Editor
Dona Herweck Rice
Editorial Project Manager
Evan D. Forbes, M.S. Ed.
Editor in Chief
Sharon Coan, M.S. Ed.
Illustrator
Sue Fullam
Cover Artist
Keith Vasconcelles
Art Director
Elayne Roberts
Critical Thinking Activities
USA
Brain
Teasers
Grades 5-8
Imaging
Alfred Lau
Product Manager
Phil Garcia
Publisher
Mary D. Smith, M.S. Ed.
Author
Carol Eichel
Teacher Created Resources, Inc.
6421 Industry Way
Westminster, CA 92683
www.teachercreated.com
ISBN: 978-1-55734-547-9
©1995 Teacher Created Resources, Inc.
Reprinted, 2009
Made in U.S.A.
The classroom teacher may reproduce copies of materials in this book for classroom use only.
The reproduction of any part for an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. No part
of this publication may be transmitted, stored, or recorded in any form without written
permission from the publisher.
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Presidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
States, Capitals, and Washington, D.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Places, Landmarks, and Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Celebrations and Patriotism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
General Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Introduction
The Brain Teasers series provides ways to exercise and develop brain power!
Each page stands alone and can be used as a quick and easy filler activity. The
pages can be distributed to students as individual worksheets or made into transparencies for presentation to the entire class at once. The activities are especially useful in helping students develop:
• Logic and other critical thinking skills.
• Creative thinking skills.
• Research skills.
• Spelling skills.
• General vocabulary skills.
• General knowledge skills.
This U.S.A. activity book pays particular attention to the fabulous country in
which we live. Along with a United States social studies curriculum, the activities here can be invaluable in introducing and reinforcing knowledge. They can
also be used just for fun.
Great care has been taken in collecting accurate data for this book. As much as
possible, the most current data has been used.
We hope you and your students will have great fun learning more about the
country in which we live — the United States of America.
#TCM 547 USA Brain Teasers
2
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc.
Presidents
Which President?
1. Which president was nicknamed “Honest Abe”? ______________________
2. Which president was called the “Father of the Constitution”?
______________________________
3. Which president and his wife were the first to occupy the White House in
Washington D.C.? ______________________________________________
4. Which future president was the author of the “Declaration of
Independence”? ______________________________
5. Which president was the only one to serve two nonconsecutive terms of
office? ______________________________
6. Which president was nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready”?
______________________________
7. Which president was assassinated in Ford’s Theater? __________________
8. Which two presidents are buried in Arlington National Cemetery?
______________________________
9. Which president served more than two terms? ________________________
10. Which president was in office when the White House was set on fire?
______________________________
11. Which president was the grandson of another president?
______________________________
12. Which president was the shortest? _________________________________
13. Which President never married? ___________________________________
14. Which president was the first to talk to a man on the moon?
______________________________
15. Which five presidents were left-handed? ____________________________
_____________________________________________________________
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc.
3
#TCM 547 USA Brain Teasers
Presidents
Do You Know?
1. Which president was the son of a former president?
______________________________
2. For which president was the teddy bear named? ______________________
3. Which president was called the “Accidental President”?
______________________________
4. Which was the first president born in a log cabin? ____________________
5. Which president’s family farm was named Mt. Vernon?
______________________________
6. Which president was a movie star before becoming a president?
______________________________
7. Who was America’s first vice-president? ____________________________
8. Which president is pictured on the two-dollar bill? ____________________
9. Which president was elected to four terms of office?
______________________________
10. Who was the only person to serve as vice president and then president, who
was not elected to either office.
______________________________
11. Which president gave “The Gettysburg Address”? ____________________
12. What was President Jefferson’s first name? __________________________
13. Which president’s first two initials were U.S.?________________________
14. Which president was the first to resign from office? ___________________
15. Which president caught a cold at his inauguration and died of pneumonia a
month later? ______________________________
#TCM 547 USA Brain Teasers
4
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc.
Presidents
Presidential Stumpers
Use the names of the presidents to answer these questions humorously. The
first one has been done for you.
Truman
1. Which president was the most honest? ______________________________
2. Which president was the slowest? _________________________________
3. Which president was irritated by his child? __________________________
4. Which president was popular at a service station? _____________________
5. Which president was the namesake of a popular cat?
__________________________________
6. Which president sewed clothing? __________________________________
7. Which president took care of the laundry? ___________________________
8. Which president was helpful in fixing a flat tire?______________________
9. Which president was often cold? __________________________________
10. Which president cleaned the carpets? _______________________________
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc.
5
#TCM 547 USA Brain Teasers
Presidents
Presidential Fill-In
Fill in the names of U.S. presidents in the blanks below. Use the names within
the word bank.
1
2
1
T
A
F
2
2
7
T
3
5
4
3
6
8
4
5
5
6
8
7
9
9
Word Bank
Monroe
Lincoln
Adams
Reagan
Grant
Taft
#TCM 547 USA Brain Teasers
Nixon
Wilson
Bush
Ford
Filmore
Kennedy
6
Madison
Washington
Eisenhower
Roosevelt
Jefferson
Cleveland
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc.