Resource Unit
Ed 417
Jodi Ellis
Laura Mros
KathyAnn Black
Presidents
3rd grade
Table of Contents
Section
Presidents
Page Number
Introduction………………………………………..3
Content…………………………………………….4
Objectives………………………………………….9
Activities……………………………………….....10-16
Evaluation………………………………………...17-21
Instructional Resources…………………………..22
Teacher References………………………………22-23
Student References………………………………24-26
Media References………………………………..27-32
Introduction
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Presidents
It is important for students to be aware of what our
United States Presidents have done in the past for our country
as well as what they do for us today. It is also important that
they realize that they can play a part in who our president is
when they are old enough to vote or by encouraging those who
are old enough to vote.
In this resource unit the third grade students will realize
the importance of the president. As well as the important
achievements that different presidents have made for our
country. This unit will take about seven days to go through.
The students will gain an understanding of the Untied
States Presidents through activities, videos, hands on
experiences, and computer software. With all the knowledge
they obtain from this unit they will be able to help convince
their parents to vote if they do not already.
Content
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Presidents
1. President background
On the first day the students will take a look at the president
that they choose. They will look at his lifestyle before he
became president. The students will do this through creating
a time lime of events that happened during the life of the
president before they became president.
2.Presidents Campaign
On day two the students will take a look at what all goes into
a campaign for presidency.The students will achieve this
through a web diagram.
Content
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Presidents
3.Election
The students will learn what an election is and all that goes
into a election. They will do this through a mock election.
4.Events
On the fourth day the students will learn about what took place
during their presidents presidency. They will then add these
Dates and events to their time line. They will also recreate on
of these events in any form they feel suit the situation.
5.Achievements
On the fifth day the students will find out some of the greatest
achievements of their presidents. They will present these
accomplishments through a poem.
Content
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Presidents
6.Political Party
The students will take a look at what political party their
president represents. They will gather information and then
create a poster board displaying this information.
7.Importance of a President
The students will look at the importance of having a president.
The students will do by listing out what they think is
important and then we will graph it as a class to see what most
children feel is important.
8.Responsibilities
The children will look at what the president is responsible for.
They will do this through a web diagram.
Content
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Presidents
9. Evaluation
On the final day of the lesson the children will be given a test
over the information discussed during the unit. The test will
be multiple choice and essay. The children will also have a
choice if they would like to do an extra project for an
additional fifteen points added to their test score.
Content
-8-
Presidents
Concepts
Democracy
Republican
Independent
Election
Family
Military
Campaign
Debate
Sponsors
Backers
Impeachment
Amendments
Bill of Rights
Civil Rights Act
Ballot
Candidates
Popular vote
Electoral vote
Declaration of Independence
Presidents Names
President Cabinet
White House
First ladies
Registration
Objectives
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Presidents
Given the opportunities to correct materials, the students will be able to:
1.Give a definition of there presidents political party.
2.Name the three political parties.
3.List three that go into a campaign.
4.Name five thing about an election.
5.Name four events that took place during there presidents
term.
6.List three of there presidents greatest achievements.
7. The students should be able to tell why a president is
important.
8.List five of the presidents responsibilities.
9.Name at least five presidents of the united states.
Activities
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Presidents
Day 1: Presidents Background
Introduction:The teacher will introduce the unit and briefly talk
about the activities to come over the next two weeks. The teacher
then will talk about a few of our presidents to spark the interest of
her students. She then will have the students come up a row at a
time and pick a president they would like to research. It will be
first come first serve so the row that is sitting best will get to
choose first. Then the students will make a time line of events that
happened to their president before he became president.
Outcome: The students were introduce to the unit on presidents.
They have a president that they will now continue to find
information on throughout the unit. Today they learned about
there presidents background.
Development:.The students will develop library skills, math skills,
creativity, English skills, and history skills. All these skills will be
developed through the library research for materials to use and the
time line they are going to create.
Activities
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Presidents
Day 2: Presidents Campaign
Introduction: The students will be introduced to the different parts
of a campaign through a video and other material showing previous
campaigns of the presidency.
Outcome: The students will explore all the different aspects of a
campaign further through web diagrams.
Development: The teacher will ask the students things they would
use in their campaign if they were running for presidency. They
will later experience some of this during the mock election.
