American Presidents Lesson Plans

	American Presidents: Obama & G.W. Bush		American Presidents: Nixon, LBJ & JFK
	American Presidents: Clinton & G. H. W. Bush		Elections and Voting Lesson Plans
	American Presidents: Reagan, Carter & Ford		U.S. Presidents Teaching Theme
	American Presidents: T. Roosevelt & Wilson		U.S. Presidents Worksheets
	American Presidents: F. Roosevelt & Eisenhower		Washington and Lincoln Theme Workbook

1. A Day for Our Presidents- No school on Monday! It is a national holiday. Do students understand the meaning and history of our national holidays? Students are invited to listen to, view, and discuss Presidents' Day, the national holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February.
2. A President’s Home and the President’s House- How does the White House differ from a presidential home such as Monticello?
3. Abraham Lincoln- The students will work cooperatively to decide whether the index card that contains the pre-written fact or accomplishment is correct or incorrect. The index cards were created in a Word Document file.
4. Abraham Lincoln Classroom Activities- Complete unit on Honest Abe.
5. Are U.S. Presidents Leaders or Figureheads?- Students analyze three presidents. They create a graphic organizer explaining how three influences for each president affected the development of the New Nation.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Class President- Have you wondered what kind of person makes a good president? Students learn strategies to develop reading vocabulary and learn to identify comparison and contrast as an aid to comprehension as they follow Julio and his secret desire to become class president.
4. Classroom Lincoln-Douglas Debate- "Students will understand a position well enough to be able to respond to arguments against it."
5. Determining the President of 1860- The learner will determine who won the U.S. Presidential election of 1860. Students will find the information online, create a database, manipulate a spreadsheet and present findings.
6. Franklin Roosevelt and the Dime- Franklin Delano Roosevelt served four terms. Learn about his life, presidency, monument, and tributes to him through stories and poems. Students will also learn the attributes of a dime.
7. George Washington: The Precedent President- What important developments occurred during George Washington's tenure as the first "President of the United States"?
8. 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.
9. 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"
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. How and Why Has the White House Changed?- What changes were made to the exterior and why?
13. How Was the White House Designed?- What process was used for choosing the initial design of the White House?
14. Jefferson on a Nickel- Who wrote our Declaration of Independence? Our third president, Thomas Jefferson, was the main writer. Learn about his life, presidency, monument, and tributes to him through stories and poems. Students will also learn the attributes of a nickel.
15. 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."
16. 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."
17. 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?
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. President/Executive Branch- To be able to distinguish a duty of the president from duties of the other branches. A student will be able to identify different roles that the president fills.
22. President Who?- Using their reading comprehension skills, the students will demonstrate their knowledge of basic facts on George Washington and Abraham Lincoln through a question and answer game format.
23. Presidential Campaign Persuasive Speeches- "This lesson covers presidential history, persuasive writing, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and advertising techniques."
24. Presidential Database- "Have the students set up a database that will cover all 43 presidents of the US and their vice presidents..."
25. Presidential Sweet- Students learn about Presidents' Day, the individuals commemorated on this holiday, and their importance in history. They write a letter to a president stating things they have learned.
26. Presidential Trading Cards- Students will gather data using the Internet to create products related to technology.
27. Role of the Government- What does one mean by the word "government?" What first comes to mind might be the United States Capitol in Washington D.C., your state capitol, or even your local city hall.
28. 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.
29. System of Checks and Balances- Students will be able to identify the powers delegated to the three branches of government, illustrate how the system of checks and balances work and determine how the checks and balances system can be seen in today's modern democratic system.
30. 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.
31. 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.
32. 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.
33. The President's Role and Succession- This lesson shows the role the President of the United States plays in American government and the order of succession of cabinet members.
34. 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.
35. 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.
36. The Presidental Campaign Game- The purpose of this political game is to give the students experience in working within the political process.
37. 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.
38. The Watergate Crisis- This lesson will explain how the Watergate crisis called attention to how the power of the President of the United States can be abused.
39. 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.
40. Thomas Jefferson's Times- "Students explore an online resource to learn about Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States."
41. Toontime- In this lesson, students write an essay about the governmental issues that surrounded Andrew Jackson's presidency. They discuss how editorial cartoons are made and create an editorial cartoon of their own about a president.
42. Top 10 Tips for Incorporating President's Day Themes in Your Classroom- History is often a difficult subject to teach. Students frequently have a hard time understanding how something that happened long before they were born can affect them today.
43. 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."
44. U.S. President: Facts - "Students will become familiar with the names of the presidents of the United States."
45. 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."
46. Washington and the Quarter- Why is George Washington called the Father of our Country? Learn about the life of this president, his monument, and tributes to him through stories and poems. Students also learn the attributes of a quarter.
47. 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.
48. Who wants to be president?- "This game is very close to the "STAR" student that most rooms in my school have."
49. Why Bother To Vote In Florida?- This lesson provides opportunities for students to gain knowledge about the Florida 2000 Presidential Election, proposed changes in the process, and to practice communication skills, including listening and speaking.
50. Woodrow Wilson: Prophet of Peace- Examine Wilson's struggle to achieve lasting world peace following World War I.
51. Write a Letter to the President- "Students will write a letter or send an email to the president of the United States."