Procedures

• SET UP

  This lesson offers several options for you to use with your students whether you are teaching in class, using a hybrid model, or engaging through distance learning. It can be completed in steps as a class or students can move at their own pace and complete the activities independently.

  You can post links to the videos in the lesson along with the related handout and engage in discussion to share responses on a discussion board or learning management system.

  You can also save and share the following Google resource for students to use with this lesson.

  Handout: Graphic Organizer (Google Doc).

  In Google, choose "File" then "Make a Copy" to get your own copy. You can make any needed adjustments in the instructions such as which activities students need to complete, when it is due, etc. and then make it available to them via Google.

• WARM UP

  Pose the following brainstorming questions to your students, directing them to record their responses in their graphic organizer, share with a partner, and then with the class if they choose.

  • Does the United States have a “special relationship” with Britain? Explain.
  • Briefly compare the governments, histories, or societies of the United States and Britain.

• INTRODUCTION

  Play the following introductory video clip of Times of London U.S. editor and author of Royal Audience David Charter discussing Queen Elizabeth II’s relationship with President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Direct your students to answer the related question on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

  Clip #1: A Recipe and Dwight D. Eisenhower (3:26).

  • What “remarkable” treatment did President Dwight D. Eisenhower receive from the Royal Family?
  • Based on the clip, what was the recipe for and why was it given to Eisenhower?
  • Why did Queen Elizabeth II consider Eisenhower “special?”
  • What was the “mission” of the Queen’s whole life? Why?

• VOCABULARY

  Direct your students to their graphic organizers to view and define the vocabulary terms that will appear in the lesson in the chart in their graphic organizer handout. The vocabulary words are also listed to the right on this webpage.

  We recommend having your students complete the activity in a jigsaw format to save time. Or, depending on time and resources, you may consider having your students engage in a Frayer's Model activity, where each student is responsible for completing one or two items. Students can then post their models around the room for reference throughout the lesson.

  Note: this is not an all-encompassing list of terms included in each video. We recommend you preview the video clips to determine any necessary additions/subtractions to this list for your specific students.

• BACKGROUND

  Direct students to the Background section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to view the following five video clips that provide background information about Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Crown, and the relationship between Britain and the United States. Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

• Clip #2: The Presidents (7:52).

  • When did Queen Elizabeth II begin her “reign,” and during what U.S. presidencies did she serve?
  • Based on the clip, which sitting U.S. president did the Queen not meet? Why?
  • Summarize the purpose and impact of the “make-up” visit from Princess Margaret.
  • Describe the “wealth” of the Queen’s connections in the United States.
  • Which other presidents were the Queen’s “favorites?” Why?

• Clip #3: Diplomacy and a Special Relationship (3:32).

  • Of what was Queen Elizabeth the “undisputed jewel?”
  • What actions did the Queen take beyond “pomp and circumstance?” Explain.
  • Based on the clip, why was President Joe Biden the only one of the G7 leaders to be invited to Windsor Castle?
  • Detail the history and intent of the phrase “special relationship.”

• Clip #4: Royal Obsessed? (6:37).

  • What are the signs that the United States is “royal obsessed?”
  • Are the British people “as obsessed” with the Royal Family as Americans are? Explain.
  • What does the Royal Family need to “maintain?” Why?
  • Summarize the “impact” of the 1969 BBC documentary discussed in the clip.

• Clip #5: Prime Minister and the Queen (2:17).

  • How are the Royal Family and the Prime Minister “coordinated?”
  • Based on the clip, how many state visits can the British monarch host each year?
  • How is it determined who is offered a “state visit?”
  • According to David Charter, why were Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump each invited for a state visit?

• Clip #6: Royalists (2:34).

  • What does it mean to be a “royalist” in Britain?
  • Describe the “strange contradiction” that exists in British life.
  • According to David Charter, what role does popular support play with regard to the Royal Family? Explain.

• CHOICE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY

  Direct students to the Choice Engagement Activity section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to choose at least three of the following seven video clips that detail relationships between Queen Elizabeth II and different U.S. presidents. To provide balance across video clips of different lengths, students' selections should also total at least 10 minutes of viewing time.

  Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer. Have your students prepare to share their findings with a small group or the class when finished, potentially via the Jigsaw method. Ensure that students record their peers' findings as well.

• OPTION #1 - Clip #7: FDR and JFK (6:53).

  • Based on the clip, why did Queen Elizabeth II not meet President Franklin R. Roosevelt?
  • Why was Ambassador Joe Kennedy “unpopular” in Britain?
  • Summarize the “intriguing meeting” between Elizabeth and John F. Kennedy.
  • What “affected” the relationship between the Queen and President Kennedy?
  • Compare the two gestures that show the Queen’s “personal affinity” with America.

• OPTION #2 - Clip #8: 1776 Bicentennial (4:04).

  • Why were people “fretting” about Queen Elizabeth’s 1976 visit to the United States?
  • What “compromise” was reached?
  • Did the Queen and U.S. presidents ever “use each other?” Explain.
  • According to David Charter, what happened when the Queen met Jack Ford?

• OPTION #3 - Clip #9: Jimmy Carter and the Queen Mother (3:44).

  • Describe the “intriguing photograph” from President Jimmy Carter’s visit to Britain.
  • Summarize the story that “emerges” after the dinner. Was it a “big deal” at the time?
  • According to David Charter, how did President Carter address the situation?
  • How did the Royal Family view President Carter, and what was Queen Elizabeth II’s role as a “diplomat” after the incident?

• OPTION #4 - Clip #10: Rules and a 1991 Visit (3:24).

  • Based on the clip, who was Alice Frazier and why did Queen Elizabeth II meet her?
  • What was Frazier “briefed” and “warned” about before the visit?
  • Describe the “awkward” encounter that occurred during the visit.
  • According to David Charter, how did the Queen publicly react to the incident? Why?

• OPTION #5 - Clip #11: George W. Bush and a 2007 Visit (2:24).

  • Describe the mistake made by President George W. Bush, as shown in the video clip excerpt.
  • How did Queen Elizabeth II react to the mistake, as shown in the second video clip excerpt?
  • Why was there a “warmth” between Queen Elizabeth II and President Bush, and what type of “connection” did the two have?

• OPTION #6 - Clip #12: The Queen and Ronald Reagan (4:28).

  • Based on the clip, what is the story behind the photo of President Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth II?
  • Summarize the “transatlantic traffic” surrounding President Reagan’s 1982 visit to Britain.
  • What event was occurring “simultaneously” during the 1982 visit? Describe the “split screen” that was occurring.
  • Why did this historical episode “cement” the Queen’s respect for President Reagan?

• OPTION #7 - Clip #13: Barack Obama and the Queen (2:54).

  • Describe what you see and hear in the video clip excerpt of Queen Elizabeth II and President Barack Obama.
  • Why did the music start early, according to David Charter?
  • Why did the British establishment almost have a “meltdown” during the early stages of the Obama presidency?
  • Based on the clip, what phrase did President Obama use for the first time in this speech? Why?

• REFLECTION

  After your students finish sharing their findings from the choice engagement activity (either in a jigsaw activity or otherwise), direct them to the reflection section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to view the following final video clip in which Times of London U.S. editor and author of Royal Audience David Charter provides closing remarks about Queen Elizabeth II’s special relationship with the United States and U.S. presidents over her 70-year reign as Britain’s head of state. Direct your students to answer the related questions and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

  Clip #14: Death of the Queen (3:57).

  • Summarize President Joe Biden’s remarks on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, as seen in the video clip excerpt.
  • Based on the clip, how were President Biden’s comments received by the British Why?
  • How was President Biden’s relationship with Britain “nuanced?” Explain.
  • Why can the British Royal Family “rise above politics,” as compared to the American head of state?

• CLOSURE

  After your students are finished with the lesson, direct them to complete the final culminating writing prompt and have students share their responses, comparing their perspectives with their classmates' perspectives: Having learned about Queen Elizabeth II’s interactions with various U.S. presidents, assess the “strength of the relationship” between Britain and the United States. Be sure to include evidence from the video clips in the lesson to support your argument.