CCSS-Allgned 1eachlng Culde:

!"# %&'("#')*(+ ,&-' ,./'( 01 23"/#300# 1&04 54'&"6.7( %&'("#')*(

by uavld SLabler

!"# %&'("#')*( ls an lnformaLlonal LexL abouL Lhe presldenLs of Lhe unlLed SLaLes, organlzed lnLo
Lhree secLlons. Lach secLlon focuses on a slngle aspecL of chlldhood, whlch ls Lhe maln Lheme of each
young presldenL's sLory ln LhaL secLlon. As such, Lhe book ls an addlLlonal, supplemenLary LexL Lo Lhe
sLudy of u.S. presldenLs and/or Amerlcan hlsLory because Lhe hlsLorlcal conLrlbuLlons of Lhe sub[ecLs of
Lhe LexL are noL addressed. 8aLher, Lhe LexL glves Lhe reader a unlque vlew lnLo Lhe llves of Lhose who
grew Lo become presldenL.

!"#$"#%&'()
1. revlewlng Lhe LexL wlll be an lmporLanL Lool Lo help sLudenLs undersLand Lhe lnformaLlonal
purpose of Lhe LexL. key characLerlsLlcs of Lhe LexL lnclude buL are noL llmlLed Lo Lhe Lable of
conLenLs, LlLle, use of lllusLraLlons, dlfferenL Lypes of chapLers, and lndex. SLudenLs could
compare and conLrasL Lhe formaL of Lhe LexL wlLh a famlllar narraLlve LexL.
2. uependlng on Lhe purpose for lncludlng Lhls LexL, Leachers may wlsh Lo do any or all of Lhe
followlng:
a. ulsplay a Llmellne of slgnlflcanL evenLs ln u.S. hlsLory, lncludlng Lhe years of each
presldenL's Lerm of offlce.
b. Asslgn speclflc presldenLs Lo sLudenLs, elLher ln small groups or lndlvldually, and have
Lhem conducL research abouL Lhe presldenL's admlnlsLraLlon. SLudenLs or sLudenL
groups can Lhen presenL Lhelr flndlngs Lo Lhe class vla mulLlmedla presenLaLlon, speech,
or anoLher manner.
c. locuslng on lnformaLlon gleaned from Lhe Lable of conLenLs, have sLudenLs or sLudenL
groups develop an alLernaLe way Lo organlze Lhe lnformaLlon ln Lhe LexL. SLudenLs can
Lhen debaLe" whlch ls Lhe more effecLlve meLhod of organlzaLlon.
)#(#"%+ ,-%!.#" /0#1.'2(1
!"#$ &'() *+$(#,-./001 *.$232$2(4
1. ulysses S. CranL, Lhe Porseback kld: WhaL llfelong skllls or lessons dld CranL learn from hls love
for horses? WhaL acLlvlLles or slLuaLlons ln your llfe may help you learn slmllar skllls and/or
lessons?
2. 1heodore 8oosevelL and Lhe 8roadway Seal: WhaL slgnlflcanL conLrlbuLlons Lo anlmal sLudy
resulLed from 8oosevelL's love of anlmals? Pow dld 8oosevelL's role as presldenL lnfluence
Lhese conLrlbuLlons? Would 8oosevelL have been able Lo make Lhese conLrlbuLlons Lo anlmal
sLudy lf he had )0* become presldenL of Lhe unlLed SLaLes? Why or why noL?
3. ranksLer-ln-Chlef: WhaL lmpacL does Lhls chapLer have on Lhe reader?
4. 8lchard nlxon and Lhe Slze 9 8ooLs of uoom: Pow was acLlng boLh a poslLlve and a negaLlve
lnfluence on nlxon's llfe?
3. !lmmy CarLer, Arrowhead PunLer: WhaL ls Lhe CarLer Clause"? Pow mlghL lL lmpacL fuLure
generaLlons of chlldren and famllles? ls lL approprlaLe Lo name a parL of a blll LhaL becomes law
afLer a slngle person? Why or why noL? ldenLlfy anoLher blll or clause named afLer an
lndlvldual.
6. 8lll CllnLon and Lhe 8ed, WhlLe, and 8lue Sax: CllnLon says LhaL muslc helped hlm learn how Lo
mlx pracLlce and paLlence wlLh creaLlvlLy" (64). Lxplaln how Lhese characLerlsLlcs help make a
person an effecLlve leader.
7. Cames resldenLs lay: Lxplaln Lhe role of compeLlLlon ln Lhe llves of would-be presldenLs. Pow
mlghL compeLlLlon be helpful Lo a person as Lhey pursue Lhelr own goals? Pow mlghL lL be a
hlndrance?
!"#$ 560) 7"'$"4$2. 809#'(:4
1. Ceorge WashlngLon, kld of Lhe Wlld lronLler: Pow was WashlngLon's expedlLlon ln vlrglnla
dlfferenL Lhan expecLed? WhaL does Lhe manner ln whlch WashlngLon dealL wlLh Lhese
unexpecLed changes reveal Lo Lhe reader abouL hlm?
2. Andrew !ackson, Lhe LlLLlesL aLrloL: Lxplaln whaL Lhe auLhor means by a Lough-as-Lree-bark
repuLaLlon"? Lxplaln how such an aLLlLude mlghL be boLh a poslLlve and a negaLlve characLer
LralL.
3. Mlshaps Pappen: WhaL does Lhls chapLer reveal Lo Lhe reader abouL Lhe would-be presldenLs?
ls Lhls an lmporLanL ldea Lo lnclude ln Lhe book? Why or why noL?
