NEA & AFT Partner with the Presidential Inaugural Committee to Bring the Inauguration to the Classroom

From the Presidential Inaugural Committee 2009

Washington, D.C. - The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC), in cooperation with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA), is pleased to offer a series of instructional guides to help teachers across the country bring the 56th Presidential Inauguration to life in their classrooms. The guides are now available on the PIC website: www.pic2009.org/page/content/lessonplans.

"We are thrilled to partner with the AFT and NEA to make these lesson plans available to teachers across the country," said PIC Executive Director Emmett S. Beliveau. "Inauguration Day is rich with tradition and speaks to both our common history and our shared future. We hope that these resources will help inspire students to learn more about this historic day."

"The American presidential inauguration is a transformational moment that brings together our collective past and present, and our hopes for the future," said AFT President Randi Weingarten. "It reminds us more clearly than mere words ever could that power in this country truly rests with the American people. These lesson plans are intended as tools to help teachers and their students live our rich history and build our brighter future. The AFT is proud to have been part of this important project and this historic moment."

"It is crucial that our students understand that we are not only living history and making history with this inauguration, but also carrying forward the historical contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his influence on our incoming 44th president," said Dennis Van Roekel. "These important lesson plans will help students understand President-elect Obama's message of a 'sense of unity and shared purpose' into the next four years and beyond."

The lesson plans, developed jointly by AFT and the NEA, are designed to teach students about the history of Inauguration Day, and include information about the 2009 Inaugural schedule of events and background about traditional Inaugural ceremonies. The guides also suggest ways to supplement the lessons with discussion topics, films, books and other educational websites.

The lesson plans are divided into three sections: "Learning History," which highlights the evolution of Inaugural events beginning with George Washington's Inauguration in 1789, "Making History," which lets students follow along with President-elect Obama's swearing in on January 20th, and "Living History," which encourages students to continue studying the American Government and the Presidency beyond Inauguration Day. The materials are geared toward students from elementary school to high school, and offer lesson modifications based on the students' ages.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee has committed to making President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden's Inauguration the most accessible and inclusive in history, and these lesson plans are just one more way that communities across the country can become involved in this historic event. The PIC is confident that the lesson plans developed by the AFT and NEA will help students of all ages feel part of this historic moment in our country.

For more information on the NEA and the AFT please visit www.nea.org and www.aft.org.

For the latest information on the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, please visit www.pic2009.org.