Election Unit - Where the President Lives
{Politics can be a touchy subject no matter where you go, but it's especially important to be careful what you say - and how you say it! - in a school setting. Sidestepping potentially 'hot' issues such as your personal political party affiliation and candidate selections, election season truly does offer a fabulous opportunity for discussing important concepts like patriotism, citizenship, as well as one of the many things that makes America great, the freedom to make our own choice!}
A fun topic to explore during the election season is the white house! Since it has less to do with politics and more to do with simply learning about an important landmark and American symbol, it's a great way to tie in the election theme without stepping on any toes! And, of course, there are a ton of fun things you can do with it!
We love how Kimberly over at The Learning Tree helped her kiddos compile an anchor chart of schema {pictured above}, using various colors to designate what they knew before the lesson, what they learned in class, and what they learned on their own. Not only does this encourage your students to pay attention during class, but it also encourages them to do some independent investigation!
Kimberly and her kiddos used the resources provided in their the Imagine It! Reading Program, but there are plenty of other great learning resources out there...
- Take an interactive tour at WhiteHouse.gov!
- Read the Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers®—Let's Visit the White House book series by Marge Kennedy. It includes lots of great titles like See Inside the White House, The Story of the White House, Pets at the White House, etc.
- Check your library for other reading resources like Lloyd G. Douglas' The White House and Mary Firestone's The White House (American Symbols).
This is just part of Kimberly's white house lesson! We encourage you to visit The Learning Tree to see how she incorporated an exercise in distinguishing between fact and opinion, as well as a fun comparing and contrasting activity, into the lesson plan!
