If I Were President

If I Were President
By: Catherine Stier
Age Level: 3-6 (Beginning Reader)

What does the President of the United States actually do?

The president must "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States," as agreed when sworn into office. The president must live in the White House and be in charge of the armed forces. Some of the perks of the job--that the president can go bowling at home and throws the first pitch of baseball season. Notably, while the text is a first person account of life as a president, the accompanying illustrations present the president with a wonderfully multicultural set of faces. Sometimes the president is a boy, at other times, a girl, and sometimes he's dark-skinned and other times he's light-skinned. The book provides a clear, enthusiastic description of a great job!

 

Traditional Literature 

Lion for Mayor!  

Mouse for Mayor! 

A mouse wakes up a lion and makes the lion very angry.  The mouse begs the lion to let him go.  The mouse says the lion might need his help someday. 

The lion lets the mouse go, although the lion can't see how such a small creature could ever help him.

Sometime later, the lion is caught in a hunter's net.  The mouse chews through the net and frees the lion.  The lion learns that size doesn't always matter. 

Imagine that both the lion and the mouse were running for mayor.  Whom would you vote for? 

Folk Tale Favorites!

Folk Tales

Longer stories that feature human and/or animal characters.  

Some are meant to entertain, and others teach community values and social mores.

My favorite beautifully illustrated folk tale is "Aladdin"!  I love and will always love Aladdin's magic carpet!  The legendary carpet that can be used to transport people who are on it instantaneously and quickly to their destination!!  My other favorite folktales include "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Hansel and Gretel"!!

Ms. Cadi’s Thematic Plan

Inside the White House

Attention! Attention! Let’s read all about it!

Soon our country will elect a new president.  There will be new residents in the White House in Washington, DC.  Let’s read about the White House in fact and fiction - and meet a variety of presidents in the pages of these books!

Grades: K-2

Objectives
Why are there elections?
What does the President do?
Who were some of the young, unusual, or past residents of the presidential mansion?

Books (Age: 3-6 Beginning Reader)
George Washington’s Teeth
By: Deborah Chandra & Madeleine Comora
Age: 3-6 (Beginning Reader)
George Washington is well known not only as the first President of the United States, but also for his legendary dental problem. The rhyming countdown (as GW heads toward no teeth at all) introduces an historical figure with humor, verve, and real (if unusual) information.

If I Were President
By: Catherine Stier
Age Level: 3-6 (Beginning Reader)
Children describe the basic duties of the U.S. President, from campaign speeches to lighting the national Christmas tree. Cheery illustrations, simple text, and the position’s more pleasurable duties create a fine introduction to the office for younger children.

My Teacher for President
By: Kay Winters
Illustrated by: Denise Brunkus
Age Level: 3-6 (Beginning Reader)
Since Oliver's class has been studying about elections and voting, he decides to nominate his teacher for President, and contacts a local television station, clearly stating her many qualifications! Humor abounds as the teacher's assets are juxtaposed with U.S. presidential duties — and with a real sense of child-like appreciation for what the teacher does.

Books (Age 6-9: Beginning Reader)

What to Do About Alice?
By: Barbara Kerley
Age Level: 6-9 (Beginning Reader)
What must it be like to live in the White House, especially if you’re not at all like other children of your time? Read about Alice — Theodore Roosevelt’s oldest child — and her unconventional approach to life in the White House.
Books (Age 6-9: Independent Reader)

Grace for President
By: Kelly Dipucchio
Age: 6-9 (Independent Reader)
An inspired teacher, the discovery of the fact that all U.S. Presidents (so far) have been male, and a tenacious girl provide the basis of a satisfying, surprisingly plausible story that explains the voting process in this country — including the Electoral College.
Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out
By: National Children's Book & Literacy Alliance
Age Level: 6-9 (Independent Reader)
Over 100 well-known authors and illustrators have provided pieces to this fascinating compendium about the White House. An introduction by historian David McCullough sets the stage for the varied offerings by diverse contributors. This handsome volume is ideal for sharing at home or in classrooms.
Wackiest White House Pets

By: Katherine Gibbs Davis
Age Level: 6-9 (Independent Reader)
How are dogs, alligators, sheep, cats, and a host of other animals similar? They’ve all been residents of the president’s house as presidential pets! Comical illustrations combine with the often laugh out loud funny tales of pets in the White House.