Every 4 years we vote for a new president to run our country. The presidents chosen are highly qualified, intelligent, important people who do their best to convince all of us that they're the best candidate for running our Country.

Up until 1971, Americans acknowledged the individual birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. However, in 1971, President Richard Nixon declared that the third Monday of February would be a day to honor ALL of the past presidents. This day is now known as President's Day.

It is almost President's Day! The local news station has recently announced that they will air a documentary on one significant US president every year on President's Day. As we all know, many former president were extremely important in their own ways. Therefore, each year the producers will focus on a different president. However, this is the stations first year doing this President's Day special and they need your help in deciding which of the former US Presidents was most significant. The station will create a documentary on an influential and significant US president and will air the program for the public on President's Day.

It is your group's job to persuade the producers and reporters of the local news station that the president you were randomly assigned to research was the most successful and rewarding president for our country and deserves to be the president they create a documentary on.

It's your turn to find out what's so special about our presidents. Using this website and the worksheet you've been provided, answer the questions asked for one specific president you have been assigned.

Your local news station has selected our fifth grade class to help them decide which President they should create a documentary on for this coming President's Day. Your group has the power to influence which president the station will make a documentary on for the rest of the community to watch. As citizens of the United States, you will also realize and better understand the impact and significance one individual had on the country you are proud to be a citizen of!

In groups of three, you will research one of the nine most influential former presidents of the United States and create the following:
1) Tri-board poster board
2) Oral presentation
3) Skit, Role Play, Poem OR Song (choose 1)
4) The teacher and other groups in the audience are responsible for providing oral and written feedback to EACH group after they present.
5) Persuasive Letter to the local news station

Use the websites below to find information on your president. Each website has different information for you to explore. Find all of your information, then choose the best answers and facts for your president study.

I. Visual Organization of Research:
Poster Board: Each group will organize their facts and information they researched on a poster board (three sided). Make sure the poster board includes the following:
1) Picture of the president
2) Name of the president
3) Where and when the president was born
4) Battles, wars, speeches, signings, family info, etc.
5) Pictures make the poster visually appealing!
6) Any interesting facts or other significances your group feels are important.
Remember: You are not going to be able persuade the news station only with facts, dates, and pictures. You must be able to understand and communicate the importance of the dates, facts, and events you put on your poster board.

II. Presentation of Research:
1) Each group will present their poster board to the class.
2) Presentation time must be between 5-10 minutes.
*All group members must present. (3 sided poster board- each group member presents a side)

III. Presentation: Creativity- role play, song, poem
Each group must perform a skit of either a battle, signing, speech, or other significant event that reflects the importance of their president. Instead of role play, groups may also create their own short song or poem and present it to the class.
You are one out of nine groups trying to convince the news station- persuasion is key!
According to the Merriam-Webster Word Central Dictionary, to persuade is "to win over to a belief or to a course of action by argument or earnest request."

IV: Class and Teacher Feedback
The class and teacher will provide each group with feedback about their presentation and research.

V: Letter to News Station
After receiving feedback from the teacher and class, each group will write one persuasive letter to the local news station. The goal of the letter is to persuade and convince the news station that the president your group researched is the most influential president in US history and deserves to be the president they create and show a documentary on.

It is EXTREMELY important that you use reliable websites to find all of your facts and information. Remember,you must persuade the news station with CORRECT facts and information in order for your president to be selected for the documentary.
Here are some examples of websites that may be helpful:
1) The official website of the White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents

2) IPL: POTUS (Presidents Of The United States:
Background information, election results, notable events, and some points of interest on each of the presidents.
http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/

3) VIDEO/VISUAL: For informational videos about your president, visit:
The Official Site of the History Channel
http://www.history.com/topics/the-us-presidents
(type in the president's name in the search box in the upper right corner of the website)

Your grade depends on the completion of your questions and creation of your poster. Once you've found all information on your president you're going to create a poster to show everything you've learned!