Skip to Main Content

Talk With the Presidents

Presidents' Day comes alive as students research the nation's leaders and create a sculpted figurine of a president.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Craft Materials
  • Fabric

Steps

  • Step 1

    As a class, create a list of the country's presidents or prime ministers. Assign each student someone from the list. You might do this by having students pick a number out of a bag and finding the name that corresponds with the order of leaders. Have the students research the leader and note some information, for example the years of the term, noted accomplishments, historical events that occurred during their tenure, etc. 

  • Step 2

    Ask students to sculpt a figurine of the leader out of Model Magic. They can embellish the figure with craft items such as pieces of fabric, scraps of paper, yarn, or anything else, and they can enhance the facial features using Colors of the World markers.

  • Step 3

    When their figurine is complete, have them present it to the class and discuss some of the information pertaining to the person they researched. Encourage questions and discussion by classmates.

Standards

SS: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions: Explore ways in which institutions (including voluntary associations/organizations, health care networks, etc.) are created to respond to changing individual and group needs. 

SS: Power, Authority, and Governance: Develop awareness of rights and responsibilities of people, in specific contexts. 

Adaptations

Read a book such as "Presidents (Oh No They Didn't)" by Eric Huang and Sam Caldwell, which dispels some of the commonly held misconceptions about presidents, vice presidents, first ladies, and even presidential pets; "50 Things You Should Know About American Presidents" by Tracey Kelly; or "When I'm the Prime Minister" by Samantha Pillay and Remesh Ram. Have a discussion about what it takes to be a leader.

Have students create a diorama of the White House or another leader's residence, such as 10 Downing Street in England, The Lodge in Australia, or any others. They can research the history of the structure and view images of its layout.