While it’s easy to think of Presidents’ Day as a time for ski weekends or sales at the mall, it’s also a great opportunity for your students to become steeped in American history and get to know each of our 46 American presidents. Try these creative educational ideas to make history fun for your students this February.
If I Were President
Take a look at the National Portrait Gallery’s artwork of the U.S. presidents, then have your students design their own presidential self portrait. When you display their artwork, be sure to include some writing about what your students would do if they were president.
Vote for Class President
After learning about what several past presidents believed in and stood for, have your students role play a favorite president and explain their platforms for being elected class president. This is a fun way to synthesize learning and practice democracy in action with a class vote for the best candidate.
Presidential Read-In
Stock your classroom with age-appropriate books about the presidents and declare an all-day read before the long weekend. Invite students to spend the day in PJs with pillows and let them get their fill of learning about the presidents with some serious DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time. It’s the perfect way to ease into the holiday!
How have you celebrated Presidents’ Day in your classroom? We’d love to hear from you!
