Presidents and American Symbols: Supplemental Guide 169Dear Family Member,Your child will be learning about U.S. presidents
at school. First s/he will learn about the capital of
the United States of America—Washington, D.C.
Your child will learn about the White House as
well as several monuments in Washington, D.C.,
that honor past presidents. S/he will learn how a
president is different from a king or queen.For the fi rst part of this unit, your child will learn about two of America’s Founding
Fathers (or leaders who helped to start this country): George Washington and Thomas
Jefferson. Your child will hear about the life of George Washington, the fi rst president of
the United States, and learn why he is known as the “Father of Our Country.” Your child
will also learn about Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, and his
role in writing the Declaration of Independence.Below are some suggestions for activities that you may do at home to reinforce what
your child is learning about the presidents.- Presidents on U.S. Coins and Currency
Using the activity page attached to this letter, help your child identify the presidents
on the left. (Note: Your child will learn about Abraham Lincoln later in the unit.) Then, have
your child draw a line from the president to the correct coin on the right. Ask your child to
tell you something s/he has learned about these presidents.These presidents are also pictured on U.S. currency: George Washington is on the
one-dollar bill; Thomas Jefferson is on the two-dollar bill; and Abraham Lincoln is on the
fi ve-dollar bill.- Presidents vs. Kings/Queens
Your child will learn about the similarities and differences
between presidents and kings/queens. As a class, we
recorded these similarities and differences on a Venn
diagram. Have your child tell you about the similarities and
differences while s/he points to the part of the Venn diagram
in which that information belongs.1B-1
Kings/Queens Presidents