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• Arthur - "The Election"
  "I, Muffy Crosswire, do solemnly swear to uphold the office of the President of the United..." Actually, it's only a mock election in Mr. Ratburn's class, but Muffy takes it just as seriously.
• The Berenstain Bears - "The Big Election"
  When Papa's complaints to City Hall about all the potholes around town seem to be falling on deaf ears, he decides to take matters into his own hands and run for Mayor. While trying to take care of everyone's concerns, Papa ends up promising everything to everyone and soon discovers that Mayor Honeypot's job is no easy task. In the end, Papa decides he can fulfill his civic responsibility much better by being part of the solution instead of part of the problem, so he helps lighten the Mayor's load by organizing a group of volunteers to repair the potholes themselves.

Do in Class

• America Responds: The American Flag - Learn the history of the American Flag, what the symbols represent, and proper care and display of the flag.
• Arthur: If I Were President - Ask students what they would do if elected President of the United States. Illustrate the answers.
• Arthur: Arthur: Washington D.C. - Develop an interest in our nation's capital. Explore reference materials on Washington D.C. to learn about famous landmarks, buildings and historic locations and create a travel poster.
• Maya & Miguel: Exercise Your Vote! - Learn how important it is to participate in an election and to cast your vote.
• ZOOM: A Soup Opera - Present this opera with a problem that only the President can solve.

Play Online

• American Experience: Wayback - Stand-up For Your Rights - Travel through history to learn about the fight for religious freedom, school desegregation and voting rights for women. (Advanced Activity)
• The Democracy Project: How Does Government Affect Me? - Click around a virtual town to learn how government affects everyday life. (Advanced Activity)
• The Democracy Project: Inside the Voting Booth - Enter the "voting time machine" to learn about suffrage and voting history. Invite students to print out a "voter registration card" reminding them to register when they turn 18. (Advanced Activity)
• The Democracy Project: Step into a Voting Time Machine - Learn who could vote, and who could not during different periods of U.S. history. (Advanced Activity)

Read

• Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books
  By Kay Winters and Nancy Carpenter
  Published January 2003 by Simon & Schuster Children's
  Abe Lincoln used to plow with a book in his back pocket, and when he came to the end of a furrow, he would read. His horse would wait until he turned a page. This biography outlines the life of our sixteenth president from log cabin to White House, with his head in a book.
• The President and Mom's Apple Pie
  By Michael Garland
  Published May 2002 by Dutton Juvenile
  It's 1909 and President William Howard Taft exits a train in a small town to dedicate a new flagpole when he suddenly stops and sniffs the air. "What is that wonderful aroma?" he asks. Following the small boy who narrates the story, Taft begins a culinary marathon eating spaghetti, ribs, and stir-fried vegetables until he finally discovers what first captured his nose, a cooling apple pie. An author's note outlines Taft's professional career.

*As most PBS children's programs offer one year extended taping rights for teachers, please feel free to tape them now and save them for use in your classroom during the school year.