For Teachers

SORRY! THIS ROUND OF FREE CLASSROOM SKYPES IS ALL BOOKED – CHECK BACK FOR FUTURE SESSIONS IN THE FALL OF 2013

On February 18, 2013 America Marks George Washington’s Birthday (Not Presidents Day!)

Bring a Skype classroom session with Kenneth C. Davis, author of Don’t Know Much About® the American Presidents and Don’t Know Much About® History, into your school and discover that what we don’t know about the American presidents can be thrilling!

Dear Educator,

Giving our high school and middle school students a fun, useful handle on the most powerful office in the world can provide a valuable lesson in American History and good citizenship.

Tying in with the publication of my new book Don’t Know Much About® The American Presidents, I will again make FREE “virtual” classroom visits via Skype to discuss the presidents and the presidency. This LIMITED NUMBER of free Skypes is available from January 22 through February 22, 2013.

In Skype sessions lasting approximately 30-40 minutes, I will engage your students on the basics of the Presidency, the American election process and presidential history, focusing especially on Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays fall in February and who have traditionally been honored together.

Here’s how the SKYPE sessions work. Following a brief introduction, I will encourage your students to pose their own questions in a wide-ranging conversation about the presidency.

Some of the topics to be discussed include:

*Who elected George Washington and how has the process of electing the President changed since George Washington won the office back in 1789?

*From where does the President derive the powers of the office?

*What is the system of “checks and balances?”

*Are the problems of the country too big for one Chief Executive to handle?

*What reforms should be made to the election process and the Electoral College?

Once you have connected with me via this Contact Link or the “Contact Button above, my office will try to schedule a Skype session at a mutually convenient time. Include your school name, location and grade level with your request.

Please note: A LIMITED NUMBER of Skype visits will be scheduled based on my availability.  Also note, at this time, these sessions are aimed at middle school and high school level classes.

As a bit of preparation, please take a look at this TED ED video on the oddities of the first presidential election.

I look forward to hearing from you. And remember: What We Don’t Know Can Be Thrilling!

Very best regards,

Kenneth C. Davis