More Information

SUBJECT
Research Skills, The Presidency, Presidents Day

GRADE
1-12

Who Was It?

Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Presidents and Their Times
Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Presidents and Their Times

based on Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Presidents and Their Times
by David Rubel
About the Book
Beginning with the inauguration of George Washington in 1789, this encyclopedia takes you chronologically through the history of the presidency up to the 2004 reelection of George W. Bush. Learn about the accomplishments and disappointments of each president and the significant national events that occurred during each administration. A page is devoted to each year, so a child can look up who was president the year he was born. Each profile includes a fact box that lists the president’s birth date, birthplace, vice president, wife, childhood nickname, along with his full name and the years he was in office. The new revised index makes research easy.

Set the Stage
Begin with a discussion of recent presidential elections. Talk with students about important national events that have occurred during the past four years while George Bush was president. Explain that this reference book will give readers interesting information about headlines, people, and fads that were defining America during each presidency. Show the Table of Contents and Index. Discuss how these sections can be useful in finding information. Give students practice by naming an event and having them identify who was in office at the time.

Review
After reading the book, ask some questions to begin your review discussion:

  • Which president did you find most interesting?
  • For what kinds of projects will you find this book useful?
  • Why are the photographs, charts, and illustrations important to the book?
  • What kinds of resources do you think the author/photo editor used to create this book?

Student Activity
Students will have fun while building their recall skills by matching the historical event with the president who was in office at the time.

Related Activities
To extend students' enjoyment of the book, try these:

  • In the Headlines! : Have each student dress as their favorite president and introduce themselves to the class. Speaking in first person, have them explain an important event that occurred during their term in office.
  • Biographical Sketch: Have students research and write a short biography of one of the presidents.
  • Twenty Questions: This is a game to see how fast students can locate information. Give each of four teams a sheet with 20 questions that can be answered using the Scholastic Encyclopedia of Presidents. Give teams five minutes to see how many questions they can answer correctly. The team with the most right answers wins the right to create the next quiz.
  • Show Time: Develop a skit that brings to life important accomplishments of a former president.
  • You’re Elected!: Discuss the popular and electoral voting process.
  • Do the Research: To run for president of the United States, a person must meet certain requirements to hold office (be a natural citizen of the U.S.; be 35 years old; be a resident of the country). Read aloud a book that explains these and talk it over.
  • Vote for Me!: Hold an election for class president and vice president. First discuss the duties and responsibilities of the job, and its duration. Accept nominations, do some electioneering, and hold the election itself. Later, have the elected officials write about the pros and cons of the job. Invite classmates to write about their view of the officials’ performances.

Reproducibles:

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