| Standards Compliance |
NCSS
Strand 1
Culture
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NCSS
Strand 2
Time, Continuity, and Change
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NCSS
Strand 5
Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
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NCSS
Strand 6
Power, Authority, and Governance
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NCSS
Strand 10
Civic Ideals and Practices
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NCTE
Standard 7
Students conduct research by generating ideas, questions, and problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data.
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NCTE
Standard 8
Students use a variety of technology and information resources to gather, synthesize, and communicate knowledge.
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ISTE
Standard 5
Technology research tools
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Introduction:
Francis Folsom Cleveland was a very popular First Lady, who well represented the prevailing image of traditional womanhood of her time. Although she had a college education (Wells College), her major political role in the White House was to have no political role. Indeed, her husband had little use for ‘activist’ women and thought that they should pay attention to their husbands and children and leave public affairs alone. Nevertheless, Frances Cleveland had some ideas of her own. Cheerfully taking on the traditional social responsibility of the First Lady to hold receptions for the public, she held two a week—and made sure that one was on Saturday afternoon so that working women could attend.
Objectives:
The purpose of this lesson is to acquaint students with the political and public role of the First Lady by having them assess the lives of all the First Ladies in terms of whether the First Lady’s role was to “fit in” or to “push the envelope” a bit.
Materials Required:
Access to the Internet
Access to print materials
Paper and pens or pencils, or word processing capability
PowerPoint presentation software (optional)
Or, art supplies, including tag board for posters
Procedures:
1. Begin the lesson by engaging students in a discussion about the public role of the First Lady, particularly the degree to which they think the First Lady has a legitimate political role, and, if so, what it is.
2. Then, divide the class into six groups, and assign each group to research the lives of seven (7) First Ladies (the sixth group will have 8 First Ladies), using the websites listed below, as well as other websites and print materials that are available. As they research their subjects, students should look for the following:
- Did the First Lady have an observable political role?
- What was the First Lady’s public image?
- Did the First Lady enjoy her position? Why or why not?
- Did the First Lady have a job or a profession before her marriage?
- What was the First Lady’s relationship to the President in terms of public policy?
3. When this research is completed, ask each group to place its First Ladies in one of two categories: “Fitting” or “Feisty.” Bring the class together and have each group share its findings, including its assessment of the nature of the First Ladies’ role, and their rationale for placing each First Lady in one category or another.
Extending the Lesson:
This lesson can be extended by asking students to prepare two PowerPoint presentations, one for the “Fitting” category, and one for the “Feisty” category. Or, students could make posters, showing several First Ladies from each category on a poster.
Sources & Resources:
Books:
Boller, Paul F., Jr. Presidential Wives: An Anecdotal History. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Gould, Lewis L., ed. American First Ladies: Their Lives and Their Legacy. New York: Routledge, 2001.
Mayo, Edith P. The Smithsonian Book of the First Ladies: Their Lives, Times, and Issues. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996.
Rosebush, James S. First Lady: Public Wife. New York: Madison Books, 1987.
Websites:
First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image
First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image/Videos
First Ladies Traveling Exhibition
First Ladies Traveling Exhibition Press Release
Feisty First Ladies
Biographies of All First Ladies at The American President.org
Biographies of All the First Ladies at the National First Ladies Library
Credits:
This lesson was developed by Averil McClelland, Kent State University.
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