The White House
Courtesy of American Memory

 
 
Subject Areas
Art and Culture
   Architecture
History and Social Studies
   U.S. History - Civics and U.S. Government
 
Time Required
  What Happens in the White House?:
Three class periods.
 
Skills
  Working collaboratively
Communication
Information gathering
 
Additional Data
  Date Created: 05/19/03

What Happens in the White House?

Lesson One of Curriculum Unit:
What Happens in the White House?

Introduction

Ask students where the President lives. Ask where the President does most of his work. Working at home is quite common now, but Presidents have worked and lived in the White House since November 1, 1800 (see the EDSITEment resource American Memory), when John and Abigail Adams moved in. Ask students to think for a moment about what happens at the White House.

Guiding Question:

What functions does our presidential residence serve?

Learning Objective

After completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to:
  • List activities that take place at the White House.

Student Activity:

Show the class some or all of the following images from the modern presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Compile a list of what happens at the White House and, if desired, where it happens. (NOTE: All images are available through the online Archival Research Center [ARC] of the EDSITEment-reviewed website Digital Classroom.)

Assessment

Engage the class in a discussion about the images. The President (and family) lives and works in the White House. Which images show "living"?

Working?

A combination of the two?

Help students understand the nature of a ceremonial event.

Which images show ceremonial events? Which show work in session?

What kind of "house" is required to facilitate everything a President must do?

The President's office is the Oval Office. In the activity above, students may have viewed a photo of the Oval Office during the Carter Administration. If desired, students can explore the interactive activity Design the Oval Office for Yourself on National Geographic's Inside the White House, a link from the EDSITEment resource Explore DC.

Next lesson

Return to Curriculum Unit: What Happens in the White House?

Selected EDSITEment Websites

Other Information

Standards Alignment

  1. NAES-VisArts(K-4) 2

    Using knowledge of structures and functions

  2. NCSS-10

    Civic ideals and practices. Citizenship in a democratic republic. more

  3. NCSS-2

    Time, continuity, and change. The ways human beings view themselves in and over time. more

  4. NCSS-3

    People, places, and environments. more

  5. NCSS-6

    Power, authority, and governance. more

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