Projects about Mt. Rushmore teach kids about American history, especially the importance of the four presidents on the monument. Older elementary and middle school students should recreate the monument with paper mache. Students can form a basic structure with balled-up newspapers and masking tape. Paper mache paste is made with one part flour and one part water. Lay saturated strips of torn newspapers to cover the base structure to craft the project. Once it is dry, paint the monument a light beige or gray.
Students will learn about the geography of South Dakota by working on a Mt. Rushmore project. Using cardboard or foam board, have children construct a map of South Dakota. Using clay or play dough, the children can form mountains in the region. In the northwestern region of the state outside of Keystone, have the students place Mount Rushmore. Students can work on a larger U.S. map with national monuments, such as the Statue of Liberty, and parks, like Yosemite, as landmarks.
Projects about Mt. Rushmore are an ideal time to teach kids about money, especially American coins. Kids can craft a miniature monument by taping a penny, dime, nickel and quarter next to each other on a piece of paper. Turn the paper over and rub the coins with the side of a brown crayon. This should reveal the faces of the presidents on the coins. While Theodore Roosevelt is not on any coins, kids can use the image of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who is on the dime, instead. Use this project to introduce lessons on how much each coin is worth and how much it takes for the coins to add up to a dollar.
Mount Rushmore can be used to teach kids about history of the 1920s and 1930s when the monument was first devised. Franklin Delano Roosevelt became president in 1933 when 15 million Americans were unemployed. Students should research the time period when Mt. Rushmore was carved. The artist had to plead with Congress for funds to complete the project while America was under crisis. Students can write essays about the historical significance of the period and the causes of the Great Depression.