Activities
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Presidents
Day 3: Running for President
Introduction: The students will be introduced to a variety of
president campaign slogans. The students will also watch videos
that contain campaign slogans.
Outcome: The students will then use this information and create
their own slogan as if they were running for presidency. The students
will make posters with their slogan on it, and they will use the poster
during the mock election.
Development: This will help the students see all that is involved
when running for presidency. The students will also develop their
language arts skills when coming up with a catchy slogan.
Activities
Day 4: Events
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Presidents
Introduction: The students will be introduced to some of the
important events that took place during different presidency’s
through a word search. This will help them to first become familiar
with some of the words.
Outcome: Students will use the words they found in the word search
and determine which event took place during their president’s term.
they then will recreate this event in however they see fit. They will be
able to get a start on this in class and will finish at home. Example
might be to recreate a war with figures and materials or recreate a
document. Each recreation needs to have a description with it telling
the importance and the effects the event had on the president and the
country. All students will then present their recreations to the class.
Development: This lesson will develop the students creativity skills
as well as there historic knowledge. This will also show you how a
student is learning through their recreation.
Activities
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Presidents
Day 5: Achievements
Introduction: The teacher will try and spark the students interest
by telling them about all she has achieved in life. Then she will
ask them what they have achieved. For instance if they know how
to ride a bike and what they had to do to accomplish this
achievement.
Outcome: The students then will use the materials they have
gathered on their president and write a poem that contains all their
presidents achievements.
Development: This will help students develop their research skills,
language arts skills, and writing skills.
Activities
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Presidents
Day 6: Political Party
Introduction: The teacher will bring in pictures and objects that
represent the symbols used for each political party, and discuss
the importance of the symbols.
Outcome: The student will develop knowledge about the different
political parties that exist. They then will be able to create a poster
with the information on the political party of their president.
Development: The students will develop their creativity skills,
political skills, and reason skills.
Activities
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Presidents
Day 7: Election
Introduction: The students will be introduced to the materials and
aspects of election through pictures and objects the teacher will
bring in.
Outcome:The students will then use what they learned earlier and
on previous days to create a mock election.
Development: This will help develop the student’s collaboration
Skills. They will also learn the importance of an election and how
one vote can make a difference.
Evaluation
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Presidents
Unit Test- Presidency
Name:______________
Multiple Choice (1 point each)
1. Which president was the only president to be elected
unanimously?
a). George Washington
b). George W. Bush
c). John F. Kennedy
d). Thomas Jefferson
Evaluation
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Presidents
2. This president authorized the Lewis and Clark expedition.
a). Ulysses S. Grant
b). Harry S. Truman
d). Thomas Jefferson
c). Bill Clinton
3. Who was the oldest man to be elected president?
a). George Washington
b). Ronald Reagan
c). Thomas Jefferson
d). John F. Kennedy
Evaluation
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Presidents
4. On January 23, 1863, this president issued the
Emancipation Proclamation.
a). Bill Clinton
b). Ronald Reagan
c). Abraham Lincoln
d). George Washington
5. The two major political parties in the U.S. are the _______
and __________.
a). Socialists, Democrats
b). Libertarian, Socialists
c). Democrats, Republicans
d). Reform, Libertarian
Evaluation
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Presidents
True/False (2 points each)
1. There has been a total of 38 president’s thus far. T F
If false, correct the statement below to make the statement
true.
2. The president can stay in office for a total of 10 terms. T F
If false, correct the statement below to make the statement true.
Evaluation
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Presidents
Short Essay (5 points each)
Read each question carefully, then answer the questions on a
separate sheet of paper.
1). If I were president I would…
2). Each of you had to research one president, I would like you
to state at least five things you learned about your president.
Resources(Teachers)
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Presidents
Beyond the Cherry Tree: Stories of the Presidents. Activity book. J. Weston Walch.
1996.
Designed to help students identify with”the person behind the presidency.”each of
the 41 biographies in this activity book begins with colorful anecdotes from the
president’s youth, then discusses the major events of his adult life and term of office.
Contains discussion questions, and group activities.
Our Federal Government. 3 VHS videos, 3 guides. Rainbow, 1993.
