First ladies appear at local school

Every now and then, a lesson builds its own momentum and becomes something much larger than what the teacher envisioned. That was the case this week with our President’s Day lessons.

I had spent quite a bit of time researching the best stories I could find about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I shared the stories and we discussed their time in history, their childhoods, struggles, accomplishments, and their virtues. We wrote a little about each president, and then I concluded the lesson and got ready to move on. But this was where the real learning started.

One student began sharing information she learned about the presidents that seemed much more relevant to 7-8 year olds: George Washington had false teeth, Abe Lincoln was really, really tall and hid things in his stovepipe hat, and their wives were called first ladies. The girls in the class picked up on this part, and many of them began asking questions about the wives of the presidents.

I printed out some charts that included many facts, including the names and pictures of the first ladies. At free choice time, the girls looked closely through the printed charts and chose a first lady that they could role play. It was quite enjoyable to hear their play evolve as they took on the role of these historical figures.

Totally on their own, they decided to look around their homes and find clothes they could wear to school the next day to help them stay in character. We had a visit from Martha Washington, Mary Todd Lincoln, Jacqueline Kennedy, Barbara Bush, Eleanor Roosevelt, and others. After entering the classroom, many of the girls began making new nametags to tape on their tables, indicating who their character was. They also made identification badges with secret codes, which they hung from their wrists. I’m sure the Secret Service would have appreciated their efforts.

The First Ladies could be seen on the playground “taking a stroll” on their way to tea. Barbara Bush brought an exquisite parasol to use during recess time, to keep the bright sun off her fair complexion. Instead of a pillbox hat, Jackie Kennedy was sporting a lovely bonnet and a hand-crocheted shawl.

The students began researching how many children they had, where they lived before becoming presidential wives, and what their husbands did while in office. This was totally student-generated. I had only planted a small seed during the lesson, and because of their inquisitive minds and love of play, they took the lesson to a much deeper level.

If you happen to see a girl who’s all dressed up, walking around with an open parasol in the middle of February, please tip your hat and say hello! She may be on her way to having tea with the other First Ladies, or she may be heading back to the White House to prepare for the ball.

Of course, by the time this is printed, all of the First Ladies may have transformed into happy huskies mushing on the Iditarod Trail, or leprechaun hunters setting traps to catch these gold-bearers. One never knows with the creative and inquisitive minds of our students.

Diana Sloan-Basner is an elementary teacher at Birchtree Charter School. Although she never dressed up like one of the presidents’ wives, she enjoyed playing pretend and dressing up as many other characters.