Inauguration Day Activities and Resources
for Secondary Students
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
The President’s Roles and Responsibilities: Understanding the President’s Job
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=385
Describe the various roles of the President, examine how the President communicates
with the public, and express personal views to the President in a letter.
I Do Solemnly Swear: Presidential Inaugurations
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?ID=333
Summarize the Constitutional requirements for inaugurations and the oath of office,
describe the purpose of an inauguration, and state an opinion about what should happen
at an inauguration.
The Inauguration and Diversity
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/us/july-dec08/inauguration_12-23.html
Analyze events scheduled to take place during the 2009 inauguration and evaluate the
degree to which they reflect cultural diversity in the United States.
Just One Term Ago: Inauguration 2005
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4460172
Analyze excerpts from the inauguration speech given by President Bush in 2005 to
determine his views on the United States as a nation in the world.
Just One Term Later: Inauguration 2009
http://www.npr.org Locate transcript (usually available in print with audio).
Analyze excerpts from the inauguration speech given by President Obama in 2009 to
determine his views on the United States as a nation in the world. Compare this view
with that of President Bush in 2005.
The Inauguration and the Media
http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/main.asp
Examine newspaper headlines from around the nation and the world to compare coverage
of Inauguration Day.
Comparing Presidencies: Roosevelt and Obama
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/wwii
http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/briefroom/BriefRm
http://www.dol.gov/index.htm
Compare economic conditions at the beginning of Franklin Roosevelt’s and Barack
Obama’s presidencies, identify the challenges facing each president, and analyze each
president’s plan to address those problems.
International Reactions
Compare statements released by world leaders regarding the inauguration of Barack
Obama using the following resources (Note: Teachers should preview information on the
following web sites prior to presenting it to students.)
Latin America: Mexico
http://diplomacymonitor.com/stu/dma1.nsf/tr/tt94A89F706B393A3C852574F800
21973A?opendocument&or=/stu/dma1.nsf/allzzzSearchView&SearchMax=400&
Count=20&Start=1&SearchOrder=1&SearchWV=True&Query=calderon&home
=y|&dn=dn94A89F706B393A3C852574F80021973A
South Asia: India
http://pmindia.nic.in/prelease/pcontent.asp?id=849
East Asia: China and Japan
http://diplomacymonitor.com/stu/dm.nsf/dn/dn49A0F239441D1056852574F8002
DAA72
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/asospeech/2008/11/05danwa_e.html
Africa: Kenya
http://diplomacymonitor.com/stu/dma1.nsf/uh/cc7232640439A73984052574F900
1420FC
Middle East: Iran
http://www1.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-203/0811084907143917.htm
Europe: Germany
http://www.auswaertigesamt.de/diplo/en/Infoservice/Presse/Interview/2008/081107-BM-FAZUSWAHL.html
Central Eurasia: Russia
http://diplomacymonitor.com/stu/dm.nsf/dn/dnD79D8CDC8F1CEE45852574FC0
03E5F59
SAFARI MONTAGE:
http://10.4.1.240/SAFARI/montage/play.php?keyindex=270&location=local
The executive branch of the federal government is analyzed, including the roles and
responsibilities of the president, vice president, and cabinet.
http://10.4.1.240/?a=6225&s=00:08:48:05&e=00:09:32:29
The inauguration is the ceremony that helps the winning candidate begin his/her
presidency; the new president swears an oath; the oath has been the same since George
Washington became president.
http://10.4.1.240/?a=90618&s=00:22:36:15&e=00:24:04:00
Every president takes the same 35-word oath during inauguration.
http://10.4.1.240/?a=6225&s=00:09:32:00&e=00:10:14:00
After the oath, the new president gives a speech called the inaugural address; the
inaugural address can set the tone for the presidency.
http://10.4.1.240/?a=35991&s=00:14:30:08&e=00:15:50:00
On April 14 1789, General George Washington was notified he was chosen to be the first
President of the United States: when he traveled to New York for his inauguration, he
was greeted warmly by citizens.
http://10.4.1.240/?a=57998&s=00:06:20:00&e=00:07:52:00
Andrew Jackson was elected and focused on making the government work more for the
common man; Jackson's inauguration was known as the ''People's Inaugural''.
http://10.4.1.240/?a=58139&s=00:15:01:17&e=00:16:21:00
James K. Polk was nicknamed ''Young Hickory'' because of his devotion to ''Old
Hickory'' Andrew Jackson; ''Hail to the Chief'' played for the first time at Polk's 1845
inauguration; first live media event of its kind when Samuel Morse tapped out the
presidential oath using Morse Code.
http://10.4.1.240/?a=37276&s=00:30:05:14&e=00:33:00:14
On the day of his inauguration, Abraham Lincoln presented a message of hope for the
country; Lincoln is described as central figure of the Civil War; John Wilkes Booth was
present.
http://10.4.1.240/?a=35999&s=00:09:45:05&e=00:10:36:11
On January 20, 1961, twenty thousand people gathered in Washington, D.C. for John F.
Kennedy's inauguration; President Kennedy said, ''...ask not what America will do for
you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.''
ONLINE RESOURCES:
The America Presidency: A Glorious Burden
http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/presidency/6b_frame.html
The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institute provides
information and visual sources about Inaugural parades, the oath of office, and Inaugural
celebrations.
Inauguration Day: Past and Present
http://inaugural.senate.gov/history
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies provides history about and
visuals of the activities that take place on Inauguration Day including the traditional
morning worship service, procession, swearing-in ceremony, address, luncheon, parade,
and Inaugural Ball.
Presidential Inaugural Committee
http://www.pic2009.org/content/home/
Official website for the 2009 inauguration