This video series provides a straightforward introduction to the
three branches of government, emphasizing their cooperative
roles in governing the nation. Contains review questions, activities, a
reproducible quiz, and script.
The American Presidents. Activity book. Monday Morning. 2000.
This learn-by-doing book ties 130 simple craft projects to intriguing facts about our
chief executives. Contains president and first-lady cards, the White House, flags and
symbols, and a 50-state map.
Resources(Teachers)
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We the People. Paperback book. Teacher’s guide. Center of Civic Education.
This teacher-written book embraces the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and
what it means to be a responsible citizen. Contains copies of the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution, biographies of framers, and a glossary.
Electing a President: The Process. VHS videocassette. Rainbow, 1993.
This traces the evolution of presidential elections from Washington to Clinton.
Topics include president eligibility requirements, the electoral college, primaries,
conventions, and debates. Contains a teacher guide.
Resources(Students)
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You are the President. Hardback book. Nathan Aaseng. The Oliver Press. 1994
This book contains a series of challenging questions designed to make students
weight options, plot strategies, and make risky decisions about all aspects of a
president’s life. The students’ decisions are them compared to the decisions by the
great presidents.
Hail to the Candidate. Paperback book. Keith Melder. Smithsonian Press, 1992
A 212-page reference book celebrating 200 years of presidential campaigns. Fully
illustrated volume shows the devices used to capture voter attention from
Washington to Bush. Captures the essence of the election and campaigning.
Electing a President. 30 poster worksheets. Teaching & Learning Company. 1996
Hands-on projects that teach how elections work. Students apply research,
thinking, and artistic skills to illustrate the election process.
Presidents of the United States. 82 cards, guide. Media Materials. 1996
Provides a wealth of activities and games for learning centers, individual or
cooperative play, or class openers. 41 presidential biography cards and 41 picture
cards to play games.
Resources(Students)
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Presidential Puzzlers. Activity Book. Good Year. 1999
Presidential tidbits form the basis for word-searches, crossword puzzles and other
games. Students might need to do a little research at the library to find some of the
answers out.
Presidential Elections: A complete Resource with Historical Information. Activity
book. 1999
Priming future voters for elections in 2000 and beyond, the lessons in this book
help them learn about political parties and conventions, the mechanics of running
a campaign, and the election process itself. Contains directions and worksheets for
staging mock presidential election in the classroom.
Beginnings -Civilization and Government:Tell Me Why. VHS Videocassette.
Penguin Productions.
Students are shown the origins of American institutions and customs in this
entertainment program based on the acclaimed Tell Me Why Books by Arkady
Leokum.
Resources(Students)
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Encyclopedia of the Presidents and Their Times. Hardback book. David Rubel.
1997
This easy-to-use, one-volume reference surveys American history by examining the
terms of the presidents from Washington to Clinton.
Electing the President: Inside the Government. Hardback book. Barbara S.
Feinberg. Twenty-First Century Books, 1995.
This book contains an overview of all the steps involved in electing a president,
including primary process, national conventions, and campaigns. Contains
illustrative historical examples.
Presidents of the United States Fact Cards. Fact cards. Toucan Valley. Second
edition. 2001
An ideal starting place for student projects and reports, these reproducible 8 1/2 x
11 double-sided cards are conveniently housed in a three-ring binder. Each
illustrated card displays basic data for each president from George Washington to
George W. Bush.
Resources(Media)
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Hail to the Chief: Presidential Elections: VHS Videocassette. Sunburst. 2000
In concise narration accompanied by graphics and archival footage, this basic
introduction looks at the history and present-day procedures involved in electing a
U.S. President.
The American President: VHS Videocassette. Boxed set. WNET/Kunhardt. 2000
These videos are compelling 12-20-minute profiles of America’s first 41 presidents
and they are organized thematically.
The Presidency: VHS Videocassette. Rainbow. 1993
The responsibilities of the chief executive are outlined, as are the many offices and
departments that help the president discharge those duties.
The 30-Second President. VHS Videocassette. CEL/BDM. 1984
This is a documentary of political advertisements on television. Specific coverage
of presidential elections. Top ad execs analyze the effects this country’s most
memorable commercials had on that “one-day sale” held in America on a Tuesday
in November.
Resources(Media)
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Electing a President: VHS Videocassette. Rainbow.
