America Rocks!

One of my favorite units to teach is America Rocks.  It encompasses government, a little bit of American history, the Bill of Rights, rights and responsibilities of citizens, the electoral process, and the many, many reasons why I love America.  My students invariably love this unit; I think because it is so relevant to their lives.  My enthusiasm might have a little bit to do with it, too.

As I was planning the unit I knew I didn't want to have a mock election with the real presidential candidates.  When you do that, all you really accomplished is that you learn the political leanings of the parents.  I wanted to teach my students to think, really think, about issues and to vote for the candidate they think would be the best leader.  To that end, I drug out an old favorite, Grace for President and found Duck for President as its compliment.

We studied the two books with an eye toward the qualities of a good leader.  The lesson poster above is one I created as we discussed the qualities of a good leader after we read Grace for President.  The content of the poster is word-for-word from my second graders.  How amazing is that?

You've heard the expression, "From the mouths of babes"?  In this case, it's absolutely true.  Before you go vote tomorrow, you might want to reread our poster.  My students got it absolutely right.  Thanks, Kelly DiPucchio, Grace's creator.

Happy voting, friends.   Whatever the outcome, voting is your sacred duty.  In case you were wondering, Grace Campbell is now our class president.  She beat out Duck almost 2:1.