Current Events Lesson Plan: January 19-25, 2017
Current Event: Inauguration Day
On January 20, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States. John Roberts, chief justice of the United States, administered the presidential oath of office to Trump at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. Donald Trump was sworn in using the same Bible used to swear in both Presidents Abraham Lincoln in 1861 and Barack Obama in 2009. Trump also had a cherished family Bible on hand, one given to him by his mother upon finishing primary school in 1955. After the swearing-in, Trump delivered his inaugural address. The peaceful transition of power is one of the most fundamental U.S. traditions.
Objective:
Starting with George Washington’s first inauguration on April 30, 1789, the United States has seen 58 inaugural ceremonies. In addition, eight vice presidents have been sworn in following the death or resignation of a president. In 1801, Thomas Jefferson became the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C. Twenty-eight years later, Andrew Jackson became the first president to take the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol, the site of most inaugurations since. In 1937, following the passage of the 20th Amendment, Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to be inaugurated on January 20. The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore Donald Trump and the presidency.
Words to know:
- Constitution of the United States
- Donald Trump
- John Roberts
- President of the United States
- United States Capitol
- Washington, D.C.
- White House
Discussion Topics:
1. Ask your students to name some famous U.S. presidents. (Students might say George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, Woodrow Wilson.)
2. Presidential inaugurations are filled with many traditions. Ask your students to name some inauguration traditions. (They might say the use of a Bible for the swearing in, the president’s inaugural address, the inaugural parade, inaugural balls.)
3. The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that a president may not be elected more than twice. Have your students debate the topic “Presidents should be able to serve an unlimited number of terms.”
4. Ask your students to use World Book’s Timelines feature to view or add to the Presidents of the United States: 1877 to Present timeline. (Or, ask your students to view or add to the Donald Trump timeline.)