The Importance of History

Introduction

Welcome: The Importance of History
Description: This WebQuest has been designed to help my students discover why President’s day is celebrated.
Grade Level: K-2
Curriculum: Social Studies
Keywords: history, historical events, president
Author(s): Rachele Epperson

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History is all around us! It can help us learn about our past and where we come from. The purpose of your project today is to learn about why historical events and people are important to you. We are going to learn about President’s Day today. We are also going to learn about our current President and two of our former Presidents. Can anyone tell me what the President’s job is and why this job is important to us?

President’s Day for Kids YouTube Video

Task

We will research George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Barack Obama to learn about what kind of Presidents they were and why they were elected. The purpose of this activity is to help us discover why these people are important to us. You will complete a graphic organizer that provides details about each President. After we have completed the graphic organizer, you will work with a partner and research one of the Presidents further.

Process

Building background information:

To begin, we are going to learn about what President’s day is and why it is important to us. You will have the opportunity to watch a YouTube video and conduct a little research about the history of the holiday. You will then have the opportunity to discuss how the job of President impacts your lives.

Step 1: Review the YouTube President’s day video via the website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-MCO9O4pPI

Step 2: Review the YouTube The President! Children’s song about Washington and Lincoln via the website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDac5gcLpxc

President research:

Students will have the opportunity to work with a partner and conduct research via classroom resources about their assigned President. I will have picture books available on each President as well as laminated copies of a list of facts about each President for the students to utilize. Students will also have the opportunity to view a YouTube video about the President that they have chosen to research. Students will present findings through a written summary or illustration.

Students that are researching George Washington will use the YouTube video: Disney The American Presidents: George Washington via the website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm5uPqucnHk.

Students that are researching Abraham Lincoln will use the YouTube video: Disney The American Presidents: Abraham Lincoln via the website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFABcUUJMrI

Students that are researching Barack Obama will use the YouTube video: Mini BIO – Barack Obama via the website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-IgxSn21jU

Create timeline:

Students will create timeline that places the three Presidents in chronological order.

Provide rationale:

You will explain why it is important to have a President of the United States and how the presidency can impact you.

Evaluation

This is how your work will be evaluated:

	Does not meet requirement 1	Needs Improvement 2	Satisfactory 3	Excellent 4	Score
Completes graphic organizer	Does not complete graphic organizer	Attempts graphic organizer, but includes facts on one President	Attempts graphic organizer, but includes facts on two Presidents	Completes graphic organizer with details on all three Presidents
Completes presidential summary	Does not attempt summary	Does not include facts from materials provided	Includes one or two facts about selected president	Includes at least three facts about President
Creates timeline	Does not attempt timeline	Engages in activity, but does not include all three Presidents	Orders Presidents chronologically, does not include dates	Completes timeline accurately
Explains what a president does and why it’s important	Does not attempt to make explanation	Provides limited information, does not utilize references	Explains what a president does	Explains what a president does and why it’s important

Conclusion

To conclude the lesson, students will present their summaries of their selected President to the class. Students will describe what the President’s job is and why it is important to have a president. Students will also be encouraged to explain how their lives could be different if there was not a president of the United States.

Credits

Disney Educational Productions. (2012). Disney the American Presidents: George Washington. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm5uPqucnHk

Disney Educational Productions. (2010). Disney the American Presidents: Abraham Lincoln. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFABcUUJMrI

Georgia Department of Education. (2015). Georgia performance standards – Social studies. Retrieved from https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Georgia%20Performance%20Standards/Kindergarten%20Social%20Studies%20Stds%208-24-07.pdf

Hiser, G. (2013). The President! Children’s song about Washington and Lincoln. Retrieved at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDac5gcLpxc

(2012). Mini BIO – Barack Obama. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-IgxSn21jU

(2014). President’s day for kids. Retrieved at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-MCO9O4pPI

Teacher Page

Teacher Page:

This WebQuest is designed to help students discover why President’s day is celebrated. The students will have the opportunity to research George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Barack Obama to determine how important the office of President is. Students will also learn what the purpose of President’s day is; students will have the opportunity to engage in inquiry discussions and create a timeline to learn to appropriately sequence dates in chronological order.

Standards

SSKH1: The student will identify the purpose of national holidays and describe the people of events celebrated.

(Georgia Department of Education, 2015)