Welcome!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Activity #8 - How Do Primaries Work?
How Primaries Work
Another resource for primaries and caucuses:
Primaries and Caucuses
Here's a link for a follow-up worksheet for this resource:
Worksheet
Younger students: Discuss orally how primaries and caucuses differ (in primaries, votes are cast individually without interaction whereas in caucuses, voters interact to discuss support for a particular candidate before a vote is taken).
Older students: Write a paragraph describing the differences between primaries and caucuses.
Older students/younger students: Hold your own mock caucus with family members. Choose a precinct captain to hold 1-2 minute discussions of the candidates. Then vote for your favorite candidate.
Activity # 7 - A Timeline of Primaries and Caucuses
Primary Time line (better for younger students)
Another chart to download :
Primary & Caucus Chart (better for older students)
Create a time line on a large sheet of poster board and add the following:
- Iowa Caucuses: January 3, 2008
- Wyoming Caucus: January 5, 2008 (Republicans only)
- New Hampshire: Primary January 8, 2008
- Michigan Primary: January 15, 2008
- South Carolina Primary and Nevada Caucuses: January 19, 2008
- Florida Primary: January 29, 2008
The Democratic Primary in South Carolina will be held on January 26, 2008. In South Carolina, the primaries are conducted by the political parties and not by state election boards. The Republican party will give the voter lists to the Democratic Party to ensure that voters do not vote in both primaries.
The first file above (Primary Time Line) has questions to answer below for younger students.
We'll be adding information to our time line over the next month, including the outcomes of each primary/caucus.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
LIVE Webcast with Mike Huckabee and Chuck Norris
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Activity #6 - White House Decorations & Lighting of the Chrismas Tree
http://www.whitehouse.gov/holiday/2007/index.html
Younger students: Describe your favorite room of the White House that you saw on the tour by the First Lady.
Older students: Write a paragraph describing your favorite decor in the White House this year for Christmas.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Attention Iowa Caucus Attendees
Monday, December 17, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Activity # 5 - Official White House Christmas Ornament
http://www.whitehousehistory.org/01/01.html
Younger students: Design your own White House Christmas Ornament and color it. Then add it to your Christmas tree.
Older students: Design your own White House Christmas Ornament based on an event of a past US President (Ex: the 2007 ornament is based on the wedding of President Grover Cleveland). Then write a historical essay describing the event.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Activity #4 - White House Christmas memorabilia including an account of how past presidents celebrated Christmas
http://listen.family.org/daily/A000000814.cfm
Younger students: Retell what you remember after listening to historian Mary Seeley
Older students: Write a summary of your favorite part of historian Mary Seeley's account
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Activity #3 - Executive Branch Crossword Puzzle/Presidential Seal
- Color the presidential seal
- Executive Branch crossword puzzle
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Activity #2 - The 3 Branches of Government
Younger students:
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/government/index.html
Read about the 3 branches of gov't from this site, emphasizing that the executive branch is the branch which is led by the President.
Older Students:
Find the answers to these questions. Below are hints.
THE THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
Our founding (1) designed our (2) with three main branches. This was to protect the (3) from a/an (4) leader. The three branches form a system of checks and (5).
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH includes the office of (6). This branch (7) the judicial and legislative branches and has (8) power.
THE JUDICIAL BRANCH is responsible for upholding the (9), which was (10) by our founding fathers. The Judicial Branch includes a Supreme (11), which rules on (12) issues.
THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH is divided into two (13) - the Congress and the Senate. Together they regulate which (14) are passed into (15). This branch , however, can be vetoed by the (16).
(1) Plural noun
(2) Noun
(3) Plural noun
(4) Adjective
(5) Plural noun
(6) Occupation
(7) Verb ending in "s"
(8) Verb
(9) Noun
(10) Verb (past tense)
(11) Noun
(12) Adjective
(13) Plural noun
(14) Plural noun
(15) Plural noun
(16) Occupation
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Activity #1 - Our USA Flag
Here's a link to print a flag:
http://www.printourflag.com/kids.html
There are 3 to choose from or color all 3 for a collection.
For older students: research the different flags used throughout US history. Why were there different flags?