Election Unit - The Perfect President...

{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!}

If you're interested in a last minute election lesson, check out this great activity from Sarah over at A Burst of First! While the lesson was originally designed to be a part of her President's day activities, we think it would also fit into an election/government unit as well!

What Does It Take To Be President?

What qualities and values are important in a president? Sarah and her kiddos began their exploration of "the perfect president" by learning a little about what the president does. A great way to determine what skill sets and qualities are prized in a presidential candidate is to first identify the various duties, roles, and responsibilities that come with the job. While they watched a video from United Streaming to glean background information, there are also lots of great books that can be helpful as well.

• What Does The President Do? (Scholastic News Nonfiction Reader) by Amanda Miller
• If I Ran For President by Catherine Stier
• If I Were President by Catherine Stier
• My Teacher for President by Kay Winters
• The Election Book: The People Pick a President by Carolyn Jackson
• So You Want to be President? by Judith St. George
• What's a President and Vice President? (First Guide to Government) by Nancy Harris

As you read, you might consider creating an anchor chart of schema - like the adorable chart pictured below - or completing a Can/Have/Are chart to organize the new information!

With all the information in mind, and perhaps after a brief discussion and summary of your findings, invite your kiddos to complete a puzzle piece for the "Perfect President Puzzle", highlighting the quality/value they think is most important in a presidential candidate.