On January 20th, 2009, the nation inaugurates a new president. Consider the following as you are planning your upcoming lessons:
Alignment of Standards to Inauguration:
• Kindergarten – SSKH1f (Presidents Day) SSKH2 (White House) SSKCG2 (character traits - respect, patriotism, accomplishment)
• First – SS1H1 (compare/contrast biography of incoming president with those of Thomas Jefferson & Theodore Roosevelt) SS1CG1 (character traits – fairness, equality, perseverance, commitment)
• Second – SS2H1 (Historical figures in Georgia; compare/contrast incoming president’s biography with that of Jimmy Carter) SS2CG2a (President’s role) SS2CG3 (character traits – honesty, liberty, honor) SS2CG4 (National capitol building; city, Washington, D.C.)
• Third – SS3H1 (In democracies people choose their own leaders) SS3H2a (compare/contrast biography of incoming president with those of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson, along with the social barriers and obstacles they overcame and how they overcame them) SS3CG1 (branches and levels of government, responsibilities of each—focus on executive) SS3CG2 (character traits – liberty, justice, tolerance, respect for and acceptance of authority)
• Fourth – SS4H5 (What the Constitution has to say about the President and inauguration; compare/contrast biography of incoming president with those of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, etc.) SS4CG1b, c (popular sovereignty, federal system of government) SS4CG3 (functions of government) SS4CG4 (personal and civic beliefs and principles) SS4CG5 (character traits of government leaders – honesty, patriotism, courage, trustworthiness)
• Fifth – Multiple standards (compare/contrast biography of incoming president with presidents from 1860 to present) SS5H2 (13th – 15th amendments) SS5H8 (Civil Rights movement, Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) SS5CG1 (citizens’ rights and responsibilities) SS5CG2 (amendment process) SS5CG3 (amendments & representative democracy)
Developmental/grade level appropriateness of activities to address the standards above:
• Prior to January 20th, build context for the inauguration by using the resources below. You will want to preview these yourself to insure they are appropriate for your students. The annotations should help you focus your search.
• Limit your television viewing on election day to the pivotal segment surrounding the actual oath of office ceremony. The value of this viewing will be in the discussion you foster and the connections you make to standards appropriate to your grade.
• Insure that your students write and talk about the inauguration to help cement it in their memories.
Online resources: Many of these sites feature the previous inauguration, and will likely be updated soon. They contain many valuable general resources about the way we inaugurate our presidents.
1. http://surfaquarium.com/NEWSLETTER/inaugural.htm
Presidential inaugurations – Walter McKenzie; Nicely annotated links to inauguration sites
2. http://www.c-span.org/classroom/govt/inauguration.asp Article II of the Constitution requires an oath of office for the president. The 20th amendment later set January 20th as Inauguration Day. Other inaugural traditions have evolved, such as the inaugural address, the first speech of the president’s term. In this lesson: Learning About Inaugural Addresses (below), Inauguration Worksheet (PDF), and lessons about inaugural addresses of these five presidents: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush
3. http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?ID=246 After completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to:
• State the Constitutional requirements for inaugurations and the oath of office.
• Identify important historical events related to Lincoln's first inaugural address.
• Interpret selected archival materials in the light of the inaugural address and presidential responsibilities.
4. http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson219.shtml
Every four years on January 20, an important event occurs in the United States: A president takes the Oath of Office during an inauguration ceremony. This week, Education World offers ten super activities to help your students learn about and commemorate the inauguration. Included: Activities in which students write letters to the president, create presidential portraits, complete an inauguration trivia hunt, and much more!
5. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/inauguration/
Welcome to the Inauguration 2001 Web site! This site is designed as a resource for you to use around the events in January 2001, but also as a broader resource for study of the executive branch of American government, past presidents, the Constitution, and elections.
6. http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2089.shtml
Students graph the presidents' ages at inauguration. Who was the youngest president? the oldest?
7. http://www.educationworld.com/
This homepage will have inauguration ideas forthcoming.
8. http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/detail/costume-for-an-inaugural-ball-lesson-plan/
Look at history through the lens of fashion, creating original costumes for inaugural balls throughout history.
9. http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/inaugural-quiz/
At noon on January 20, 2001, the inauguration of President George W. Bush took place. Documents relating to this event are permanently held by the National Archives and Records Administration.
Test your knowledge about past Presidential inaugurations in this activity
10. http://elcivics.com/presidential-inauguration
Presidential Inauguration information for ESL students.
11.http://historyexplorer.americanhistory.si.edu/search/index.asp?keywords=presidency&perPage=10&typeKeys=8
Smithsonian search page with presidential and inaugural information.
12. http://www.whitehousehistory.org/03/subs/03_a.html
A brief White House history of Presidential Inaugurations.
13. http://www.presidential-inauguration.com/
The presidential inauguration of Barack Obama will take place on January 20, 2009. On this website you will find non-partisan information about the 2009 presidential inauguration, galas and other events surrounding that historic day. If you are looking for the official site of the 2009 inauguration, please visit the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
14. http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/greatinaugsites.html
Great inauguration websites compiled by a teacher.
15. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pihome.html
Library of Congress collection of inaugural materials.
16. http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/life/video/index.html Great, kid-friendly information about the President and the White House. Take the video tour and be sure to look at the links along the left side of the page.
17. http://www.legacyproject.org/programs/webofdreams.html A place for students to share their hopes and dreams for Barack Obama’s inauguration.
18. http://whitehouse.c-span.org/ An article entitled, "Students Nationwide Granted Unprecedented White House Access," C-Span's original programming opens new educational doors. It is a week-long series beginning with a 90-minute program on Sunday, December 14. Please view the website above with access to a video presentation.
Thanks to fellow metro area Social Studies Supervisors, especially Becky Ryckeley, for their generous sharing of many of these resources.
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