Educational Songs with Free Worksheets
The President’s Cabinet
An educational rap song about the federal executive departments and Presidential succession.
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This song presents the executive departments in the President's Cabinet. It lists each department and its acronym (if applicable) and function, in order of original establishment, which is also the order of succession. The song identifies all 15 departments, including the Department of Education, the Department of State, the Department of Transportation and Department of Homeland Security. Special mention is given to the Attorney General. The teaching materials, including lesson plans, worksheets, and activities will help teachers and homeschool parents create lesson plans for the song topics. By learning this song, students will have a better understanding of the role of the Cabinet and its departments as advisors to the President.
This social studies song is suitable for introducing the executive departments of the President’s Cabinet to elementary school (4th grade, 5th grade and 6th grade), middle school, high school, home school, and college classes.
This social studies song is suitable for introducing the executive departments of the President’s Cabinet to elementary school (4th grade, 5th grade and 6th grade), middle school, high school, home school, and college classes.
Chorus
Presidents, they need some help
They can’t do the job all by themselves
We’ve got the Cabinet, the advisory crew
The heads of the departments, and here’s what they do
(×2)
Verse I
The Department of State, the most important one there
Advises the president on foreign policy affairs
The Department of Treasury prints the cash
Manages the finances, and collects the tax
DOD, The Department of Defense
Represents our military women and men
Department of Justice defends the law of the land
The Attorney General’s the main woman or man
Chorus
Verse II
Throughout the states, the government owns area
Run by the Department of the Interior
The Department of Agriculture; the USDA
Takes care of the farmers and the food on our plate
The Department of Commerce is always on their toes
They’re in charge of promoting our economy’s growth
The DOL, the Department of Labor
Protects the rights that employees favor
Chorus
Verse III
Health and Human Services, DHHS
Protects the health of all of us, they never settle for less
The Department of Housing and Urban Development
Promotes fair housing and affordable rent
The Department of Transportation, the DOT
Maintains roads and highways for the whole country
The energy policy and nuclear safety
Is guarded by the Department of Energy on the daily
Chorus
Verse IV
Check it out: the Department of Education
Maintains public schools throughout the nation
The Department of Veteran Affairs is on the list
Providing veterans of war with special benefits
Homeland Security defends our homeland
Protecting our borders is part of the plan
These 15 people, plus the Vice
Assist the President with good advice
Presidents, they need some help
They can’t do the job all by themselves
We’ve got the Cabinet, the advisory crew
The heads of the departments, and here’s what they do
(×2)
Verse I
The Department of State, the most important one there
Advises the president on foreign policy affairs
The Department of Treasury prints the cash
Manages the finances, and collects the tax
DOD, The Department of Defense
Represents our military women and men
Department of Justice defends the law of the land
The Attorney General’s the main woman or man
Chorus
Verse II
Throughout the states, the government owns area
Run by the Department of the Interior
The Department of Agriculture; the USDA
Takes care of the farmers and the food on our plate
The Department of Commerce is always on their toes
They’re in charge of promoting our economy’s growth
The DOL, the Department of Labor
Protects the rights that employees favor
Chorus
Verse III
Health and Human Services, DHHS
Protects the health of all of us, they never settle for less
The Department of Housing and Urban Development
Promotes fair housing and affordable rent
The Department of Transportation, the DOT
Maintains roads and highways for the whole country
The energy policy and nuclear safety
Is guarded by the Department of Energy on the daily
Chorus
Verse IV
Check it out: the Department of Education
Maintains public schools throughout the nation
The Department of Veteran Affairs is on the list
Providing veterans of war with special benefits
Homeland Security defends our homeland
Protecting our borders is part of the plan
These 15 people, plus the Vice
Assist the President with good advice
Reading
Teachervision.fen.comU.S. President’s Cabinet
This website provides a description of each department featured in the Cabinet. Though subscription-based, you are allowed access to a certain number of documents before you must log-in.
Whitehouse.gov
The President's Cabinet
Students will get a brief summary of the Cabinet, as well as detailed profiles and pictures of member.
The official websites for each department of the Cabinet:
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Education
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of the Interior
Department of Justice
Department of State
Department of Transportation
Department of the Treasury
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Homeland Security
Lesson Plans & Activities
Trumanlibrary.orgA Cabinet Meeting
For this activity, the teacher will form an agenda for a mock Cabinet meeting, and assign roles to each student. There are other games and puzzles on this site as well.
Middleschool.net
The President’s Cabinet (internet & printers required)
Students will use computers to create templates for collecting information and photographs of each secretary, and then print them to form larger charts.
PBS.org
The President’s Cabinet: Choosing the Right Person for the Job
This is a multi-day lesson plan designed to give students an opportunity to better understand the three branches of government, and checks and balances. The activities include graphing data and participating in a classroom debate. National curriculum standards are listed.
Media
BrainPOP.comBranches of Government (video) (subscription and login required)
Tim and Moby talk about the three different branches of the United States government and how the system of checks and balances helps limit the power of each branch.
