Presidents

Day
Mini-Unit
8-Day Lesson Plan Unit Covering:
Presidents and their Role
The American Flag
George Washington
&
Abraham Lincoln

By: NicoleTesh
1

Table of Contents
Introduction To Unit

Standards of Learning Met

Breakdown of Unit ..

Day 1- Introduction to Presidents Day

Day 2- History of the American Flag ..

Day 3- Meet George Washington

Day 4- George Washington Portrait

11

Day 5- Meet Abraham Lincoln ..

14

Day 6- Abraham Lincoln Portrait ..

16

Day 7- Lincolns Cabin ...

18

Day 8- Comparing Coins

19

Introduction to Social Studies President Unit

This is an 8-day mini-unit meant to accompany the celebration of Presidents Day
celebrated in February. The Virginia Kindergarten Standards of Learning states:
The student will recognize that history describes events and people of other
times and places by a) identifying examples of past events in legends, stories,
and historical accounts of Powhatan, Pocahontas, George Washington, Betsy
Ross, and Abraham Lincoln; b) identifying the people and events honored by the
holidays of Thanksgiving Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day; Presidents Day; and
Independence Day (Fourth of July).

Standards of Learning Met

K.1 The student will recognize that history describes events and people of other
times and places by a) identifying examples of past events in legends, stories,
and historical accounts of Powhatan, Pocahontas, George Washington, Betsy
Ross, and Abraham Lincoln; b) identifying the people and events honored by the
holidays of Thanksgiving Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day; Presidents Day; and
Independence Day (Fourth of July).

K.2 The student will describe everyday life in the present and in the past and
begin to recognize that things change over time.

K.9 The student will recognize the American flag and the Pledge of Allegiance
and know that the president is the leader of the United States.

Daily Breakdown of Unit

Day 1- Introduction to Presidents Day

Students will learn what a leader is and does, they will then transfer this
information to the knowledge of a president and his job for the country.
Students will write about what they would do if they were president.

Day 2- History of the American Flag

Students will learn about Betsy Ross and the history of the American Flag.
Students will sum up information by making their own American Flag from
construction paper.

Day 3- Meet George Washington

Students will be introduced to our nations first President: George

Washington. They will summarize the information they learned by
completing a timeline on him.

Day 4- George Washington Portrait

Students will review history of George Washington. They will then create
a portrait of the first president that includes key facts.

Day 5- Meet Abraham Lincoln

Students will be introduced to our nations 16th President: Abraham
Lincoln. They will summarize the information they learned by completing a
timeline on him.

Day 6- Abe Lincoln Portrait

Students will review history of Abraham Lincoln. They will then create a
portrait of the first president that includes key facts.

Day 7- Lincolns Cabin

Students will read a story about Abraham Lincolns childhood. They will
then create a cabin out of popsicle sticks to represent his cabin.

Day 8- Comparing Coins

Students will use knowledge they have acquired about both presidents to
finish a lap book about both presidents and find their way through stations
that allow them to compare coins of the two presidents.

Introduction to Presidents Day

Purpose

K.9 The student will recognize the American flag and the
Pledge of Allegiance and know that the president is the
leader of the United States.
Students will identify the President as the leader of the
United States government. Students will identify the jobs and
responsibilities of the President of the United States.

Materials

Chart paper

Assessment

Students will correctly describe a president.

Objective

Activity/
Time
Introduction

Description
1. Engage the students in a discussion about the
meaning of the term leader.
2. Record the students ideas on a class chart.
3. On another piece of chart paper write the following
definition at the top: A leader is a person who is the
head of a group or activity. Have the students
brainstorm the names of leaders (for example,
teacher, coach, fire chief) and record these on the
chart.
4. Ask the students to identify an important leader n the
school guiding them on am the principal. Discuss the
role of the principal in the school (for example,
making decisions, making sure everyone is safe,
setting an example).
5. Discuss with the students why they think it is
important to have leaders and what some of their
jobs and responsibilities may be. Responses may
include helping to keep order, making sure everyone
is safe, and making sure jobs get done.
6. Distributedrawingpapertoeachofthestudentsandhavet
hemillustrateapictureofa leader doing their job and
label it.
7. Share the drawings with the class.
8. Tell the students that, just as school has a leader
called the principal, the United States has an
important leader too. Ask the students to name this
leader directing them to the term president.
Discuss the term President of the United States
with the students. Ask them to share what they know

Comments/
Differentiation

about the President of the United States. List the

students responses on chart paper.
Activity

1. Watch video about presidents day

2. Once the video is complete, lead discussion on what
presidents role is
3. Students should complete If I were President
Worksheet

7
Created By: Mindy Sumens

kindergartenkidlets.blogspot.com

|||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||.

If I were the President...

History of the American Flag

Objective

K.9 The student will recognize the American flag its colors.

Purpose

Students will correctly recreate an American flag by using

construction paper.

