We recently completed a unit about Mt. Rushmore’s Presidents. We began with George Washington – our country’s first president. We read several books about his life and made a tri-corner hat that included facts about his life. We also read the book, George Washington’s Teeth, which told the tale of his teeth and the trouble that he had with them. We learned that when he became president he only had two teeth left. He wore false teeth made from a combination of human teeth, animal teeth, and ivory.
Next, we learned about America’s third president – Thomas Jefferson. He was an avid reader and donated thousands of books to the Library of Congress. He was a brilliant man who designed his own house and invented a number of things. He was the writer of the Declaration of Independence. The kindergartners used quill pens and “ink” to trace over some of the famous words from this important document. Jefferson also spent five years in France and returned home to introduce several new foods to America – French fries, macaroni and cheese, tomatoes, and ice cream. We had our own Jefferson feast!
Abraham Lincoln was the next president that we talked about. He was born in a log cabin and helped his dad build one as well. He loved to read and would walk several miles just to borrow a book. He was known for his honesty, which earned him the nickname Honest Abe. He wore a tall, black hat where he put important papers and letters. We also read the book, Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers, which is the story of a young girl who wrote to President Lincoln suggesting that he grow whiskers. In the book there are copies of the letters they exchanged. The kindergartners crafted Lincoln’s face and added paper-torn whiskers. They gave him a tall, black hat with a letter inside.
Theodore Roosevelt was the final president we discussed. During the Spanish-American war, he organized a volunteer calvary called the Rough Riders. He was also instrumental in making National parks around the country. The kindergartners used colored pencils and watercolor paints to complete a picture of Roosevelt as a Rough Rider. Then to remind them of his role in setting aside land, they painted forest scenes using paint brushes and their fingertips.
We also learned that the teddy bear was named after Theodore Roosevelt. To celebrate that fact, we had an indoor teddy bear picnic. The kindergartners brought teddy bears to school and we ate bear shaped sandwiches, a forest of vegetables, pretzel sticks, “bear”ies, and ice ream made to look like a bear’s face.
The kindergartners researched one of the four presidents and wrote about his life. They presented the reports to the class and then made paper dolls to go with them.
Kindergarten at Carolina Prep 