The President of the United States Emergent Reader Activity
BEFORE READING
Have students share what they know about the President’s job and what they’d like to learn. Record information in a K-W-L chart. Have students read the introduction on the Pagesaver.
READING
Have students set a purpose for reading by referring to the K-W-L chart. Use discussion questions such as these to guide the reading:
• How does the Constitution set up the United States government? Why did the Constitution writers design it this way? (Ch. 1)
• What are the President’s six main duties? (Ch. 2)
• How is a person elected President? (Ch. 6)
WORKSHEET & Sample PDF Activity
Sample PDF Activity
AFTER READING
Have students reflect on the information they learned in the book. Add this information to the K-W-L chart. You may wish to distribute copies of the Comprehension Master on p. 70.
Vocabulary Activity: Glossary Words Bingo
Materials: glossary words, blank bingo cards with 16 word squares
Have students use 16 glossary words to fill in the squares on a Bingo card. Play Bingo by reading the definition of a word from the glossary. Students look for the corresponding word on their card. If they have the word, they cover it with a piece of paper. The first student to cover a row of words calls out “Bingo!”
Writing Activity: Question-and-Answer Books
Materials: The President of the United States, construction paper, blank paper
Have students fold and cut two pieces of blank paper between a construction paper cover to create a 16-page book. Tell them to select eight facts from The President of the United States and rewrite each fact, in the form of a question, on a right-hand page of their book. Students should write the answer to each question on the back side of the question page. Have students trade books and answer each other’s questions.
ESL Activity: The President’s Jobs
Materials: The President of the United States
When reading Ch. 2, be sure students understand that although there are six different titles, only one President does the job. Relate this idea to their life, in which each student may simultaneously be a daughter or son, a sister or brother, a student, a friend, etc.
PHONICS/WORD STUDY
Identifying Sounds of oo
Write the words raccoon, wool, good, soon, Woodrow, and Roosevelt on the board. Have students read the words and listen for the different sounds of oo. Ask students to sort the words according to the sound of oo. Have them look in the book to find other examples of each oo sound.
MINI LESSONS
• READING STRATEGY
Comprehension: Using Text Features to Locate Information
Explain to students that text features, such as chapter titles, headings, and boxed information can help them quickly locate information in the book. Present several topics to the class and challenge them to see who can be the first to locate the information. You might begin by asking Where can I find information about the President’s role as Head of State?
• LANGUAGE SKILL
Understanding Conjunctions
Write the following sentences on the board: These powers allow him to end or prevent emergencies that threaten national safety or health. Washington wanted the President’s home to be grand and beautiful, but he didn’t want it to look like a castle. Have volunteers read each sentence and circle each conjunction. Guide students to identify the words or group of words each conjunction joins. Ask them to find other sentences with conjunctions in the book.
