Are you looking for a way to acknowledge such a monumental moment in our nation’s history while still keeping an academic focus? I love to tie in current events to our writing block, and what better way to do that than by researching the new (or re-elected) president! Snag the resource featured below here.
As a class, take notes on the president using a variety of sources. Epic! has great, free books on every president, including the upcoming one. BrainPopJr typically releases information about the inauguration, plus you can watch the real live footage or pre-screened YouTube videos to collect information. Other sources like Time for Kids or Newsweek also have articles accessible for students to learn about the new president. For older students, allow them to research alone or in partners.
Next, allow students to pick which facts they would like to write about. Give them time to plan their informative writing piece, then take it through the writing process. Students can plan their drafts, edit/revise, publish, grade themselves and share their writing. You can do this in the course of one morning (on inauguration day) or throughout the week during your writing block.
Students will LOVE learning these current events, plus can make a cute craft to hang out in the hallway. The craft pictured is differentiated for various levels of primary learners (including a sentence stem or blank lined pages for students to write an extensive research project). This resource also includes 3 different graphic organizers, appropriate for any elementary aged student.
Snag this resource for any elementary grade here or by clicking below.
Drop any questions, comments or helpful resources you have in the comments below.