2009 Presidential Inauguration

Inauguration Day resources and activities.

Inauguration Day is January 20. The swearing in of the president-elect takes place at noon in Washington, D.C.

We are always searching for resources pertaining to the presidential inauguration. If you know of any, please send us a note.

The Inauguration of President Lincoln, March 4, 1861, from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Benjamin Brown French Album. Reproduction number: USZ62-48090 (b&w film copy neg.).

Elementary School Resources

• Inaugural Pennant

  Essential Questions: What evidence is there to show that inauguration day is a celebration? How could inauguration day unite people?

• Portrait of the President

  Talk about how the inauguration is a celebration of democracy. Essential Question: Why is the inaugural address a public event?

• Letter to the President

  Listen to portions of the inaugural address. Have students write letters to the new president. Essential Question: Why is the inaugural address a public event?

• Interview the President

  Essential Question: What role do media play in how people feel about the inauguration/the president?

• Using Media Sources: News Broadcasts

  Have students watch the local and national news broadcasts of the inauguration and create a chart to compare the two types of broadcasts. Essential Question: What role do the media play in public opinion about the inauguration?

• Past Inauguration Speeches and Background

  Compare elements of inauguration speeches to identify common goals and features. Essential Question: What are commonalities among inaugural addresses? How is historical context evident in an inaugural address?

• President for a Day

  Discuss the duties of the president which follow the inauguration. Essential Question: How do the day to day duties of the President support the agenda established during the inaugural speech?

• The Constitution and the Inauguration

  Investigate how the Constitution outlines the basis for the presidential inauguration. Essential Question: How does the Constitution outline the basis for the inauguration?

• Inaugural poem

  Write poems suitable for the occasion, or make a list of published poems that might be incorporated into such a ceremony. Essential Question: How does the president set the agenda for his presidency in the inauguration?

Secondary School Resources

• FDR's First Inaugural Address Declaring 'War' on the Great Depression

  Analyze the use of martial rhetoric in FDR's first inaugural address. Discuss the changing and expanding role of the President under FDR's tenure and methods the President uses to forward legislative goals.

• FDR's Fireside Chat on the Recovery Program

  This lesson could be useful in conjunction with the lesson on FDR's first inaugural address; perhaps with a focus on how FDR planned to fulfill the goals he laid out and continue to manage the mood of the country.

• Using Media Sources

  Have students watch the local and national news broadcasts of the inauguration. Have them create a chart that compares the two types of broadcasts. Students take notes to list the differences in how the local and national news handled the inauguration coverage.

• News Coverage Scrapbook

  Have students keep a scrapbook on the Obama inauguration for a week leading up to and/or a week following the inauguration. Allow students to comment on how effective and how accurate their news sources are, or how these sources might change the delivery of news.

• Online NewsHour: Inauguration 2001, Index of Inaugural Lesson Plans

  An index of lessons focusing on presidential inaugurations including "Andrew Jackson: King Mob or Champion of American Democracy?," "Thomas Jefferson: The Revolution of 1800," and "The Inaugural Speech: Setting the Tone for the Administration of a President"

• President for a Day

  This activity provides a job description for the presidency, so students understand what kinds of skills and competencies are necessary in that office. Provide students with the opportunity to role play the president for a day. Discuss the duties of the president which follow the inauguration.

• An Inaugural Poem

  Pose the question: If you were elected president, what kind of message would be important to deliver during your inaugural ceremony? Write poems suitable for the occasion, or make a list of published poems might be incorporated into such a ceremony.

• On-line Student Newspaper

  After viewing and discussing the inauguration, have students write editorials on the Obama presidency. Have students send their letters to the editor of the local newspaper or post their efforts to their school Web site.

• The Constitution and the Inauguration

  Investigate how the Constitution outlines the basis for the presidential inauguration.