Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: Jigsaw to Build and Share Expertise about the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, Part 1

For Teachers 5th Standards
Using the Jigsaw protocol, scholars study chunks of text from a speech given by former US presidents following a devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. As they read the speech in small groups, they build background knowledge and share...
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Evaluating Historical Presidential Campaign Ads

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Political ads flood the airwaves each election cycle. An activity including more than a dozen political ads from iconic presidential campaigns helps learners unpack how the sausage gets made during election "silly season." Using the...
Writing
2
2
K12 Reader

The Greatest President

For Students 3rd - 7th Standards
Who is the greatest US president? George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? FDR? Find out the opinions of your young historians with this cross-curricular writing prompt that engages them in researching the accomplishments of these influential...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

If I Were President?

For Teachers K - 8th
Students are ushered into the Oval Office with our patriotic Presidents Day activities. In this civics lesson plan, students explore the presidency as they research an American president and participate in up to 11 activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why a President? Why not a King?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Pupils research how and why a country elects to have an executive branch of the government. They study the office of the Presidency of the US.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Primary Sources: Letters from the Presidents

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students research the life of a president by reading personal letters on the American Presidents web site, and explore the ways that the character and personality of the president affected the ways they handled historical events.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paths to the Presidency

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate a timeline of the career paths that US presidents took before they became the president. They how these career choices prepared these men for the presidency.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry and the American Presidents

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders choose a poetry activity in order to focus their research about American presidents.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

President Notebook

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students make presidential notebooks which they add to throughout the year. They arrange information about each president into an informational chapter.
Article
CNN

Cnn: Obama, Clinton Meet to Discuss North Korea Trip

For Students 9th - 10th
President Bill Clinton met with President Barack Obama to brief him on Clinton's trip to North Korea to secure the release of two journalists. Talks also included Clinton's meeting with reclusive leader Kim Jong Il. (8/18/2009)
Primary
American Presidency Project

American Presidency Project: State of the Union Addresses and Messages

For Students 9th - 10th
This site compiles all of the State of the Union addresses and messages by all the presidents in U.S. history (except William Henry Harrison and James A. Garfield).
Website
New York Times

New York Times: The New Team

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] Up-to-date reports on the on-going mission of the Obama Transition Team to select candidates for key government posts. Click on "Interactive Graphic: The New Team" to watch how appointments are made.
eBook
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Ap Us History: Period 9: 1980 Present

For Students 9th - 10th
This Khan Academy resource provides a table of contents with notes for several sections of AP US History: Period 9: 1980-present.