Inauguration Day!
by
Gail Skroback Hennessey
Taking the oath of office, a big parade and evening
balls, Inauguration Day is a very busy day for the
incoming President! 1. Who reads the oath of Office to the incoming president?_________
Inauguration Day used to be held on this date._____________Why
was it changed to January 20th?
_______________________________Find the answers at this link:
http://www.congressforkids.net/Elections_inauguration.htm
2. Now held on the steps of the West Front of the Capitol Building,in
which city did our first President, George Washington’s inauguration take
place? _________________ For his second inauguration, Washington
and following him, John Adams both had their inauguration ceremonies
held in this city._____________________ Did you know that the
first President to have his inauguration held in Washington, DC, was
Thomas Jefferson? Read the oath of office at the top of the page. What
does the President swear to preserve, protect and defend?
_______________Find the answers at this link: http://
memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pioaths.html 3. In 2008, why did President Obama have a second swearing in
ceremony?________________________Who is the current Supreme
Court Justice___________________ Where was the second oath
taken?________________ Find the answers at this link: http://
www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/us/politics/22oath.html?_r=0
4. Which president gave the longest inauguration speech?
__________________It was a very cold day. This president died of
pneumonia a few week after becoming the president. Perhaps, he got ill
during the giving of his 100 minute speech! Who gave the shortest
inauguration speech? _________________For which famous quote in
his inauguration speech is John F. Kennedy remembered?
___________________________ Find the answers at this link:
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751153
5. Why did __________ states secede from the United States after
Lincoln won the presidential election in 1860?
________________________ What did these states “take” when
they left the USA? ______________________What did these states
form?_________________________ Why do you think they seized
these properties? ___________________________ What happened
six weeks after Lincoln’s inauguration? ___________________ This
was the start of what event? _________________ Find the answers
at this link: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincolninaugurated
6. The U.S. Constitution doesn’t require the use of a Bible for the
Inauguration ceremony. Which two presidents did NOT use a Bible to
take the oath of office?___________________
and___________________ Barack Obama used two Bibles. One
belonged to ________________ and the other Bible had belonged to
___________________,Name three other presidents who used two
Bibles: ______________,_______________ and
_____________________Find the answers at this link: http://
www.cnn.com/2013/01/17/opinion/obeidallah-bible/
7. According to tradition, who rides with the President Elect to the
Inaugural Ceremony? __________________________ Who is sworn
into office first, the President Elect or the Vice President Elect?
______________________Why is this the order of the oath taking?
_____________________________What does the outgoing
president do after the Inauguration ceremony?
________________________Which president’s wife organized the
first Inaugural ball?______________________Find the answers at
this link: http://americanhistory.about.com/od/uspresidents/tp/
Presidential-Inauguration-Facts.htm
8. For his second inauguration(1805),Thomas Jefferson began the
tradition of an inaugural parade,in Washington, DC. Who was the first
First Lady to join her husband in the parade route?
______________________ What was the reason that Ronald
Reagan’s second inaugural parade had to be cancelled, the first time this
has ever happened?________________ Which president had the
largest parade which included floats, elephants and horses?
___________________Which president first got out of his limo and
walked part of the parade route with his wife and daughter?
_________________ Find the answers at this link: http://
www.inaugural.senate.gov/days-events/inaugural-parade
9. Inauguration Day ends with a huge inaugural ball. The tradition began
with this president._________________. It was so hot at the event,
that people broke windows in the ballroom to get some air! Which
president cancelled his ball because he felt it was too expensive?
_________________ Why did President Pierce cancel his Inaugural
ball?____________________President Clinton really had a night of
parties with a record________balls held in his honor. Find the answers
at this link: http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/days-events/inauguralball
10. Move in Day! When can the “new” president move into the White
House?_____________ What is a tradition that the out-going
President does for the incoming President?_________________About
how many people work ALL day to unpack and get the White House
residence ready for the new First Family?__________When the new
president comes to the White House for the first time, what will not be
in view?_________Find the answers at this link: http://www.cnn.com/
2009/POLITICS/01/19/obama.move/
Did You Know?
