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This
unit is
©Copyright 2005, 2008, 2012 by Cindy Downes.
All rights reserved.
Permission is given to homeschooling
parents to use these units free of charge in their own homeschool
only. These units may not be reprinted in any other form,
for any other purpose (commercial or otherwise) without
permission from Cindy Downes. Contact her at contact@oklahomahomeschool.com.
A
Twelve-Week Unit for Primary Grades.
© Copyright 2005, 2008 by Cindy Downes. All rights reserved.
This
unit is designed to give primary-age children a brief introduction
to the office of the President and the election process
using library books, worksheets, art projects and Internet
research. Each week, read the recommended book together,
complete suggested activities, and obtain additional
information by doing the suggested internet research. This
unit is designed to be completed in twelve
weeks, completing two, 1 - 2 hour lessons
per week;
however, you can customize it to any length, depending
upon how much material you cover and how long you take
to cover it.
Read over General Directions
for Cindy's Unit Studies for information on how to
teach the unit.
Supplies
Needed:
- A
3-ring, view binder for each child.
- Reading
books obtained through the library or purchased through
this web site.
Final
Project: Each student will prepare a “President
and Elections Notebook.” Throughout the unit,
add completed worksheets, reports, photos, or drawings
to the notebook. At the end of the unit, students can
share this notebook with family and friends.
 Week
1:
Would
you like to
be president of the United States? Being the president
is a BIG job and it takes a lot of skills to be president.
For instance, the president must be a leader. This week,
we're going to learn what a leader is. We're also going
to learn a little about our past presidents and how people
vote for their leaders around the world.
Week
2:
The
president must be a man of character and he must know how
our government works. This week we are going to learn about
character, the work history
of past presidents, how our government works, and the history
of voting.
Week
3:
A
president must know about his country. This week we're
going to learn about our current president and
about the symbols and landmarks of our country. We're also
going to learn some vocabulary related to elections.
- Read:
Meet
President Barack Obama. 2009, 24 pgs.
-
Election
Vocabulary. You will have to look some of these up
in the dictionary:
Make a page for your notebook with the definitions written
out for the following terms: amendment, ballot, campaign,
candidate, caucus, Constitution, convention, debate, delegate,
democracy, Democratic Party, electoral college, electoral
votes, executive branch, exit poll, inauguration, incumbent,
Independent Party, judicial branch, landslide, legislative
branch, majority, minority, national convention, nominate,
oath, opinion poll, platform, political party, polling
place, popular vote, primary, political party, propaganda,
registration, Republican Party, running mate, runoff, separation
of powers, slate, spin, suffrage, term, third party, turnout,
vote.
- Activity:
Know The Landmarks -
Travel through the Great
American Landmarks Time Machine. Make a drawing
of each of the following landmarks: White House, Washington
Monument, Plymouth Rock, Golden Gate
Bridge, Gateway Arch, Mount Rushmore, and Statue of
Liberty.
-
Internet Research - Symbols
of US.
- Activity:
Know America’s Symbols (American
Flag, Bald
Eagle, Great
Seal, National
Flower)
- Who is Uncle Sam?
-
Activity: Look at the signatures of
some of our presidents. Practice writing your signature
and place it in the notebook.
-
Watch the video, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington starring
James Stewart. 1939. DVD, 2000.
 Week
4:
In
order to become president, you have to be elected. This
week, we're going to begin to look at the campaign process.
We're also going to look at another skill the president
needs, a good memory.
 Week
5:
Candidates for president are nominated by a political
party. This week we're going to learn a little about political
parties and symbols. We're also going to begin to discuss
issues.
Week
6: 
Candidates
must campaign for president. They must learn to write and
give speeches. Their parties will often create campaign
songs and slogans. We're also going to learn what goes
on in the polling booth.
 Week
7:
Once
a candidate is elected, his first job is to give an inauguration
speech. This week we're going to learn how the results
of the election affects our country and learn more about
the inauguration process.
 Week
8:
Our
president and his family live in the White House while
he is in office. This week, we are going to learn about
the White House.
Week
9:
Another
"first" job of the president is to appoint his Cabinet.
This week we are going to learn what the cabinet does and
who sits in our current president's cabinet.
- Read: The
President’s Cabinet and How It Grew by Nancy
Parker. 1978, ISBN 0819309230. No Photo Available. This
book is out of print. Try interlibrary loan at your local
library. Order it right away as it takes awhile to locate.
This book is worth hunting down.
- Internet
Research on the president's cabinet.
- More
Internet Research on
the president's cabinet.
-
Read: How
Laws are Made.
-
Worksheet:
- Activity: Create
a chart showing who sits in our current
president's cabinet. Include Attorney General and Secretary
of: Agriculture, Interior, Commerce, Defense, Labor,
Education, State, Energy, Transportation, Health and
Human Services, Homeland Defense, Treasury, Housing and
Urban Development, Veteran Affairs.
- Optional:
Listen to The
U.S. Presidents (purchase); Songs
for Teaching Presidents (must purchase). Try to memorize the names of the presidents
by singing along.
 Week
10:
Now
that the president has moved in and has his Cabinet, what
is his job like? This week we're going to begin to learn
what the president does.
 Week
11:
Winding
down! We've covered a lot over the last few weeks. How
about a break and do something fun?
Week
12:
Now
it's time to test your knowledge
of what you've learned. You might also want to participate
in a Mock Election.
-
National
Mock Election.
-
Voting
vocabulary quiz.
-
Complete any missed activities.
- Election
Notebook.
Look through newspapers and magazine for: photos of candidates, quotes
from candidates, poll results, political symbols, political
cartoons, news report or editorial about an issue, candidates
advertisements,
an electoral map, inauguration speech.
-
Finish your notebook and share it with family and friendss
Additional
Learning Resources:
Be
sure to enter these topics on your copy of The
Checklist.
Please
let me know if any of these links do not work. Email:
contact@oklahomahomeschool.com.
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by
Jeff Young.