State of the Union Addresses
Grade
6-9
9-12
Lesson Duration
By The Choices Program
Students read Article II, Section III of the Constitution to identify words or phrases they don’t understand. Next, students (in small groups or the whole class) refer to an “interactive timeline” to view presidential speeches (from FDR to Trump) and fill out a graphic organizer.
Finally, students fill out a graphic organizer in which they predict what the president will address, and watch the current State of the Union Address.
Students will:
- Understand the constitutional basis and history of the State of the Union Address
- Explore a video timeline of significant moments in twentieth century State of the Union Addresses and identify important historic themes
- Collaborate with classmates to identify likely topics for the State of the Union Address
- Assess the President’s current State of the Union Address