Non-fiction: Presidents’ Day is Here!
Presidents’ Day Is Here!
Learn more about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
Presidents’ Day is celebrated on the third Monday of February. Do
you know why we honor George Washington and Abraham Lincoln
on that day? Both presidents were born in February.
George Washington was our first president. He
was born in Virginia on February 22, 1732. He was
president from 1789 to 1797.
Getty Images
Fun Facts
(1) When he was a boy, his favorite subject was math.
1+1 = 2 3x7 = 21
(2) He started writing in a journal at age 16. He had good handwriting. He
wrote about what he did each day.
(3) He was a soldier and a farmer before he became president.
(4) He had many dogs and horses. He also had a parrot named Polly.
(5) At the age of 22, he started to lose his teeth. When he became
president, he had only one tooth left. He wore false teeth.
(6) He never lived in the White House. Why? It had not been built yet.
Work on the White House was started in 1792. It was finished in 1800.
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Used by permission.
Non-fiction: Presidents’ Day is Here!
Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president. He was
born in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. He was
president from 1861 to 1865.
Getty Images
Fun Facts
(1) When he was a boy, he loved to read. One of his favorite books was
about the life of George Washington.
(2) He was known for being honest. People often called him “Honest Abe.”
(3) He was a shop owner and a lawyer before he became president.
(4) He had goats, dogs, and a cat named Tabby. Tabby was the first cat to
live in the White House.
(5) He was the tallest president. He was 6 feet 4 inches tall.
(6) He was the first president to have a beard. He grew it after getting a
letter from a little girl named Grace. She told him that his face was thin. She
said he would look better with a beard.
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© 2012 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Article: Copyright © 2009 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved.
Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation.
Used by permission.
Presidents’ Day is Here!
Name:
Date:
Directions: For questions 1-4, circle the correct answer.
1. When is Presidents’ Day?
a) the first Monday of February
b) the second Monday of February
c) the third Monday of February
2. The passage lists facts about which two presidents?
a) Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama
b) George Washington and Abraham Lincoln
c) George Washington and Barack Obama
3. George Washington never lived in the White House because the
White House wasn’t finished until 1800. Abraham Lincoln was
president from 1861 to 1865. What can be concluded about
whether Abraham Lincoln lived in the White House based on this
information?
a) Abraham Lincoln most likely lived in the White House.
b) Abraham Lincoln probably did not live in the White House.
c) Abraham Lincoln lived in the White House for only a few
months.
3
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Presidents’ Day is Here!
4. What is “Presidents’ Day is Here!” mostly about?
a) George Washington’s childhood
b) Abraham Lincoln’s presidency
c) facts about two U.S. presidents
5. A) Who was America’s first president?
America’s first president was
________________________________________________________
____________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
____________________________________
________________________________________________________.
B) Draw a picture of George Washington doing something
described in the passage.
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Presidents’ Day is Here!
6. What did you learn from “Presidents’ Day is Here!”?
________________________________________________________
____________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
____________________________________
________________________________________________________
7. Class Discussion Question: Compare and contrast George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln by explaining how they were
different and alike. Use information from the passage to support
your answer.
5
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Presidents’ Day is Here!
Teacher Guide & Answers
Note to Teacher: Read each question out loud to your students and have each student
complete the worksheet independently. For questions 5 A) and 6, you can have students draw
their answers, answer orally, or write their answers depending on your students’ progress. If you
have them write their answers, you may want to write the word(s) on the board for them to
copy. Question 7 is a class discussion question.
Passage Reading Level: Lexile 440
Directions: For questions 1-4, circle the correct answer.
1. When is Presidents’ Day?
a) the first Monday of February
b) the second Monday of February
c) the third Monday of February
2. The passage lists facts about which two presidents?
a) Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama
b) George Washington and Abraham Lincoln
c) George Washington and Barack Obama
3. George Washington never lived in the White House because the White House wasn’t finished
until 1800. Abraham Lincoln was president from 1861 to 1865. What can be concluded about
whether Abraham Lincoln lived in the White House based on this information?
a) Abraham Lincoln most likely lived in the White House.
b) Abraham Lincoln probably did not live in the White House.
c) Abraham Lincoln lived in the White House for only a few months.
4. What is “Presidents’ Day is Here!” mostly about?
a) George Washington’s childhood
b) Abraham Lincoln’s presidency
c) facts about two U.S. presidents
1
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Presidents’ Day is Here!
5.
A) Note to Teacher: See note at the top of the first page.
Who was America’s first president?
Suggested answer: America’s first president was George Washington.
B) Draw a picture of George Washington doing something described in the passage.
Suggested answer: Students’ pictures may vary but should depict any of the things
described in the passage. For example, students may depict Washington solving math
problems or being a farmer.
6. Note to Teacher: See note at the top of the first page.
What did you learn from “Presidents’ Day is Here!”?
Suggested answer: Answers may vary and should be supported by the passage.
7. Note to Teacher: See note at the top of the first page.
Class Discussion Question: Compare and contrast George Washington and Abraham
Lincoln by explaining how they were different and alike. Use information from the passage to
support your answer.
Suggested answer: Answers may vary but students’ answers should be supported by
the passage. For example, students may say that both men were presidents. However,
Washington didn’t live in the White House whereas Lincoln did.
2
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.