The Presidents of the United States may be studied in a variety of ways. In past generations, children memorized the presidents in order in (about) third grade. A simple list of the presidents is available for this purpose.
Another way to study the presidents is through a "Presidents Unit Study." The list of presidents can serve as the table of contents for a "Presidents Notebook." Forms are provided to help children research the basic facts about a president. The form for younger children has a larger font and space for an original picture of the president or a famous event in his life. The form for older students leaves more space for notes. Since there are so many presidents, a unit study on presidents can be broken into smaller parts or shared by a group. For example, a unit study on the first ten presidents could be done one year, and a second unit study on the next ten presidents could be done the following year. As a group, students could divide the presidents among themselves and share oral reports from their research.
For students who would like to write a report about a president, a simple outline is provided. The goal is to identify the main thesis and three supporting points, which will be developed in the three paragraphs in the body of the report. Students are not required to follow such a basic outline. They may have more than three points, or they may have a more sophisticated approach to writing. The outline is best for students who are just beginning to learn how to organize their research. The teacher can show them how to make a topic sentence for the first paragraph based on the first supporting point in the opening paragraph. The students should write the topic sentence on the first line. Next they should write three supporting points next to "A," "B," and "C." Continue with the same method for paragraph two and three. The closing paragraph should contain a conclusion supported by the same three points. If more space is needed, the students should use a separate piece of paper.