4. PerberL Poover, 8oy of Lhe Csage: Lxplaln ln your own words Lhe mosL slgnlflcanL lesson Poover
learned from Lhe Csage lndlans. Pow can you apply Lhls lesson Lo your own llfe?
3. lranklln u. 8oosevelL and Pls uay of lreedom: uescrlbe lu8's relaLlonshlp wlLh hls moLher.
Compare and conLrasL Lhls relaLlonshlp wlLh Lhe relaLlonshlp you have wlLh your own moLher.
ldenLlfy Lhe mosL poslLlve aspecL of each relaLlonshlp, and explaln why Lhls ls Lhe besL parL.
6. 8arack Cbama, new kld ln 1own: Compare and conLrasL Lhe advenLures of Cbama wlLh Lhose of
!ackson and Poover. WhaL ls Lhe mosL slgnlflcanL slmllarlLy among Lhelr experlences? Why?
7. Pardly Worklng: Whlch presldenLs llked Lhelr chores? Whlch dld noL? Pow dld havlng Lhe
responslblllLy for Lhese chores, wheLher Lhey llked Lhem or noL, lnfluence Lhese men laLer ln
llfe? uo you have chores? Pow does havlng Lhls responslblllLy affecL your llfe?
!"#$ 5/#(() ;$<4 =0$ >"4: ?#062'@ AB
1. Abraham Llncoln and Lhe noL-So-Wlcked SLepmoLher: uo you agree LhaL Sarah [made] lL
posslble for [Llncoln] Lo become flrsL a sLaLe leglslaLor, Lhen a u.S. congressman, and flnally Lhe
presldenL of Lhe unlLed SLaLes" (143)? Why or why noL? Why ls Lhls chapLer abouL Abe Llncoln
ln Lhls secLlon of Lhe book? WhaL, speclflcally, was noL easy abouL Abe Llncoln's chlldhood?
2. uwlghL Llsenhower and Pls 1hree Lessons of Leadershlp: SelecL one of Lhe Lhree lessons of
leadershlp Llsenhower learned, and elLher explaln how lL could be applled ln your own llfe or
descrlbe a Llme when you applled lL ln your llfe.
3. resldenLlal 8eporL Cards: CaLegorlze each commenL as poslLlve or negaLlve. SelecL one poslLlve
and one negaLlve commenL, and Lhen explaln Lhe consequences LhaL LralL would have on a
person ln a leadershlp poslLlon. WhaL commenL would mosL llkely be found on one of your
reporL cards? WrlLe a descrlpLlve paragraph abouL a speclflc lnsLance when how you
demonsLraLe or demonsLraLed LhaL LralL.
4. !ohn l. kennedy and Lhe 8ullylng 8lg 8roLher: uescrlbe !lk's relaLlonshlp wlLh hls older broLher,
!oe. Lxplaln how and why lL changed.
3. Lyndon !ohnson, Class Clown: Accordlng Lo Lhe auLhor, 1he mosL remarkable Lhlng abouL Lhls
sLory . . . ls LhaL Lyndon !ohnson grew up Lo be a Leacher!" (176). uo you agree? Why or why
noL? 1hlnk of your frlends. Who would be Lhe leasL llkely Lo become a Leacher? 1he presldenL
of Lhe unlLed SLaLes? Why?
6. 8onald 8eagan, near-SlghLed Superhero: Lxplaln how a palr of eyeglasses gave 8eagan self-
confldence. uescrlbe a Llme when you or someone you know became more confldenL by
accldenL.
7. 44 lacLs abouL 44 resldenLs: Whlch facL ls mosL surprlslng Lo you? Why?
2()2'() !"23#,.1 2" .2!',1 24 &'1,011'2(
1. vocabulary lnsLrucLlon should be derlved from sLudenL need and dlsLrlcL pollcles.
2. 1exL sLrucLures Lo address lnclude buL should noL necessarlly be llmlLed Lo anecdoLes, use of
lllusLraLlons, summarles, and Lhose lnLerrupLer" chapLers. 1he focus for Lhe use of each
sLrucLure should be Lhe lmpacL lL has on Lhe reader.
3. CharacLer LralLs LhaL apply Lo several of Lhe men ln Lhls LexL are love of naLure, aLhleLlclsm,
mlschlef-maklng, lnLelllgence, and physlcal lnflrmlLy. SLudenLs could selecL one of Lhe LralLs and
ldenLlfy aL leasL Lhree would-be presldenLs LhaL have LhaL characLerlsLlc ln common. ln an
lnformaLlonal wrlLlng, sLudenLs should explaln how Lhls LralL lnfluenced each chlld's paLh Lo Lhe
presldency.
4. Asslgn each sLudenL a presldenL, or have sLudenLs selecL one. 1hen have sLudenLs wrlLe an
argumenLaLlve plece abouL how Lhe person's chlldhood lmpacLed hls performance as u.S.
presldenL.
3. Conslder Lhe formaL of Lhls LexL. WhaL oLher sub[ecLs mlghL have been lncluded? Who else
could be wrlLLen abouL ln Lhls manner? Compare Lhe formaL of Lhls LexL wlLh anoLher
lnformaLlonal, blographlcal LexL. Whlch do you flnd more lnLeresLlng? useful? Why?