This is my favorite American symbol. I love talking about the qualities you need to become president of the United States. The children are fascinated by Obama and his family. They loved hearing about his dog Bo and his two daughters. We used this map but I supported the language with graphics since it was so demanding. This led me right into the qualities of a great leader and we learned some describing words in this context. We talked about the president needing to be physically fit (athletic) since he had such a hard job and worked long hours. We talked about what it means to be a scholar and hard working. Each time I introduced an academic word I asked them if they had these qualities and what made them scholars, athletes, and hard workers.It was so cute. They told me that they worked hard at learning how to read and do math and I responded by saying, "Then you can be president too." I also made an emergent reader about Obama with all these qualities included in the text and used photographs to support the words. This really hits Common Core and expository text in terms that a young child can understand.
