Celebrate Presidents’ Day by Writing an “I Will Make a Difference" Speech
Yadina is enthusiastic about the U.S. president exhibit — until she discovers that none of the past presidents have been female. She begins to question whether or not she’ll be able to be a leader because no one of her gender has held that position before. Through the Secret Museum, she meets several women who pushed past boundaries to do great things, including becoming explorers, athletes, and leaders. In the end, she realizes that by taking things step by step, being prepared, never giving up, working hard, and believing in herself, it’s possible to do something that’s never been done before.
Has your child expressed interest in becoming a leader or helping their community? Are they nervous about doing something new because they haven’t done it before? Inspire your child by learning about past presidents and other amazing leaders featured on “Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum” and beyond. Encourage your child to write a speech as a Presidents’ Day activity to learn how they are inspired by others and how they’d like to contribute to the world as a grown-up.
Materials
Directions
Support your child in brainstorming ways they’d like to contribute to your community or family as a leader. Ask your child how they’d like to make a difference. Talk to them about leaders they’ve learned about. How do these leaders inspire your child? What can we learn from them about making a difference?
Then, help them write a speech to express what they’d like to do. Allow your child to write down ways they want to make a difference. Or encourage them to draw a picture of a way they’d like to contribute to the community.
Finally, invite friends and family to listen to your child as they give their speech. By saying what they are thinking about out loud, your child will have a chance to practice expressing their ideas to others and inviting others to get to know them in a new way.
Explore Further
Celebrating Presidents’ Day is an opportunity to explore the lives of past and current leaders. Think about the leaders your child already knows about, and then research others who may inspire them based on their interests. Who are leaders in the fields that your child might be interested in, such as science and math, reading and writing, or music and the arts? What can your child learn from these leaders? Encourage your child to create a list of people they’d like to learn more about and then find books at the library or online to explore together.
Want more “Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum'' activities? Make this encouragement jar or play a storytelling game to continue the fun!
Photographs by Edwin Sherman.
Author: 
Emotions & Self-Awareness
Social Skills
Character
Literacy