American Presidents Lesson Plans

	Elections and Voting Lesson Plans		U.S. Presidents Worksheets
	U.S. Presidents Teaching Theme		Washington and Lincoln Theme Workbook

1. A President’s Home and the President’s House- How does the White House differ from a presidential home such as Monticello?
2. Abraham Lincoln Classroom Activities- Complete unit on Honest Abe.
3. Birthplace of John F. Kennedy: Home of the Boy Who Would Be President- Visit JFK's birthplace and consider the effects of culture and community in shaping character and personality.
4. Choices and Commitments: The Soldiers at Gettysburg- Trace the course of this Civil War battle and consider the wrenching personal choices that were made by soldiers on each side, and evaluate Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and its impact in regard to the occasion it was written to commemorate.
5. Classroom Lincoln-Douglas Debate- "Students will understand a position well enough to be able to respond to arguments against it."
6. If I Were President …- "Students compose a brief essay telling what they would do to solve problems in the United States if they were elected president."

1. George Washington: The Precedent President- What important developments occurred during George Washington's tenure as the first "President of the United States"?
2. Growing into Public Service: William Howard Taft's Boyhood Home- Visit the home of the only man to serve the country both as president and chief justice, and meet the rest of his public service-oriented family.
3. Hail To The Chief- "Students will acquaint themselves with different styles of music that are available to American musicians and compose variations on the theme of “Hail to the Chief” using these various styles"
4. Harry Truman and Independence, Missouri: "This is Where I Belong"- Learn why the life of the 33rd U.S. President serves as an example of civic duty and explore the town that helped form his character.
5. Herbert Hoover: Iowa Farm Boy and World Humanitarian- Consider the impact of Hoover's boyhood years on his desire to help starving children as the administrator of the Belgian Relief Commission during World War I.
6. How and Why Has the White House Changed?- What changes were made to the exterior and why?
7. How Was the White House Designed?- What process was used for choosing the initial design of the White House?
8. Letter to the President - "Students will decide on a name and identity as a letter writer. They will write to the President discussing what might have been their concerns or criticisms about the government during the time period."
9. Like Father, Like Son: Presidential Families- How unusual is it that a father and son become President of the United States? How often has this happened? Who were the families?
10. Martin Van Buren's "Return to the Soil"- Follow Van Buren's life and political career from his youth in Kinderhook, New York, to his retirement years at Lindenwald.
11. Memories of Montpelier: Home of James and Dolley Madison- Visit the Madisons' plantation home and their world of social prominence, and explore some contemporary views of slavery.
12. Political issues and Opinions- The purpose of the activity is for students to choose a stance on several political issues. Based on their responses and discussion of "liberal" and "conservative" students will be able to align themselves with a political faction.
13. Presidential Campaign Persuasive Speeches- "This lesson covers presidential history, persuasive writing, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and advertising techniques."
14. Presidential Database- "Have the students set up a database that will cover all 43 presidents of the US and their vice presidents..."
15. Presidential Trading Cards- Students will gather data using the Internet to create products related to technology.
16. Springwood: Birthplace and Home to Franklin D. Roosevelt- Understand how Springwood was the keystone in Franklin Delano Roosevelt's public as well as private life by playing host to some very dramatic events in American history.
17. Thaw in the Cold War: Eisenhower and Khrushchev at Gettysburg- Delve into a superpower meeting and see how President Eisenhower's diplomacy temporarily eased Cold War tensions.
18. The Election Process and Political Cartoons- Students organize the information they researched in the previous two lessons to create a flow chart that shows the process for electing a U.S. president and vice-president from the primary elections through inauguration day.
19. The Political Debate as a Means of Informing the Voters During a Presidential Election Year- : The purpose of this activity is to help students understand the nature of the two-party system in American politics and the importance it serves in transferring the public will into political action.
20. The President's Roles and Responsibilities: Communicating with the President- Through these lessons, students learn about the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. president and their own roles as citizens of a democracy.
21. The Battle of Horseshoe Bend: Collision of Cultures- Consider the complex political and cultural differences that existed between European Americans and American Indians during the early 19th century, and learn how the campaign against the Creeks increased Andrew Jackson’s popularity among American citizens, which helped him win the presidency.
22. The Presidental Campaign Game- The purpose of this political game is to give the students experience in working within the political process.
23. The Washington Monument: Tribute in Stone- Understand why George Washington was so revered during his lifetime and beyond, and learn why it took 100 years to complete this famous monument in his honor.
24. Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site: Birthplace of the Modern Presidency- Examine the circumstances under which Theodore Roosevelt first became President of the United States and how his policies and actions modernized the presidency.
25. Thomas Jefferson's Times- "Students explore an online resource to learn about Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States."
26. US Foreign Policy in the 1970s and at the Turn of the Millennium- "Identify areas of problems and progress in US foreign policy 30 years ago and today."
27. U.S. President: Facts - "Students will become familiar with the names of the presidents of the United States."
28. A Walk Through History (Presidents)- "Students will write a biography about one President. Students will also create a picture of the president they did research on to display in the hall."
29. Where Were the U.S. Presidents Born?- This lesson uses maps to process and report information from a spatial perspective. Students will identify the states that have presidential birth sites and will differentiate the states with more presidential birth sites on a map.
30. Who wants to be president?- "This game is very close to the "STAR" student that most rooms in my school have."
31. Woodrow Wilson: Prophet of Peace- Examine Wilson's struggle to achieve lasting world peace following World War I.
32. Write a Letter to the President- "Students will write a letter or send an email to the president of the United States."