CKLA Knowledge 

 Our new unit focuses on  Presidents and American Symbols

This domain explores the lives and legacies of five famous presidents and introduces students to several national symbols, including the American flag, the Statue of Liberty, the White House, and Mount Rushmore. Students begin by hearing about the branches of the government and the role of the president. Students should have learned about monarchies in the Kings and Queens domain prior to this domain, providing useful background knowledge on forms of government. By the end of this domain, students will be able to compare a king and a president. Students will also build on information learned in the Columbus and the Pilgrims and the Colonial Towns and Townspeople domains. It is important to draw on this background knowledge so that students can contextualize information about how George Washington and his army fought against Great Britain and won freedom for the colonies, which then became the United States of America. In the first part of the domain, students will learn about two of our country’s founding fathers: George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. They will hear about the legend of Washington and the cherry tree, Washington’s role as a general in the American Revolution, and his role as the first United States president. They will then learn about Jefferson’s presidency and his role in drafting the Declaration of Independence. Students will also learn that when the colonists decided to fight for their freedom from Great Britain, they, themselves, were keeping freedom from a large number of enslaved African Americans. The domain covers Abraham Lincoln and his role in ending slavery fewer than two hundred years ago. The domain then focuses on Theodore Roosevelt who remembered, as a child, when Abraham Lincoln died. Students will learn how Roosevelt’s early life affected his life as an adult and later his presidency. Students will also learn about Roosevelt’s love for the outdoors and how he worked for nature conservation. Students will then hear about the historic election and re-election of Barack Obama as the nation’s first African-American president. They will learn how hard work, perseverance, and a good education enabled Obama to become president. They will learn about President Obama’s childhood, family, education, and political career. Finally, students will hear a story about the carving of Mount Rushmore, which commemorates four of the five presidents presented in this domain: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.