+
Unit Plan
1
1
Core Knowledge Foundation

Presidents and American Symbols Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology

For Teachers K Standards
Scholars look into the country's current president, past presidents, the White House, Washington D.C., and the Declaration of Independence. They identify the flag, the Statue of Liberty, as well as Mount Rushmore and the significance of...
+
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Historical Presidential Campaign Announcement Analysis

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Using the announcements of presidential candidacies, pupils consider how contenders make their initial arguments to the public. A worksheet helps structure collaborative work to analyze 10 video clips. Writing prompts allow for extension...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 1 Assessment: Analyzing an Excerpt from Barack Obama’s Back-to-School Speech

For Teachers 6th Standards
In order to assess their mastery of the concepts taught in a 12-lesson plan unit study of Christopher Paul Curtis' Bud, Not Buddy, individuals read excerpts from President Barack Obama's 2009 Back-to-School Speech and use the strategies...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 Learn

American Exclusivity: The Chinese Exclusion Act

For Teachers 11th Standards
The Chinese Exclusion Act—the first race-based immigration restriction—is echoed in today's debates on the topic. Using graphic organizers and structured discussions, historians consider the reasons behind the act and compare the...
+
Unit Plan
1
1
Miama-Dade County Public Schools

African Americans and the Civil War

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
The American Civil War is the theme of this packet of materials prepared for Black History Month. Class members learn about the roles that African Americans played during the Civil War and examine the African-American experience after...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: Jigsaw to Build and Share Expertise about the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, Part 1

For Teachers 5th Standards
Using the Jigsaw protocol, scholars study chunks of text from a speech given by former US presidents following a devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. As they read the speech in small groups, they build background knowledge and share...
+
Activity
PBS

Presidential Leadership and the Goal to Unify | America’s Great Divide: From Obama to Trump

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Traditionally, a United States President's Inaugural Address establishes the tone and vision for his presidency. It has stressed the goal to unify the country and bring the political parties together after what are often divisive...
+
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Presidential Candidate Firsts

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Hilary Clinton may have been the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket, but she was only one example of an historic candidacy. Class members use video clips curated from C-SPAN to examine historical firsts in...
+
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Evaluating Historical Presidential Campaign Ads

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Political ads flood the airwaves each election cycle. An activity including more than a dozen political ads from iconic presidential campaigns helps learners unpack how the sausage gets made during election "silly season." Using the...
+
Worksheet
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The Iran Nuclear Deal and Its Critics

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What was the purpose of the Iranian Nuclear Deal? An insightful resource explains nuclear tensions in the Middle East and Iranian weapon development that contributed to the Nuclear Deal in 2013. Academics learn the agreement limited...
+
Handout
ProCon

Obamacare

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Former President Barack Obama reformed the United States' health care system with Obamacare, but is the new legislation good for America? Scholars read a historical timeline about the passage of health care reform laws and compare United...
+
Lesson Plan
Albert Shanker Institute

Dream Under Development

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
As part of their study of the 1963 March on Washington, class members do a side-by-side comparison of the original text of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech" with a transcript of the speech he delivered. The take away from the...
+
Unit Plan
ReadWriteThink

Analyzing Famous Speeches as Arguments

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A speaker, a message, an audience. After analyzing these elements in Queen Elizabeth's speech to the troops at Tilbury, groups analyze how other speakers use an awareness of events, and their audience to craft their arguments....
+
Lesson Plan
NPR

The Obama Years

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Beginning with a quick writing prompt, young historians write about what they will remember most about President Obama's legacy. The activity opens up a larger discussion and exploration of his accomplishments, milestones, and the impact...
+
Lesson Plan
Mississippi Whole School Initiative

Dream Big...With Your Eyes Wide Open

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
For many people, Barack Obama's presidency was the next step in Martin Luther King, Jr's dream of America's future. Explore the dreams of Americans past and present, as well as the young Americans in your class, with a set of activities...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The 44th and 45th USA Presidents

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The transition of power between former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump may be the first political process that your students have followed. Fill out the details between these two leaders with a set of vocabulary...
+
Worksheet
DePaul University

Bold Plans, Big Dreams, City Progress

For Students 7th Standards
Determining which statements represent fact or the author's opinion in an integral part of reading informational text. Encourage seventh graders to read a passage about Barack Obama and the city of Chicago, as well as a passage focused...
+
Writing
2
2
K12 Reader

The Greatest President

For Students 3rd - 7th Standards
Who is the greatest US president? George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? FDR? Find out the opinions of your young historians with this cross-curricular writing prompt that engages them in researching the accomplishments of these influential...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
TCI

The 57th Inaugural Ceremonies

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Attend the party of the year with a hands-on learning experience focusing on the 57th inauguration of the president of the United States. Middle schoolers role play as guests at the prestigious Inaugural Ball, and learn more about why...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Care and Feeding of Kids: Finding Information on Nutrition and Fitness

For Teachers 5th - 10th
The Learning Network is featuring an article about First Lady Michelle Obama and her quest to help reduce childhood obesity in America. The article talks about how she has talked with the top three suppliers of school lunches and has...
+
Writing
Curated OER

What Do You Think of Obama's Oval Office Speech on the Oil Spill?

For Students 7th - 12th
Kids age 13 and older are asked to read the provided Times article and background information in order to construct a thoughtful blog response to Obama's first Oval Office speech. They work to address each of the related critical...
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

Nov. 4, 2008 | Obama Is Elected President

For Students 9th - 12th
Read this interesting background information regarding the presidential election of 2008. Your class will read the provided passages and then answer four critical thinking questions that require them to consider the reading and what they...
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

Pass This Jobs Bill

For Students 9th - 11th
It seems that print media is slowly being replaced by electronic versions. Get your kids reading the New York Times e-style. They'll read the provided article entitled, "Pass This Jobs Bill" then answer six comprehension questions. Two...
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Obama as the New Sisyphus

For Students 9th - 12th
Reveal how Greek Mythology can play into American politics through this political cartoon, where President Obama is depicted as Sisyphus. Background information gives scholars access to the cartoon's context, and three talking points...