1. The First Inauguration Ceremony to
be on television was in 1949, for
President Harry S. Truman.
2 .President Dwight D. Eisenhower was
actually lassoed by a cowboy who came
up to him on a horse during the 1953
Inaugural parade ceremony.
3. Did you know that President George Washington carried a sword to
his Inaugural Day ceremonies?
4. President Gerald Ford was the first UNELECTED President. He assumed
the office of President when President Richard Nixon resigned.
5. The first President to wear long pants to his Inauguration Ceremony
was President John Quincy Adams. Prior to this, men worn knee
breeches.
6. Tradition has been that the President-Elect rides to the Inaugural
Ceremony with the current President of the United States. The custom is
for the current president to sit on the RIGHT and the President-elect to
sit on the LEFT side of the limo.
7. The first Inauguration to be streamed on the internet was President
Bill Clinton.
8. The new President is elected at exactly 12 noon on January 20th.
9. The shortest Inauguration Speech was given by President George
Washington. It was only 135 words!
10. The first time the Marine Corps Band performed at an Inaugural Day
Ceremony was for President James Monroe.
11. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had FOUR inaugural Day Ceremonies.
After his presidency, a two term limit was placed into the constitution.
12. President Woodrow Wilson’s second inaugural parade included WOMEN
participating in the parade for the very first time!
13. Barron Trump,age 10, will be the first son to live in the White House
since John F. Kennedy’s son.(1963)
14. It was during President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address where
he said,“…ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can
do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what
America will do for you, but what, together, we can do for the freedom
of man.”(1961)
15. Lady Bird Johnson was the first First Lady to participate in the
Inaugural ceremony. She held the Bible for her husband, Lyndon B.
Johnson.(1965) This has now become a tradition.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Why do you think the Constitution doesn’t require the use of a Bible for the
Inauguration ceremony? Name two presidents that chose not to use a Bible to
take the oath of office.
2. Why is the Vice President sworn into office before the president on
Inauguration Day?
3. Most presidents have ridden in the parade route to the viewing stand. Who
was the first president to get out of the limo and walk? Why do you think he
did this? Why do you think the secret service wasn’t very happy about this
decision?
4. Why do you think it is the custom of the outgoing President
to leave Washington, D.C., following the Inauguration oath and
speech?
5.The Civil War began shortly after which President was
inaugurated?
6. President Obama is the only president to have been sworn into
the office of President, twice. Why?
7. Name the cities that hosted the Inauguration of two presidents before
Washington, D.C. Who was the first President to hold his Inauguration in
Washington, D.C.?
8. The oath of Office is very short. What does our President promise to
preserve, protect and defend?
Teacher Page:
Before doing the webquest, ask the students what prior knowledge they
may have about Inauguration Day. Make text-to-self connections and
ask the students if they were President, what would be 3 issues that
would be of importance to them. Have students work in small groups to
do the webquest. Regroup and discuss after students have finished the
activity. Perhaps, have groups of students make 5 comprehension
questions to exchange with another group. You may wish to explain the
terms President Elect and Vice President Elect. These terms are used
between Election Day and Inauguration Day for the newly elected
leaders.
Extensions Activities:
1. Ask the students to write a paragraph explaining JFK’s quote” Ask not
what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your
country.
2. Illustrate one of the facts learned about Inauguration Day. Write a
sentence or two to explain the drawing.
3. In 1929, when President Herbert Hoover said one of the words
incorrectly when he was sworn into office. An eight-grade girl, Helen
Terwilliger heard the mistake and wrote a note to the President. IN
1929, President Hoover actually got the letter and responded that he did
NOT make a mistake. Back then,news was shown in movie theaters and
people heard the mistake. The young girl was correct! Do you think
Helen should have written the letter to the President? Why, why not?
The President eventually had to admit the young girl had been correct.
