Time Required

This lesson requires one to two 50-minute class periods.

Initial Motivation

Distribute one or more "Family Life" sections from The American Presidents website biographies.  After the class reads the selection(s), ask students to write down three adjectives to describe what it was like to be the child of a president.  Have them share their responses with the class.

Procedures

1. Tell the students that all members of the president's family are protected by agents of the Secret Service.  Stress that if they were the president's child, at least one agent would be with them wherever they went.
2. Pose the following questions, asking students to write down their responses:
    
1. Think about the things you like to do.  Do you think you would be able to do all of these things, or are there some you would not be able to do if you were a child of the president?  Could you go to the movies?  Could you sleep over at a friend's house?  Could you go shopping at the mall with your friends?
2. Choose one of the things that you would still be able to do if you were a president's child.  How would it be different?
3. What would be the most difficult part of being a child of the president?
4. What are some of the advantages of being a child of the president?
    
3. Have students share their responses in pairs or with the class.
4. Using the "Family Life" sections from The American President website biographies, ask the students to work in pairs or groups to compare the age, hobbies, and upbringing of the different presidents' children.  What factors influenced the childhood of the various families?  How did the personality of the president impact each child? 
5. Ask each student to examine the family life of a contemporary presidential candidate.  Students can do this by reading and bringing in news articles, and by watching the role of candidates' children as portrayed on the television news.  The teacher may want to bring in news clips or videos to show students.  Ask the students to answer the following questions:
    
1. List and record the same factors: age, geographical location, personality of candidate, etc. 
2. What are the similarities and differences among the candidates' children?
3. What are the similarities and differences between being the child of the president and the child of the candidate? 
4. Has the role of the presidents'/candidates' children changed over time? 
5. Does the media have an impact on the lives of the presidents'/candidates' children?
6. How would your life change if one of your parents were currently running for president?

Assessment

Examine students' answers.  You may want to assign a specific point value for each of the questions or just check to make sure the questions were completed thoughtfully.

Additional Resources