Last Updated: Nov 20th, 2009 - 07:06:39
Presidential Bio Project
Presidential Bio Project - A Presidential Library
The presidential biography project outlines a project where students create a virtual Presidential Library for their choice of presidents. This project can result in a PowerPoint project, a stand-up exhibit, or a report. It is based on the Dewey Decimal System, and has 10 major sections.
The first thing that students should do is create a floorplan for their Presidential Library. The sections can be decreased if desired, however I will outline suggestions for all ten areas.
This is a general outline for the types of projects that can go into each student's library. I'm sure that many of you will have additional creative ideas for each one. If you'd like to share your version of this project with other teachers, I would love to post it. Please send it to: thebrains at classbrain dot com.
100 - Information and General Works
- encyclopedia's and books of facts
- magazine
- newspapers
- quotations
The students could look up a magazine or newspaper article on their president, or make a set of quotations by their president, or create a short facts list.
200 - Philosophy & Psychology
- Metaphysics
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Dreams
- Ethics
This would also be a wonderful place to do a play-off of Martin Luther King Jr. "I have a Dream" - What was the presidential dream?
Some Presidents had psychological challenges in their families, such as Mary Todd Lincoln's depression. Did their President have any problems?
Students could also look up some of the weird things in various Presidencies. Some of the presidents or first ladies have had astrologers, or seances, and then there has been the fascination with Area 51 since the 50s.
300- Religion
This section is all about religion in one way or another.
Students could look up the President's religious background. We've had a Quaker President, and a Catholic one, among other things.
They could also mention any impacts on religious expression during their presidency - "Under God" taken out of the Pledge of Allegiance, Prayer forbidden in classrooms, etc.
400 - Social Sciences
- Social Science
- Political Science
- Economics
- Law
- Education
What party did their President belong to and what was their platform? Students could create their own election posters or pins for their President - or look up and print out actual poster designs or pins used in their President's campaign and make a collage.
Was their President a lawyer before be became President?
What about major Supreme Court decisions during their time in office?
What sort of major economic issues did they have to deal with during their time in office - The Depression? The Louisiana Purchase? The Industrial Revolution?
Where did they go to College? How many years or which degrees did they attain?
500 - Language
- Language Arts
- Foreign Languages
How many languages did their president speak? Was he fluent? Could he write the language? Did he study Latin or Greek in school?
600 - Science
- Natural Sciences
- Math
- Astronomy
- Chemistry
- Earth Sciences
- Plants
- Zoological Sciences
- Medical Sciences
- Agriculture
Was their President involved in any major advances in the sciences?
NASA?
Primary Dams... like the Hoover Dam?
Conservation efforts like the National Parks?
Exchange programs with other countries for endangered species?
What about the endangered species act?
And there is a great site on the medical backgrounds of all of the Presidents:
Medical History of the Presidents of the United States
Or perhaps - what are the major agricultural products of their President's home state?
700 - Technology
A really interesting project for this section would be a comparison list. Give the kids a list of perhaps 10 items that they use all the time, and they write down what was available at the time their President was in office.
Comparison List:
- cell phone
- refrigerator
- television
- ipod
- automobile
- mass transit - such as BART
- microwave oven
- central heating
- solar energy
- Clock on your cell phone
- compact fluorescent lights
800 - Arts
- Arts
- Civic Arts
- Architecture
- Paintings
- Photography
- Music
Perhaps have kids pick out their favorite portrait of their President. Searchable on www.loc.gov or Google image search.
Changes their President and wife made to the White House. (One of the Presidents put in a bowling alley).
Photos of Memorials that were erected in Washington or some other area during their term in office, or about the President at any time.
900 - Literature
- Literature
- Poetry
- Essays
- Letters
The kids could write a haiku or other poem about their President.
Or perhaps they could write a letter to a famous person as though they were the President.
What would Kennedy have written to Ho Chi Minh, or to Marilyn Monroe?
1000 - History, Geography, Biography
- History
- Biography
- Geography
Where were they born? Where did they retire?
Did they travel to other countries as President?
General Background on the President's life?
This project could be slimmed down as much as needed. Teachers may want to pick out only a couple of Library sections to be filled, or they may have students fill in all 10 sections. After the student creates the floorplan of their library, the report or display can be assembled from there. If it's a report, they can list the name of the room at the top and write, draw or paste their info below. This project could also be done as a PowerPoint presentation.
Mar 13, 2009, 13:10
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