Teaching Young Children About President's Day

Maybe you celebrated President’s Day last week in your room. but, if it is in your plans for this week, here are a few ideas you can use.

****UPDATE This unit has been updated. I am adding the current pictures to the post so that you can see them.

Abe Lincoln's Cabin and George Washington Craftivities

 

We made these cute craftivities with “cut a sentences” about George Washington and Abe Lincoln. These are the updated ones. I added easy to use patterns!

Here's what they did...

1. First, they cut off one sentence.
2. Then, they cut between the words.
3. Next, they put the words in order to make the sentence. They put the word with the capital letter first and the word with the period last. Then, they manipulated the other words to figure out what made sense.
4. Last, they found the picture to match the sentence and glued it under the flap.  

 Comparing George Washington and Abe Lincoln

We compared the two presidents on a double bubble map. Here is the updated version. I added pictures to make it easier for the kids. I read each statement. The kids had to decide if it was true of George Washington, Abe Lincoln or both. Then, we placed it on the double bubble map.

As I was putting the things on the big map, each child had their own map to create.

Where do You Live Graph

During math the children did the survey graph and interpreted their data. They absolutely love doing this center. Here's what they do:

1. First, they walk around the room and ask their friends where they live.
2. Then, they make a tally mark in the correct column.
3. Next, they use the tally marks to create a graph.
4. Last, the analyze the data.

This is the updated version.

Farmer Story Problem

To complete this story problem, the kids used clip art that I reproduced and cut apart. This allows the children to work at the conceptual level of understanding.  Conceptual means the students are able to manipulate. The clip art pictures become a manipulative. However, she is also showing her answer abstractly by adding numerals to her recording page.  Learning should always begin conceptually! This is the only way we can ensure that real understanding is occurring. It allows children to build mental images of their thinking and not just memorize facts!

Here the child solved the problem by drawing his thinking. He is working at the pictorial level of understanding. This is when children draw a picture to show their thinking. 
I updated this just be using crisper, clearer clip art, fonts, and frames.

Sharing Cherries...Fair Share

For this activity, invite the children to roll the dice and count out that many cherries. Then, they share the cherries between the four trees to see how many cherries can be shared fairly.

President Numbers

For this activity, the children build important numbers associated with president's day on the tens frames. Then, they record their thinking in the book by coloring in the tens frames and writing the number sentence.

Making Words

For this activity, give the children the letters to spell "Washington". Using the letters, the kids see if they can make each word on the recording sheet. Then, they check either yes or no.

Ideas are from the Hooray for President's Day unit.