The Election of 2012 is coming to its official close. The next step on the calendar in the process of selecting a president is Inauguration Day. Edsitement provides a very creative and thorough examination of all things inaugural. Titled “Inauguration Day: I Do Solemnly Swear,” this site contains analytical guiding questions, a wide range of materials, and extensive usage of primary sources, all the while asking the student to critically engage the content. This could be the perfect compliment for teachers wishing to inform students of the importance of this civic ceremony.
There are five activities in this lesson. They introduce the constitutional requirements for the oath of office (from Article II and the 20th amendment), the Founders’ debate on what phrasing should be included in the oath, and describes the celebrations of different inauguration days. At every step of the process, students are engaged with images and documents from the American past.