Tracing the evolution of presidential elections from Washington to Clinton, this
video introduces students to eligibility for office, the electoral college, primaries,
conventions, and debates.
State Government: Hardback book. Ernestine Giesecke. Heinemann Library. 2000
Concise and easy to understand, this volume defines the purpose of state
government, and introduces the functions of the three branches of government.
Readers also learn about who can run for office and how they are elected.
Presidents: Hardback book. Eyewitness books. James Barber. Dorling Kindersley.
2000.
A richly pictorial, chronological catalog of America’s presidents amplifies its terse
summaries of their terms in office with full-color captioned portraits, images of
campaign paraphernalia, political cartoons, and archival paintings and
photographs.
Resources(Media)
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All About Elections: CD-ROM Software. Thomas S. Klise Company 1999
Full-color cartoon slides, clear audio, and informative text explain the election
process. A factual introduction explains the basics: who may vote and the election
process. Difficult words are highlighted and linked to definitions.
The American Presidency: CD-ROM Software. Grolier. 1999
Biographies of the presidents drawn from three different encyclopedias make this
CD-ROM a perfect starting place for research and report writing. Students can
also use hot links to jump directly from the CD to the World Wide Web and access
the home pages of presidential libraries and birthplaces.
Campaigns, Candidates, and the Presidency: CD-ROM Software. Compton’s New
Media. 1995
This software has an in-depth analysis of the issues, events, and outcomes of every
presidential campaign from Washington to Clinton. CD contains narrated
montages of the elections and terms of office. Contains a presidential trivia game
that lets students make their own run for the high office.
Resources(Media)
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Elections: Activity book. Carson-Dellosa. 1998
This book covers election basics in 17 articles with multi-level worksheets. The
activities include running for election, who votes, opinion polls, campaign
financing, and what it takes to win.
Candidates, Campaigns, and Elections: Activity book Scholastic. 2000
This three-part book features high-interest games and activities geared to
different ability levels. “Election Basics” surveys the electoral process, voter
registration, and voting. Contains a fold-out poster, “Electing Our President.”
U.S. Presidents Puzzles: Puzzle book. Carson-Dellosa. 2000
The 16 crosswords, five word searches, and one grand scramble with every
president’s first and last name balance fun with learning. Fact sheets with
pictures of each chief executive give the information needed to solve the puzzles.
Resources(Media)
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Our Nation’s Capital: Activities and Projects for Learning About Washington,
D.C. Activity book. Scholastic. 1996
Readings, activities, and a game introduce the landmarks and history of America’s
capital. Presents each landmark-the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court,
Smithsonian, and the Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, and Vietnam Memorials.
The Voting Machine: HyperCard Presentation, Career Publishing
This presentation transfers a computer into an official balloting machine for
school elections. Menu driven and very easy to operate, the program allows the
user to prepare ballots, collect votes, and tally results. Contains an extensive guide,
I voted today labels, and three wall charts.
Branches of Government: Posters. Knowledge Unlimited. 1996.
Displayed together, these colorful posters help students compare the executive,
legislative, and judicial branches of government and understand checks and
balances. Also shows the qualifications, terms of office, and basic duties of the
president.
Resources(Media)
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Executive Branch Posters: Posters. Waterwheel. 2001
This is a black-and-white poster of portraits of each of the presidents in
chronological order against a colorful background.
United States Presidents: Posters. White Mountain. 2001
Captioned portraits of every president surround a map of the U.S. filled with facts
about our chief executives, including birthplaces, monument sites, fascinating
tidbits, and accomplishments while in office.
Election 2000: Issues and Personalities of Campaign 2000 in Caricature and
Cartoon. Transparencies. Highsmith. 2000
Using 12 cartoons, the lessons in this booklet deal exclusively with the 2000
presidential election. Transparencies of the 12 cartoons focus class discussions and
debates on the parties, the candidates, and the issues most on the minds of the
voters.
Resources(Media)
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American Government. Laserdisc. CEL. 1994
This covers two main areas. Parties and Campaigns and The Presidency. The disc
is organized into 40 segments of interactive full-motion video. Content includes
clips from a televised election night and in-depth analysis of this election. Contents
include a 35-page guide containing thought questions, classroom exercises, reading
lists, and biographical data.