classroom presidents
Subject Area: Social Studies
Grade: 1-2
Allocated Time: 1 hour
Objective: Students will be able to explain the process a presidential candidate has to go through to become president.
Standard: C.4.4 Explain the basic purpose of government in American society, recognizing the three levels of government
Materials:
1. Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
2. Blank posters for each student
3. Art supplies for writing (markers, crayons, etc.)
Prior Knowledge: Students will know what a president is before this assignment.
Procedure:
1. The teacher will start out the lesson by introducing and reading the book Duck for President to the students.
2. The class will then discuss and make a poster about the steps Duck took when running for president. Also, they will talk about the purpose of the President in the government.
3. The teacher will introduce the campaign poster activity by showing students examples of actual campaign posters for president from the past.
4. Explain to students that each of them will be “running” for President and will need to create a poster and slogan for their campaign. The teacher will then model coming up with a slogan and poster for their own presidential campaign for the students.
5. Students then turn to a friend and brainstorm a list of slogan ideas for each other.
6. Students return to their seats, get the poster paper and art supplies, and begin making their poster once they have chosen a slogan for their campaign.
7. At the end, each student shares their poster with the class and their slogan.
Assessment: Completed poster with slogan
Adaptations: Older students could include more information on their posters, such as a few points on what they would do as president.
Extensions: Students then write campaign speeches about why they should be chosen for President of the United States.
Grade: 1-2
Allocated Time: 1 hour
Objective: Students will be able to explain the process a presidential candidate has to go through to become president.
Standard: C.4.4 Explain the basic purpose of government in American society, recognizing the three levels of government
Materials:
1. Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
2. Blank posters for each student
3. Art supplies for writing (markers, crayons, etc.)
Prior Knowledge: Students will know what a president is before this assignment.
Procedure:
1. The teacher will start out the lesson by introducing and reading the book Duck for President to the students.
2. The class will then discuss and make a poster about the steps Duck took when running for president. Also, they will talk about the purpose of the President in the government.
3. The teacher will introduce the campaign poster activity by showing students examples of actual campaign posters for president from the past.
4. Explain to students that each of them will be “running” for President and will need to create a poster and slogan for their campaign. The teacher will then model coming up with a slogan and poster for their own presidential campaign for the students.
5. Students then turn to a friend and brainstorm a list of slogan ideas for each other.
6. Students return to their seats, get the poster paper and art supplies, and begin making their poster once they have chosen a slogan for their campaign.
7. At the end, each student shares their poster with the class and their slogan.
Assessment: Completed poster with slogan
Adaptations: Older students could include more information on their posters, such as a few points on what they would do as president.
Extensions: Students then write campaign speeches about why they should be chosen for President of the United States.
Everyone is unique
Subject Area: Social Studies
Grade: 1-2
Allocated Time: 1 hour
Objective: Students will understand that everyone is unique and that there are a variety of career choices for students to choose from.
Standard: E.4.13 Investigate and explain similarities and differences in ways that cultures meet human needs
Materials:
1. Book: It’s Okay to be Different by Todd Parr
2. Drawing of empty community
Prior Knowledge: Students will need to know of several career choices as well as an idea of what they would like to do.
Procedure:
1. The teacher will read the book It’s Okay to be Different to the class.
2. The class will make a list of all of the differences in the story and then the teacher will relate it back to the idea of different careers.
3. The class will come up with a new list of all of the different jobs they know about in the local community and how even though each job is different they all contribute to a successful and beautiful community.
4. The students will then turn to a partner and talk about what they want to be when they grow up and why.
5. The teacher will show students a beautiful hand-crafted drawing of an empty community without any people in it.
6. Then the teacher will explain to the students that they will be drawing a small person cut out of themselves in their future career choice.
7. Students return to their desks draw a picture of themselves as their future career goal and cut out the shape of themselves in the picture.
8. The students will share their drawings with the class and talk about their future career goals and why they chose that job.
9. The finished people shapes will be taped onto the picture of the empty community, where the students can all see themselves as their future career on the classroom community.
10. The final class mural should be hung up in the classroom for the rest of the unit and students name their town in the mural.
Assessment: The student drawings of themselves in their future career choice and the explanation to the class as to why they chose that career.
Adaptations: Students will write a journal entry about a day in the life of their future career and what they did during that day.
Extensions: Parent career day in the classroom.
Grade: 1-2
Allocated Time: 1 hour
Objective: Students will understand that everyone is unique and that there are a variety of career choices for students to choose from.
Standard: E.4.13 Investigate and explain similarities and differences in ways that cultures meet human needs
Materials:
1. Book: It’s Okay to be Different by Todd Parr
2. Drawing of empty community
Prior Knowledge: Students will need to know of several career choices as well as an idea of what they would like to do.
Procedure:
1. The teacher will read the book It’s Okay to be Different to the class.
2. The class will make a list of all of the differences in the story and then the teacher will relate it back to the idea of different careers.
3. The class will come up with a new list of all of the different jobs they know about in the local community and how even though each job is different they all contribute to a successful and beautiful community.
4. The students will then turn to a partner and talk about what they want to be when they grow up and why.
5. The teacher will show students a beautiful hand-crafted drawing of an empty community without any people in it.
6. Then the teacher will explain to the students that they will be drawing a small person cut out of themselves in their future career choice.
7. Students return to their desks draw a picture of themselves as their future career goal and cut out the shape of themselves in the picture.
8. The students will share their drawings with the class and talk about their future career goals and why they chose that job.
9. The finished people shapes will be taped onto the picture of the empty community, where the students can all see themselves as their future career on the classroom community.
10. The final class mural should be hung up in the classroom for the rest of the unit and students name their town in the mural.
Assessment: The student drawings of themselves in their future career choice and the explanation to the class as to why they chose that career.
Adaptations: Students will write a journal entry about a day in the life of their future career and what they did during that day.
Extensions: Parent career day in the classroom.