Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
To keep readers engaged, St. George, added in many unique facts about different presidents. In this activity, students will find interesting characteristics/facts about the presidents and illustrate them using a traditional storyboard. They will also provide textual evidence of the characteristic or fact.
Here is an example:
Many presidents had pets:
"Theodore Roosevelt's children didn't just have pets, they ran a zoo. They had dogs, cats, guinea pigs, snakes, mice, rats, badgers, raccoons, parrots, and a Shetland pony called Algonquin."
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective:Create a chart that shows president facts and examples.
Student Instructions:
Empower students to support their presidential facts by guiding them to locate and cite text evidence from provided sources. This builds critical reading and research skills for grades 2–8.
Read a short section aloud and point out a unique presidential fact. Show students how to highlight or underline key details as they listen or read.
Choose a fact (like a president’s unusual pet) and demonstrate how to find the exact sentence or phrase that proves it in the text. Ask students to look for signal words or phrases that confirm the fact.
Explain the difference between quoting directly and putting information into their own words. Practice both methods using presidential facts together.
Have students write down where they found each fact (page number, paragraph, or image). This builds good research habits and reinforces accountability.
Fun facts about U.S. presidents include unique pets (like Theodore Roosevelt's family zoo or Coolidge's raccoon), youngest and oldest presidents, presidents who played sports, and where they were born. These facts make lessons engaging and help students connect with history.
Students can combine textual evidence from readings with their own illustrations or storyboards to demonstrate understanding. For example, after reading about a president's pet, they can draw it and write a short description citing the source.
A simple activity is to create a chart or storyboard with fact categories (like pets, sports, birthplace) and examples for each. Students illustrate one fact per category and provide a short text explanation using evidence from the reading.
Using text evidence helps students develop critical reading skills, ensuring their facts are accurate and based on real information. It teaches them to support claims and strengthens comprehension.
Common categories include pets, age, place of birth, sports played, unique talents, and interesting family details. Each category lets students explore different aspects of presidential life.