LittleClickers: Let's Write and Read

I Wanna Be

PRESIDENT!

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." Presidential Oath of Office

With these words, you become President of the United States. Is this a job you'd like? How much do you get paid? Can anyone run for president? What do you do after you've been president? Learn these answers and more interesting facts about the men who have held our nation's highest office.

How old do you have to be to run for President?
A) 53 years old
B) 64 years old
C) 18 years old
D) 35 years old

Answer: D) 35 years old. At http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/government/national/president3.html, you'll learn that the President and the Vice President must meet three requirements. They must be at least 35 years old, be a natural-born U.S. citizen and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. You can only be the president for two terms, or eight years.

Also be sure to visit http://www.presidentsusa.net/index.html. Here you'll find one of the most comprehensive sites on the Internet for presidential resources. Subject headings are alphabetized and are linked to most of the sites on the web containing information on that specific presidential subject.

Was our country ever run by a president and vice president who were not elected by the people of the United States? Were all the former presidents born in the United States?

Yes and no. At http://www.littleknownfactsshow.com/presidents.html you'll learn that after Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned in 1973, President Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as vice president. Nixon resigned the following year, which left Ford as president, and Ford's appointed vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, as second in line.

Martin Van Buren (1837 - 1841) was the first president born an American citizen. All the presidents before him were born in the British Colonies. Did you also know that James A. Garfield (1881) could write with both hands at the same time -- in different languages? Or, that Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) did not learn to read until he was 17 years old? His parents had been too poor to send him to school. You can read these tidbits, as well as loads of others, at http://www.mistergworld.com/12-002.htm and http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4670.

How much does a president get paid per year?

At http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/05/24/pay.raise/, you can see how much each president has been paid. Currently, it is $400,000 a year. Two presidents refused to accept the salary: George Washington and John F. Kennedy.

Where did the oath of office come from, and what is the oldest known photograph of a president taking the oath of office?

At http://americanhistory.si.edu/Presidency/1b2.html, you'll learn that the oath of office was written in Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution. It reads, "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

The image at the right is of James Buchanan taking the oath of office in 1857, and is the oldest known photograph of a presidential inauguration. More than 150,000 people attended.

True or False: One of the Presidents had a pet goat in the White House.

True. At http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/pets/quiz/ you can learn that President Benjamin Harrison's grandchildren were pulled around the White House lawns in a cart, pulled by his pet goat named His Whiskers.

Who was the tallest president? (And what did his son do to get into BIG trouble?)

At http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/PeoplePlaces/Georgewashingtonicecream, you'll learn that Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president, at 6'4", and that his son, Tad, once fired a cannon inside the White House. You'll also learn that George Washington loved ice cream, and James Garfield, the 20th President, was the first left-handed President.

What's the latest news from the 2008 campaign?

At http://www.scholastic.com/election2008, a group of kid reporters are following Barack Obama, John McCain and Hillary Clinton as they try to become the next president. While you are on this site, try the "You're the President" game at http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/games_quizzes/electiongame/game.asp.

What is the the greatest number of US presidents alive at the same time?

At http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question74058.html, you'll learn that the highest number of US Presidents alive at the same time is six. This has occurred twice. Until 1994, Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush and Clinton were alive. President Nixon passed in 1994, leaving five. The number increased to six again with the inauguration of President G.W. Bush in 2001, until President Regan's death in 2004.

The Presidents and First Ladies attending the funeral of President Richard M. Nixon. Left to right: Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton; George and Barbara Bush; Ronald and Nancy Reagan; Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter; and Gerald and Betty Ford.

Were any of them ever friends?

Even though they were politcal opponents, one of the most intensely personal friendships between any two presidents in history was the Ford-Carter friendship. You can read Jimmy Carter's eloquent and moving eulogy to his close friend at: http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/ford_eulogy.html.

Presidential Campaign Debate: Jimmy Carter and Gerald R. Ford, September 23, 1976. (Photo capturered from Google Images.)

What do presidents do after they leave office?

Visit http://americanhistory.si.edu/presidency/3_frame.html. There is no law that states what a president must do after leaving office. It often depends on their standing in the eyes of the American people, stature within their party, or desire to continue in the public realm. Also visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/pres_occ/quiz/ where you can take a quiz to learn about some of the roles past chief executives held after they left office. Some examples:

Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) -- established the University of Virginia, including designing the buildings, setting up the curriculum, and selecting the faculty.

James Madison (1809-1817)  -- helped found the American Colonization Society, which favored gradual abolition of slavery and the resettlement of slaves and free blacks in Africa.

Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)  -- founded the nonprofit Carter Center at Emory University in Atlanta to promote peace and human rights worldwide. He also continues to help build homes for Habitat For Humanity.

