MYVisit: Virtual Author Series

CLASSROOM LESSON 1:

BOOK TITLE: Duck for President
AUTHOR: Doreen Cronin
ILLUSTRATOR: Betsy Lewin
LESSON PLAN AUTHOR : Julie Eckelman

GRADE LEVEL: 2-3
LESSON DURATION: Day One 45 minutes

OBJECTIVE

Students will understand that in the United States we choose our leaders by voting for them in an election.

MATERIALS

Classroom set of Duck for President
Teacher computer and projector
Overhead projector
Information sheet on John McCain DOWNLOAD PDF
Information sheet on Barack Obama DOWNLOAD PDF
Textbook: Scott Foresman, People and Places, Grade 2: Unit 4
Highlighters
Poster Paper
Crayons or Markers

MOTIVATION

Share photos of Presidents - Past to Present from THIS WEBSITE. Discuss what qualities/characteristics you think a president has from what you see in the pictures. Now share the illustrations of Duck in the White House from Duck for President. Does Duck have any of the qualities/characteristics we discussed? Could Duck be President of the United States? Could you? Who can be President of the United States?

NEW INFORMATION

Requirements for President of the U.S.A
- be a natural-born citizen of the United States;
- be at least thirty-five years old;
- have been a permanent resident in the United States for at least fourteen year
- Vocabulary Words for story: election, campaign, espresso, furious, registration, officially
A citizen has to be 18 years old and must register before they can vote.

We have a Presidential Election in November 2008

Candidates campaign by meeting and talking with citizens

Candidates use persuasive slogans and phrases to get votes

GUIDED PRACTICE

Show pictures of Barack Obama and John McCain. Ask students if they know why these men are in the news right now. Discuss what the students want to share about their knowledge of the candidates. Ask them if they know what slogan each candidate is using in their campaign. (Obama: Change We Can Believe In; McCain: Country First or Straight Talk America)

Read Duck for President aloud with the students.

Reading discussion ideas:

What do you think of Duck's decisions to run for head of the farm, governor, and president?

What does Duck do to "persuade" the animals and people to vote for him?

What are some of the words he uses to persuade?

Have you heard any of these ideas from Barack Obama or John McCain?

How does duck feel when he starts each new job?

Do you think being the President would be hard work? Explain.

APPLICATION

Small group activity: Have students use their books and make a quick list of what Duck is doing for his campaign for President. (I.e. kissing babies, parades, speeches, town meetings) What slogans does his "staff" use to persuade voters? Share each groups findings orally.

Review the requirements for being President of the United States and write that information on the chalkboard. Distribute copies of information sheets on Barack Obama and John McCain. Have students highlight the facts that prove they meet the requirements for the Office of the President.
- Read Unit 4: Lesson 4 (pages 172 - 175) of Social Studies textbook. (Scott Foresman, People and Places, Grade 2) This lesson, "Voting for Leaders" explains the voting process and ways that citizens make their decisions about the candidates.
- After reading this lesson explain to the class that we need to choose some leaders for our classroom.
- Have a discussion about what offices would be good for the class. (such as President, Vice President, Hall Monitors, Room Monitors, Organization Crew)
- Let students choose the positions and discuss the responsibilities of each job. The teacher should make this list on the overhead for the class to view as they are making their decisions.

EVALUATION

Your assignment: Each person in the class must choose an office they would like to hold. Make a campaign poster to run for a classroom office. You can use ideas from Duck for President and the Social Studies lesson.
Think of a slogan or a creative idea that will make your poster special. Be sure to put your name and the office you wish to have on your poster.

CLOSURE

Who can list the components needed for a good campaign poster? (creative slogan, office, student's name). Remember to bring your campaign poster to school tomorrow.

NCTE STANDARD 1

Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

NCTE STANDARD 6

Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.

NCTE STANDARD 8

Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

NCTE STANDARD 12

Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

NCSS STANDARD 6

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance.

NCSS STANDARD 10

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic.

SOURCES

Fact sheets on candidates: Wikipedia

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/