Title:    A Visit to the White House
Subject:    Language Arts and Social Studies
Grade Level:    First

Overview:
    Students will take a virtual tour of our President’s home and write a letter to the President.

Purpose:
    To introduce students to the President and where he lives and to view the White House on-line.

Resources and Materials:
    Houghton Mifflin Social Studies Big Book We Explore American Heroes pp. 8 & 9, Scholastic Weekly Reader Big Issue, February 2003 Week 2, Map of the United States, letter writing paper

Internet Address:
    The following website will take you to the tour of the White  House.  http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/whtour/
    This web address will take you to the President’s Address for the writing portion of the lesson.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/guide/#section1

Activities:
    1. Gather the whole group of students to read the Houghton Mifflin Social Studies Big Book We Explore American Heroes pp. 8 & 9.
    2. Discuss the city of Washington, D.C. and who lives there and why this city is so important to the United States of America. Locate the city of Washington, D.C. on the map of the United States.
    3. Ask where the President of the United States lives.
    4. Read the Scholastic Weekly Reader Big Issue Februrary 2003, Week 2.
    5. Have students turn their attention to the television. Using iView, display the White House tour website.
    6. Explain that what they are seeing is a diagram of the real White House and when you click on the room it will show you a real photograph of the rooms in the President’s house. You may also want to read some of the information provided about each room in the White House.
    7. Have students write a letter to the President and explain how to address an envelope using the President’s address as shown on the website.

Evaluation:
    Informal observation of student participation in class discussion. Review of student’s letter to the President.