Barack Obama Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie:

What do you know about Barack Obama? (Tap prior knowledge)

What would you like to know about Obama’s presidency? (Set goals)

During the Movie (Pause Points):

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 2:40: How did the issue of partisanship affect Obama’s political future? (Identify cause/effect)

Timecode 4:07: In what ways was Obama’s first term one of both recovery and change? (Identify main idea/detail)

Timecode 7:00: How did Republican control of the House of Representatives affect Obama’s second term and his presidential style? (Identify cause/effect)

After the Movie:

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Barack Obama topic. (Make connections)

What can be done to reduce partisanship? (Reflect; Identify cause/effect)

Why were people concerned about presidential powers extending too much? (Draw conclusions)

BrainPOP recommends reading the movie description that appears on the Barack Obama Topic Page to your class or have students read independently. Then have them watch the movie once through without pausing. Then, watch it again as class, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.