William Howard Taft (1909-1913) -- loved the law and the Constitution. He is the only President to have served as both President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Hey Teachers! This column is available as an 8 1/2 x 11-inch handout, in PDF form.

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How old do you have to be to run for President? A) 53 years old B) 64 years old C) 18 years old D) 35 years old Answer: D) 35 years old. At http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/government/national/president3.html, you'll learn that the President and the Vice President must meet three requirements. They must be at least 35 years old, be a natural-born U.S. citizen and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. You can only be the president for two terms, or eight years. Also be sure to visit http://www.presidentsusa.net/index.html. Here you'll find one of the most comprehensive sites on the Internet for presidential resources. Subject headings are alphabetized and are linked to most of the sites on the web containing information on that specific presidential subject.
Was our country ever run by a president and vice president who were not elected by the people of the United States? Were all the former presidents born in the United States? Yes and no. At http://www.littleknownfactsshow.com/presidents.html you'll learn that after Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned in 1973, President Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as vice president. Nixon resigned the following year, which left Ford as president, and Ford's appointed vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, as second in line. Martin Van Buren (1837 - 1841) was the first president born an American citizen. All the presidents before him were born in the British Colonies. Did you also know that James A. Garfield (1881) could write with both hands at the same time -- in different languages? Or, that Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) did not learn to read until he was 17 years old? His parents had been too poor to send him to school. You can read these tidbits, as well as loads of others, at http://www.mistergworld.com/12-002.htm and http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4670.
How much does a president get paid per year? At http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/05/24/pay.raise/, you can see how much each president has been paid. Currently, it is $400,000 a year. Two presidents refused to accept the salary: George Washington and John F. Kennedy.
Where did the oath of office come from, and what is the oldest known photograph of a president taking the oath of office? At http://americanhistory.si.edu/Presidency/1b2.html, you'll learn that the oath of office was written in Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution. It reads, "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." The image at the right is of James Buchanan taking the oath of office in 1857, and is the oldest known photograph of a presidential inauguration. More than 150,000 people attended.
True or False: One of the Presidents had a pet goat in the White House. True. At http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/pets/quiz/ you can learn that President Benjamin Harrison's grandchildren were pulled around the White House lawns in a cart, pulled by his pet goat named His Whiskers.
Who was the tallest president? (And what did his son do to get into BIG trouble?) At http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/PeoplePlaces/Georgewashingtonicecream, you'll learn that Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president, at 6'4", and that his son, Tad, once fired a cannon inside the White House. You'll also learn that George Washington loved ice cream, and James Garfield, the 20th President, was the first left-handed President.
What's the latest news from the 2008 campaign? At http://www.scholastic.com/election2008, a group of kid reporters are following Barack Obama, John McCain and Hillary Clinton as they try to become the next president. While you are on this site, try the "You're the President" game at http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/games_quizzes/electiongame/game.asp.
What is the the greatest number of US presidents alive at the same time? At http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question74058.html, you'll learn that the highest number of US Presidents alive at the same time is six. This has occurred twice. Until 1994, Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush and Clinton were alive. President Nixon passed in 1994, leaving five. The number increased to six again with the inauguration of President G.W. Bush in 2001, until President Regan's death in 2004.	The Presidents and First Ladies attending the funeral of President Richard M. Nixon. Left to right: Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton; George and Barbara Bush; Ronald and Nancy Reagan; Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter; and Gerald and Betty Ford.
Were any of them ever friends? Even though they were politcal opponents, one of the most intensely personal friendships between any two presidents in history was the Ford-Carter friendship. You can read Jimmy Carter's eloquent and moving eulogy to his close friend at: http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/ford_eulogy.html.	Presidential Campaign Debate: Jimmy Carter and Gerald R. Ford, September 23, 1976. (Photo capturered from Google Images.)
What do presidents do after they leave office? Visit http://americanhistory.si.edu/presidency/3_frame.html. There is no law that states what a president must do after leaving office. It often depends on their standing in the eyes of the American people, stature within their party, or desire to continue in the public realm. Also visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/pres_occ/quiz/ where you can take a quiz to learn about some of the roles past chief executives held after they left office. Some examples: Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) -- established the University of Virginia, including designing the buildings, setting up the curriculum, and selecting the faculty. James Madison (1809-1817)  -- helped found the American Colonization Society, which favored gradual abolition of slavery and the resettlement of slaves and free blacks in Africa. Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)  -- founded the nonprofit Carter Center at Emory University in Atlanta to promote peace and human rights worldwide. He also continues to help build homes for Habitat For Humanity. William Howard Taft (1909-1913) -- loved the law and the Constitution. He is the only President to have served as both President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

I Wanna Be PRESIDENT!

I Wanna Be

PRESIDENT!