Do you think the President should apology when he does something
wrong? Why, why not?
4. If you were 10 years old and about to live in the White House. What
would be 3 things you’d look forward to about living in the White House?
What would be 3 things you might not like about living in the White
House?
5. Make a banner that you would hold up on the parade route for the
new president to see as he comes by.
6. Show students the order of Succession: http://
www.rightsofthepeople.com/education/government_for_kids/9-12/
government/national/succession.php Note that after the VP, the next
person in line to assume the office of president is the Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
7. Illustration one of the factoids.
8. Pretend you are the President-Elect. Write a diary entry about your
Inauguration Day. Note: http://www.rightsofthepeople.com/education/
government_for_kids/9-12/government/national/succession.php-good
reading on the succession of the President.
Additional Resource of Interest:
1. Learn about the White House with 10 informative web questions,
comprehension and discussion questions and several extension activities:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Learn-about-theWhite-House-Webquest-359868
2. Did You know that President John Quincy Adams had an alligator?
Martin Van Buren had two tiger cubs and President McKinley's pet
parrot could whistle, "Yankee Doodle". Did you know that President
Franklin D. Roosevelt served HOT DOGS to the King of England? Did you
know that President Garfield could write with both his right and left
hand at the SAME time? Presidential Webquest/Extension Activities:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidents-APresidential-Webquest-338700
3. Did you know that First Lady Hillary Clinton was the first First Lady
to become a senator of New York? Did you know that Florence Harding
was the first woman to be able to VOTE for her husband in a
presidential election? Did you know that Eleanor Roosevelt was called
the " First Lady of the World"? Learn about the contributions of some
of our first ladies with this fun and informative webquest: https://
www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Ladies-of-the-UnitedStates-Wequest-604151
4. Do YOU Know Your Presidents is a series of three challenges. Each
challenge worksheet has 25 questions(with 3 choices). The first challenge
is the easiest with the third, the hardest.There is also a Presidential Did
You Know? Section: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/
Presidential-Facts-To-Challenge-Your-Students-2586425
Key:
1. Supreme Court Justice/ March 4/ economic criss in 1933, needed to
get the new president into office.
2. NYC/Philadelphia/ constitution
3. all words in oath weren’t said in the first ceremony/John Roberts/
White House
4. Harrison/Washington/ “Ask not what your country can do for you-ask
what you can do for your country.”
5. 7 /fear of Lincoln’s plans to outlaw slavery/forts/armories/Confederate
States of America/ answers will vary(to have weapons)/Fort Sumter
attacked in South Carolina/Civil WarT
6. Teddy Roosevelt and John Quincy Adams/ Martin Luther King and
Lincoln/ Eisenhower,Nixon ,Truman
7. outgoing president/VP/ keep succession line…if something happens to
the president/leaves /James Madison
8. Taft/too cold/ Eisenhower/Carter 9. Madison/Wilson/ son had recently died/14
10. Inauguration Day(not before NOON) /leaves a letter on the desk in
the Oval Office/ 93/ empty boxes.
Answers to Comprehension Questions:
1. separation between church and state/ Presidents Teddy Roosevelt
and John Quincy Adams
2. to keep the “succession” process. If something happens to the
President, the VP is next in line to take office before a new election
takes place.
3. President Carter/to be “with the people”-answers may vary/fearful
for his safety with such crowds of people.
4. to not be in the “spotlight” on the first day of the new president’s
term-answers may vary.
5. President Lincoln
6. President Obama/the Supreme Court Justice Roberts flubbed the
oath and some felt the president wasn’t “officially” president until the
correct oath was taken.
7. NYC and Philadelphia/Thomas Jefferson.
8. Constitution
Gail Hennessey: http://www.gailhennessey.com. My website for
teachers/kids has lots of geography activities, short reads, career
surveys, bell ringers, news, factoids on different topics and more.
Note: photograph is from http://publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com/
2009/01/inauguration-day-at-us-capitol.html
Illustrations from wpclipart.com