Materials

Video Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9aGW3YNajE
Construction Paper

Assessment

Activity/ Time
Introduction

Activity

Students will correctly describe an American flag

Description
1. Lets review what we learned yesterday, what is a
president? What does a president do? Who are
some of our presidents? Who is the president of the
United States now?
2. What is an American flag? What are the colors of
the American Flag? Why do we have an American
flag?
3. Have students watch the video
4. After it is complete, discuss what students learned
about the American flag. Ask students how the
American flag connects with the presidents of the
United States.
1. Provide students with proper materials to reproduce
an American flag.
2. Base students understanding on how well they are
able to recreate the colors of the flag.
3. After completion, have students share their flags with
the class and tell one fact they learned.

Comments/
Differentiation

Meet George Washington

Objective
Purpose
Materials
Assessment
Activity/ Time
Introduction

Activity

K.1 The student will recognize that history describes events

and people of other times and places by a) identifying
examples of past events in legends, stories, and historical
accounts of Powhatan, Pocahontas, George Washington,
Betsy Ross, and Abraham Lincoln;
b) identifying the people and events honored by the holidays
of Thanksgiving Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day;
Presidents Day; and Independence Day (Fourth of July).
Students will determine the order and main events of Geroge
Washington.
Computer
Smartboard
Students will correctly dictate one fact about George
Washington.
Description

1. Ask students if they know what a president is? Ask

students if they know what the presidents job is. Who
is George Washington? What is his job? Tell
students that he was our very first president ever.
2. Watch video:
https://jr.brainpop.com/socialstudies/biographies/
georgewashington/
3. After watching the video, have students work as a
class to complete the chart paper summary. Chart
paper should read: George Washington was the
_____ president. He is on _____. Washington is
known as the ______ of America. What else do you
know about Washington?
4. Once the chart has been completed, with the help of
students use the interactive timeline to place events
in order that they happened in George Washingtons
life. https://jr.brainpop.com/socialstudies/biographies/
georgewashington/sequenceorder/
1. After sequencing has been modeled, have students
return to their seats and copy and past the events of
George Washingtons life in order on the timeline.
2. If students complete the task, have them draw a
picture of an even that happened while George
Washington was President.

Comments/
Differentiation

First, money,
father

George Washingtons
Timeline
FIRST

SECOND

THIRD

FOURTH

FINALLY

George&Washington&was&the&
_____&president.&&&
Washington

was
born in
1732.

The
American

Washington
was elected

Revolutionary

the first

War
started.

president.

10

The US
Constitution

was
signed.

Washington

led
troops.

George Washington Portrait

Objective

K.1 The student will recognize that history describes events

and people of other times and places by a) identifying
examples of past events in legends, stories, and historical
accounts of Powhatan, Pocahontas, George Washington,
Betsy Ross, and Abraham Lincoln;
b) identifying the people and events honored by the holidays
of Thanksgiving Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day;
Presidents Day; and Independence Day (Fourth of July).

Purpose

Students will identify major facts about George Washington.

Materials

Computer
Smartboard
Worksheet
Construction Paper
Cotton balls

Assessment

Students will dictate one fact about George Washington

Activity/
Time
Introduction

Description
1. Ask students if they know what a president is?
Ask students if they know what the presidents job
is. Who is George Washington? What is his job?
Tell students that he was our very first president
ever.
2. Watch video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm5uPqucnHk
&
feature=youtu.be
3. After watching the video, have students work as a
class to complete the chart paper summary.
Chart paper should read: George Washington
was the _____ president. He is on _____.
Washington is known as the ______ of America.
What else do you know about Washington?
4. Once the chart has been completed, with the help
of students use the interactive timeline to place
events in order that they happened in George
Washingtons life.
https://jr.brainpop.com/socialstudies/biographies/
georgewashington/sequenceorder/
11

Comments/
Differentiation

First, money, father

Activity

3. After sequencing has been modeled, have

students return to their seats. Pass out materials
to complete activity. Students will be creating a
face of George Washington and pasting
information cards on the portrait.

12

Washington is on
the one-dollar bill.

George
Washington
Washington had
false teeth.

Born in Virginia in
1732

George Washington
was the 1st president

Led in the American

Revolutionary War

13

Meet Abraham Lincoln

Objective
Assessment
Materials

Students will recall that Abe Lincoln was the 16th president.

Assessment

Students will identify one fact on Abe Lincoln.

Activity/ Time
Introduction

Activity

K.1 The student will recognize that history describes events

and people of other times and places by a) identifying
examples of past events in legends, stories, and historical
accounts of Powhatan, Pocahontas, George Washington,
Betsy Ross, and Abraham Lincoln;
b) identifying the people and events honored by the holidays
of Thanksgiving Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day;
Presidents Day; and Independence Day (Fourth of July).

Computer
Smartboard

Description
1. Ask students if they know what a president is? Ask
students if they know what the presidents job is. Who
is George Washington? What is his job? Tell
students that he was our very first president ever.
Instruct students that they will be learning about Abe
Lincoln, the countries second president. Ask if they
know anything about Abe Lincoln.
2. Watch video:
https://jr.brainpop.com/socialstudies/biographies/
abrahamlincoln/preview.weml
3. After watching the video, have students work as a
class to complete the chart paper summary. Chart
paper should read: George Washington was the
_____ president. He is on _____. Lincoln is known
to be very _______. What else do you know about
Washington?
4. Once the chart has been completed, with the help of
students use the interactive timeline to place events
in order that they happened in George Washingtons
life. https://jr.brainpop.com/socialstudies/biographies/
abelincoln/sequenceorder/
4. After sequencing has been modeled, have students
return to their seats and cut and paste the events of
Abe Lincoln life in order on the timeline.

14

Comments/
Differentiation

First, money,
father

Abe Lincolns
Timeline

Abe$Lincoln$was$$
the$_____$president.$$$
Born in
a log
cabin.

He
liked to
read
books.

He
became
the 16th
president.

15

He got
married

Abe Lincoln Portrait

Objective

K.1 The student will recognize that history describes events

and people of other times and places by a) identifying
examples of past events in legends, stories, and historical
accounts of Powhatan, Pocahontas, George Washington,
Betsy Ross, and Abraham Lincoln;
b) identifying the people and events honored by the holidays
of Thanksgiving Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day;
Presidents Day; and Independence Day (Fourth of July).

Assessment

Students will name one important fact about Abe Lincoln.

Materials

Computer
Smartboard
Worksheet
Construction Paper

Assessment

Students will dictate one fact about Abe Lincoln

Activity/ Time
Introduction

Activity

Description
1. Ask students if they know what a president is? Ask
students if they know what the presidents job is. Who
is George Washington? What is his job? Tell
students that he was our very first president ever.
Instruct students that they will be learning about Abe
Lincoln, the countries second president. Ask if they
know anything about Abe Lincoln.
2. After watching the video, have students work as a
class to complete the chart paper summary. Chart
paper should read: Lincoln was the _____ president.
He is on _____. Lincoln is known to be very
_______. What else do you know about Lincoln?
3.
1. After discussion is concluded, have students return to
their seats. Pass out materials to complete activity.
Students will be creating a face of Abe Lincoln and
pasting information cards on the portrait.

16

Comments/
Differentiation

Abe Lincoln

Lincoln is on the fivedollar bill.

Lincoln wore a tall

black hat.

Born in a log cabin

Lincoln was the 16th

president.

Lincoln loved to read.

17

Lincolns Cabin
Objective

K.1 The student will recognize that history describes events

and people of other times and places by a) identifying
examples of past events in legends, stories, and historical
accounts of Powhatan, Pocahontas, George Washington, Betsy
Ross, and Abraham Lincoln;
b) identifying the people and events honored by the holidays of
Thanksgiving Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day; Presidents
Day; and Independence Day (Fourth of July).

Assessment

Students will create a replica of Lincolns log cabin.

Materials

Computer
Smartboard
Popsicle sticks
Honest Abe Book

Activity/ Time
Introduction

Activity

Description
1. Ask students if they know what a president
is? Ask students if they know what the
presidents job is. Who is George
Washington? What is his job? Who was
Abe Lincoln? What did he do?
2. Read Honest Abe to students.
3. Lead class discussion about Lincolns early
life
1. Instruct students that they will be building a
replica of Lincolns log cabin using
construction paper and popsicle sticks.
2. Students will use what they learned about
Lincolns log cabin to build their own.
3. After students finish, share with the class.

18

Comments/ Differentiation

Comparing Coins
Objective
Assessment
Materials
Activity/ Time

K.1 The student will recognize that history describes events

and people of other times and places by a) identifying
examples of past events in legends, stories, and historical
accounts of Powhatan, Pocahontas, George Washington,
Betsy Ross, and Abraham Lincoln;
b) identifying the people and events honored by the holidays
of Thanksgiving Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day;
Presidents Day; and Independence Day (Fourth of July).
Students will determine the different presidents on the coins.
Coins
worksheet
Description

Introduction

1. Ask students if they know what a president is? Ask

students if they know what the presidents job is. Who
is George Washington? What is his job? Who was
Abe Lincoln? What did he do? What monies are
these presidents on?

Activity

1. Instruct students that they will be sorting coins based

on the faces of the presidents at one station. At
another, students will be coloring coins that have the
presidents on them, and at the third station, students
will be reading a short book about these presidents.

19

Comments/
Differentiation

20

George Washington

Abe Lincoln

21

-4-

Happy Birthday
Mr. President.

First President

George Washington
was born on
February 22, 1723.

George Washington

The capital of the

The Washington
United States
Monument honors
was named after
George Washington.
George Washington.
-2-

22

-3-