Since 1971 Presidents' Day has been observed on the third Monday of February, honoring all past presidents of the United States of America.
Choose from the following activities for a one-day unit study.
1. Learn about Presidents' Day.
Presidents' Day with information on Washington and Lincoln at www.patriotism.org.
Annie's Presidents' Day Page. Information, activities, and links at www.annieshomepage.com.
2. Memorize the names of the 43 presidents.
Also study their major contributions, and learn to recognize their portraits.
3. Research the presidents of the United States.
See background information, election results, cabinet members, notable events, and points of interest for each of the presidents. You will find links to biographies, homes, monuments, documents, audio and video files, and other sites at www.ipl.org.
4. See a biographical sketch and portrait of each president at www.whitehouse.gov and www.whitehouse.gov/kids.
5. Compare and contrast the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin—born on the same day, but their lives had completely different effects! See www.americanminute.com.
6. See speeches and documents of all the presidents at odur.let.rug.nl.
7. Find lots of interesting information about our presidents at www.factmonster.com.
8. Read the Christian testimony of Washington and Lincoln at www.christiananswers.net and www.crministries.org.
9. Listen to the voices of 22 American presidents. at www.lib.msu.edu.
10. Make a presidential timeline. (1789 to the present)
• Alternate red, white, and blue strips of paper; each the length of a President's term (i.e., 1/2 inch per year = 9 ft. total).
• Label your timeline with dates and presidents' names.
• Add a small portrait (printed off the Internet or drawn) of each president. (See link above.)
• Add major events in U.S. history. See www.infoplease.com.
11. Draw or paint a portrait gallery of our past presidents. or some of the ones that you admire most. See portraits at www.ipl.org.
12. Draw the presidential seal. See americanhistory.si.edu.
13. Color portraits of the presidents.
• Use crayons or colored pencils. See a page for each at www.whitehouse.gov/kids.
• See many coloring techniques with crayons, markers, colored pencils, and paints at www.crayola.com.
14. Study the Poem "O Captain, My Captain."
This poem was written by Walt Whitman about the assassination of President Lincoln.
• Recite or read the poem with appropriate expression.
• Study the meaning of the poem. See poem and link to "poem explanation" at www.galegroup.com.
15. Listen to, learn to play, or sing "Hail to the Chief" at bensguide.gpo.gov.
16. Visit the White House at www.whitehouse.gov.
• Tours and activities for younger and older children.
at www.whitehouse.gov/kids.
• White House and Washington, D.C. information and activities at www.enchantedlearning.com.
• Check your local library or video store for videos on the White House (by A&E).
