President Who? Forgotten Founders and Their Capitols

Students use the internet to gather information on the Presidents of the United States. They identify any policies or significant events that occured during their rein. They solve a presidential riddle and create one of their own to...

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...

The beginning of the 20th century began with a shock: the assassination of President McKinley. The man who would take his place—the youngest American to ever become president—led quite a life before stepping foot in the Oval Office. An...

A lesson on presidential inaugurations would not be complete without President Ronald Reagan's optimistic assessment of the democratic election system. Addressing the nation on the day of his first inaugural address, January 20, 1981,...

Everyone knows that George Washington was the first president, but do your scholars know why that was so important? The lesson plan, the third in a sequence of three, allows learners to understand how George Washington set a precedent...

Middle schoolers read brief biographies of United States presidents and explorers. Working in small groups, students discuss and compare which key characteristics make a good president.

Pose the question to your historians: who really freed the slaves? They critically assess various arguments, using primary sources as evidence. In small groups, scholars jigsaw 5 primary source documents (linked), and fill out an...

Students read an article about the new French President who is supportive of America. As a class, they brainstorm a list of characteristics countries should follow when dealing with their allies. In groups, they determine whether...

Students investigate the assassinations of four American presidents. Through research, groups create a dossier on one of the four men who were the assassins. After presentations of the dossiers, the class looks for common traits in...

Students identify important Americans from the colonial, revolutionary and slavery periods who are noted for standing up for their beliefs in the face of peer disapproval. They identify the importance of music in motivating and...