Massacre considered an obstruction of justice?
• What was the Supreme Court’s ruling in U.S. v. Nixon and how did it support the rule of law?
• How did the judicial branch check the executive branch’s power in 
  U.S. v. Nixon? 

This is a really fun, interactive lesson that will keep students engaged as they learn about one of the biggest presidential scandals in American history. Primary source videos and photographs will bring history to life, and students will hopefully feel like real investigators as they work through the “case files” and teach themselves the timeline of the Watergate scandal and U.S. v. NixonSupreme Court ruling. I hope your students have tons of fun with this one!

This resource is presented as a non-editable, printable PDF. Answer Keys are included!

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