The idea of being the President fascinates many first-graders. Give them the chance to indulge their fantasies by writing a short "If I Were the President..." paragraph. Encourage the children to think about important issues that ordinary people face on a daily basis and how the President can help solve those problems. They may suggest solutions for social issues, propose projects to promote scientific advancement or recommend a new law.
Most first-graders have little concept of how the President spends his day. Review the duties of the President such as suggesting a law or ideas, approving or vetoing laws, appointing advisors and Supreme Court justices, working on the budget, meeting with his Cabinet and other advisors, drafting correspondence, making speeches, responding to national and international crises or entertaining guests. Ask students to imagine one day in the life of the President and write a journal entry describing his schedule for that day from the time he wakes in the morning to the time he goes to bed at night. Since it is the President's diary, students can also include personal feelings and private thoughts the President may have about his duties or how he is feeling that day.
Music or rhythmic poetry serve as mnemonic devices in learning long lists of factual information such as all the presidents in order from 1789 to present. Try singing the names of the Presidents to a catchy, familiar tune such as "Yankee Doodle" or memorize Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr.'s "Our Presidents" poem at the Apples 4 the Teacher website. Since the person occupying the presidency changes every four to eight years, children may enjoy making up their own tunes and rhymes to complete or add to songs and poems that stop before the current president.
Presidents have very public lives while in the White House, but, even so, there are a lot of little-known details about each one that can make a fun game, flip book or bulletin board. Read about presidential trivia at websites such as National Geographic or PBS Kids. Fold 3 by 5 cards in half the short way and write a trivia fact on the outer flap and the President's name on the inside. Challenge students to a friendly competition to name the President. Use the cards to create an interactive bulletin board or flip book and test other friends' presidential knowledge.
Many Presidents have monuments built to honor their memory and recognize their achievements and contributions. The Washington Monument, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials and Mt. Rushmore are some of the more prominent and visible. After learning a little about the different U.S. Presidents, ask students to pick one and read about his accomplishments while in the White House. For what is he most well-known or admired? Using any material of choice, have students create a miniature sculpture of a design for a new presidential monument.