The White House
Rationale:
This unit is designed for kindergarteners to develop a knowledge and interest in the American Symbols; The White House and the presidents of the United States. The students will gather around on the rug and listen and interact to books of all kinds, including fiction and nonfiction. We will explore what it would be like to be president and what he does in The White House. We will take an online tour of The White House and learn about it’s history. Everyday will be a different topic about The White House or the president. We will be writing about what it would be like if you were president and making our own presidents out of colored construction paper.
The students will relate to these lessons as they would to any other American symbols. They are surrounded by symbols all day and everyday. Whether they are fast food symbols like McDonald's or department stores like Target's target symbol, they all mean something of significance. They are surrounded by American symbols like the American Flag, the Statue of Liberty, the White House, the bald eagle and the Liberty Bell as a child without knowing why they are a part of America and what they mean. This unit is to tell them why we have no school and celebrate for such holidays like President's Day or Flag Day. The children will learn what freedom is and where it came from. The White House is a special symbol of the U.S.A because it shows where the person that runs over country lives and why he is so important. Not only do we learn about the White House in this unit, but also the some important Presidents, especially Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, who got us to where we are today.
This unit will have everything from read-aloud to kid-writing to hands-on art projects related to The White House and the President that lives inside it. We will be learning new vocabulary words such as president, voting, election, laws and more. Students will be able to recall where the president lives and the history of The White House. These learning objectives align with those identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards, 5.1.K.F: ‘Identify significant American holidays and their symbols.’, 1.6.K.A: 'Listen and respond appropriately to others in small and large group situations.', 1.3.K.A: 'Respond to works of literature.', 1.3.K.C: 'Identify literary elements (characters, settings, and problems) in stories.', CC.1.1.K.D: 'Know and apply grade level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings for the five major vowels.', 1.2.K.B: 'Identify facts from informational text.' and 1.2.K.C: 'Identify important information within an informational text, with teacher guidance and support.'
Timeline:
Day 0: 2o minutes
PRE TEST: Matching and sentences
Day 1: 60 minute block
Review flag and Statue on big chart
Read Arthur Meets the President
Facts about Obama
“What I Know About Our President” worksheet
Where he lives
“Has anyone ever been there or heard about it?"
Day 2: 60 minute block
Read The White House by Lloyd G. Douglas
Virtual Tour of The White House
Cut out and glue picture of the white house for big American Symbols book
Day 3: 60 minute block
Morning work: connect the dots page (George Washington)
Read George Washington Story
Trace and cut out art projects
Day 4: 60 minute clock
Morning work: Connect the dots page (Abraham Lincoln)
Read Abraham Lincoln Story
Trace and cut out art projects
Day 5: 60 minute block
Read Clifford Goes to Washington
“If I Were President I Would...” Writing
Day 6: 60 minute block
Duck for President
Three facts about the White House
Day 7: 60 minute block
Teacher for President
Weird White House Pets
Day 8: 30 minutes
Review Poster facts (from books in text set)
POST TEST: Matching and sentences
LESSONS INCLUDE OTHER LANGUAGE ARTS SUBJECTS:
Word wall words and worksheets
Short 'O' reviews and worksheets
This unit is designed for kindergarteners to develop a knowledge and interest in the American Symbols; The White House and the presidents of the United States. The students will gather around on the rug and listen and interact to books of all kinds, including fiction and nonfiction. We will explore what it would be like to be president and what he does in The White House. We will take an online tour of The White House and learn about it’s history. Everyday will be a different topic about The White House or the president. We will be writing about what it would be like if you were president and making our own presidents out of colored construction paper.
The students will relate to these lessons as they would to any other American symbols. They are surrounded by symbols all day and everyday. Whether they are fast food symbols like McDonald's or department stores like Target's target symbol, they all mean something of significance. They are surrounded by American symbols like the American Flag, the Statue of Liberty, the White House, the bald eagle and the Liberty Bell as a child without knowing why they are a part of America and what they mean. This unit is to tell them why we have no school and celebrate for such holidays like President's Day or Flag Day. The children will learn what freedom is and where it came from. The White House is a special symbol of the U.S.A because it shows where the person that runs over country lives and why he is so important. Not only do we learn about the White House in this unit, but also the some important Presidents, especially Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, who got us to where we are today.
This unit will have everything from read-aloud to kid-writing to hands-on art projects related to The White House and the President that lives inside it. We will be learning new vocabulary words such as president, voting, election, laws and more. Students will be able to recall where the president lives and the history of The White House. These learning objectives align with those identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards, 5.1.K.F: ‘Identify significant American holidays and their symbols.’, 1.6.K.A: 'Listen and respond appropriately to others in small and large group situations.', 1.3.K.A: 'Respond to works of literature.', 1.3.K.C: 'Identify literary elements (characters, settings, and problems) in stories.', CC.1.1.K.D: 'Know and apply grade level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings for the five major vowels.', 1.2.K.B: 'Identify facts from informational text.' and 1.2.K.C: 'Identify important information within an informational text, with teacher guidance and support.'
Timeline:
Day 0: 2o minutes
PRE TEST: Matching and sentences
Day 1: 60 minute block
Review flag and Statue on big chart
Read Arthur Meets the President
Facts about Obama
“What I Know About Our President” worksheet
Where he lives
“Has anyone ever been there or heard about it?"
Day 2: 60 minute block
Read The White House by Lloyd G. Douglas
Virtual Tour of The White House
Cut out and glue picture of the white house for big American Symbols book
Day 3: 60 minute block
Morning work: connect the dots page (George Washington)
Read George Washington Story
Trace and cut out art projects
Day 4: 60 minute clock
Morning work: Connect the dots page (Abraham Lincoln)
Read Abraham Lincoln Story
Trace and cut out art projects
Day 5: 60 minute block
Read Clifford Goes to Washington
“If I Were President I Would...” Writing
Day 6: 60 minute block
Duck for President
Three facts about the White House
Day 7: 60 minute block
Teacher for President
Weird White House Pets
Day 8: 30 minutes
Review Poster facts (from books in text set)
POST TEST: Matching and sentences
LESSONS INCLUDE OTHER LANGUAGE ARTS SUBJECTS:
Word wall words and worksheets
Short 'O' reviews and worksheets