Instructional Video

On This Day: President Ford Pardon of Richard Nixon

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Was Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon an attempt to move the country forward or the final corruption of the Watergate scandal? A collection of videos includes Ford's speech to the nation, as well as interviews with Watergate prosecutors, journalists, and historians. Clips offer a great way to stimulate debate and discussion on whether Ford should have pardoned the scandal-ridden president.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Use Ford's speech to the nation to discuss whether he should have pardoned Nixon
  • After viewing the various perspectives on the pardon, conduct a four-corners debate on whether the pardon was the right decision
Classroom Considerations
  • Videos require a free C-SPAN Classroom account, or teachers may use of the following login credentials: Username: students, Password: C-SPANCLASSROOM
Pros
  • Resource includes a variety of primary sources, firsthand accounts, and historians
  • Clips are well-curated and easy to use in instruction
Cons
  • None