Menu of Classroom Activities President Obama’s Address to Students Across America (PreK‐6) Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education September 8, 2009 Before the Speech Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama. Teachers could motivate students by asking the following questions: Who is the President of the United States? What do you think it takes to be president? To whom do you think the president is going to be speaking? Why do you think he wants to speak to you? What do you think he will say to you? Teachers can ask students to imagine that they are delivering a speech to all of the students in the United States. If you were the president, what would you tell students? What can students do to help in our schools? Teachers can chart ideas about what students would say. Why is it important that we listen to the president and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important? During the Speech As the president speaks, teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful. Students could use a note‐taking graphic organizer such as a “cluster web;” or, students could record their thoughts on sticky notes. Younger children could draw pictures and write as appropriate. As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following: What is the president trying to tell me? What is the president asking me to do? What new ideas and actions is the president challenging me to think about? Students could record important parts of the speech where the president is asking them to do something. Students might think about the following: What specific job is he asking me to do? Is he asking anything of anyone else? Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people? Students could record questions they have while he is speaking and then discuss them after the speech. Younger children may need to dictate their questions. Menu of Classroom Activities (PreK‐6) President Obama’s Address to Students Across America 2 After the Speech Teachers could ask students to share the ideas they recorded, exchange sticky notes, or place notes on a butcher‐paper poster in the classroom to discuss main ideas from the speech, such as citizenship, personal responsibility, and civic duty. Students could discuss their responses to the following questions: What do you think the president wants us to do? Does the speech make you want to do anything? Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us? What would you like to tell the president? Extension of the Speech Teachers could extend learning by having students: Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants, puzzle pieces, or trails marked with the following labels: personal, academic, community, and country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in that area. It might make sense to focus first on personal and academic goals so that community and country goals can be more readily created. Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short‐term and long‐term education goals. Teachers would collect and redistribute these letters at an appropriate later date to enable students to monitor their progress. Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom. Interview one another and share goals with the class to create a supportive community. Participate in school‐wide incentive programs or contests for those students who achieve their goals. Write about their goals in a variety of genres, such as poems, songs, and personal essays. Create artistic projects based on the themes of their goals. Graph individual progress toward goals.
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I didn't vote for him, but I really don't see what the big deal is. He's the President of the United States. I think it's a little paranoid to think that the POTUS giving a speech to a bunch of school children about education would have any ulterior motive. I heard some people talking about this on the radio yesterday and I just had to laugh. WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL???
Thanks MC. Repped for posting it for me. I no longer see a legit objection to the event beyond distaste for the president, barring actually knowing what the contents of the speech are. If the speech turns political, I will be opposed.
BRB, going to find a youtube video of Sean Hannity that proves Obama is a terrorist whether he admits it or not.
Point taken. He is however sexist. Google "lipstick on a pig." (I don't believe he is either, but I also don't think someone using the "great white hope" cliche is necessarily racist either.)
I'm not saying I'm absolutely sure she was racist. I'm just throwing the fact that for some people who is against our current POTUS it is really about the color of his skin more than anything else.
That's a load of carp. The "lipstick on a pig" saying doesn't even MENTION a gender. And had NOTHING to do with Palin, the GOP just wanted their gullible base to think it did. Look, I have no problem with parents who want to take their kid out of the school because they don't want them to hear what the POTUS has to say. It's stupid, ignorant, and moranic, but it's their right. The problem I have is the parents who are telling the schools that they should not broadcast the speech. THAT is ridiculous.
It absolutely is about his color for a lot of people sadly. But you used her video. That means you are saying, or at least implying, that she is racist and (based on the way you used it) that the people opposed to this are racist, whether they admit it or not. I don't think that's a fair classification.
Duh. Of course it wasn't sexist. He used a cliche in an interview/speech/statement (don't remember the exact setting) that was then misconstrued by people who wanted to slam him for something.
Yeah as Basso continues with his personal transformation his kids will eventually be home schooled by birthers and not allowed to associate with other kids in the neighborhood as they might pick up moderate or even liberal ideas.
Just wondering has there been any outcry about the Presidential Physical Fitness Awards? We have been indoctrinated for decades by presidents to be physically fit.
As long as Obama tells the children not to grow up to be cowboys I'm cool with it. (and tells them that Texas does not have some mythical right to secede and become a country again)
I was being sarcastic. This is the second time you've called me out and insulted my intelligence where you were misjudging my intent. In the future, I'd appreciate it if you would contain your insults to your overdramatic, attention-whoring spats with other members. I've never done anything to you, attacked you personally, etc. I come here to have discussion, learn things, get facts, and laugh.
