President Obama’s Address to Students Across America September 8, 2009
President Obama?s Address to Students Across America September 8, 2009
PreK-6 Menu of Classroom Activities: President Obama?s Address to Students Across America
Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education
September 8, 2009
Before the Speech:
? Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama and motivate students by asking the following questions:
Who is the President of the United States?
What do you think it takes to be President?
To whom do you think the President is going to be speaking?
Why do you think he wants to speak to you?
What do you think he will say to you?
? Teachers can ask students to imagine being the President delivering a speech to all of the students in the United States. What would you tell students? What can students do to help in our schools? Teachers can chart ideas about what they would say.
? Why is it important that we listen to the President and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?
During the Speech:
? As the President speaks, teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful. Students could use a note-taking graphic organizer such as a Cluster Web, or students could record their thoughts on sticky notes. Younger children can draw pictures and write as appropriate. As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following:
What is the President trying to tell me?
What is the President asking me to do?
What new ideas and actions is the President challenging me to think about?
? Students can record important parts of the speech where the President is asking them to do something. Students might think about: What specific job is he asking me to do? Is he asking anything of anyone else? Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people?
go to the link for a full rundown...
All I know is Bill Ayers is smiling!
Replies
280
SoWal Insider
Consider the content of his character.
The content of his character. Uh-huh.
Obama's Random Act of Kindness - Urban Legends
Banned
21 Years ago:
Conservative media take note: Reagan preached tax cut gospel to America’s students
September 03, 2009 1:09 pm ET by Matt Gertz
Putting aside possible ulterior motives, the conservative freak-out over President Obama’s planned speech to students urging them to stay in school and work hard is due to fears that Obama will use his platform as an opportunity to push his agenda on unsuspecting students. Ironically, that’s exactly what President Reagan did two decades ago.
On November 14, 1988, Reagan addressed and took questions from students from four area middle schools in the Old Executive Office Building. According to press secretary Marvin Fitzwater, the speech was broadcast live and rebroadcast by C-Span, and Instructional Television Network fed the program “t o schools nationwide on three different days.” Much of Reagan’s speech that day covered the American “vision of self-government” and the need “to keep faith with the unfinished vision of the greatness and wonder of America” but in the middle of the speech, the president went off on a tangent about the importance of low taxes:
Do Sean Hannity and the folks at NewsBusters think President Reagan was engaging in Maoist indoctrination? Do Glenn Beck and WorldNetDaily think Reagan was pulling a Mussolini or attempting to assemble his own Hitler Youth? Or is it possible that the conservative media has decided that if Obama is for it – whether “it” means “universal health care” or “stay in school” – they’re against it?
Conservative media take note: Reagan preached tax cut gospel to America’s students
September 03, 2009 1:09 pm ET by Matt Gertz
Putting aside possible ulterior motives, the conservative freak-out over President Obama’s planned speech to students urging them to stay in school and work hard is due to fears that Obama will use his platform as an opportunity to push his agenda on unsuspecting students. Ironically, that’s exactly what President Reagan did two decades ago.
On November 14, 1988, Reagan addressed and took questions from students from four area middle schools in the Old Executive Office Building. According to press secretary Marvin Fitzwater, the speech was broadcast live and rebroadcast by C-Span, and Instructional Television Network fed the program “t o schools nationwide on three different days.” Much of Reagan’s speech that day covered the American “vision of self-government” and the need “to keep faith with the unfinished vision of the greatness and wonder of America” but in the middle of the speech, the president went off on a tangent about the importance of low taxes:
Today, to a degree never before seen in human history, one nation, the United States, has become the model to be followed and imitated by the rest of the world. But America's world leadership goes well beyond the tide toward democracy. We also find that more countries than ever before are following America's revolutionary economic message of free enterprise, low taxes, and open world trade. These days, whenever I see foreign leaders, they tell me about their plans for reducing taxes, and other economic reforms that they are using, copying what we have done here in our country.
I wonder if they realize that this vision of economic freedom, the freedom to work, to create and produce, to own and use property without the interference of the state, was central to the American Revolution, when the American colonists rebelled against a whole web of economic restrictions, taxes and barriers to free trade. The message at the Boston Tea Party -- have you studied yet in history about the Boston Tea Party, where because of a tax they went down and dumped the tea in the Harbor. Well, that was America's original tax revolt, and it was the fruits of our labor -- it belonged to us and not to the state. And that truth is fundamental to both liberty and prosperity.
During the question-and-answer portion of the event, Reagan returned to the topic, this time telling the students that lowering taxes increases revenue:I wonder if they realize that this vision of economic freedom, the freedom to work, to create and produce, to own and use property without the interference of the state, was central to the American Revolution, when the American colonists rebelled against a whole web of economic restrictions, taxes and barriers to free trade. The message at the Boston Tea Party -- have you studied yet in history about the Boston Tea Party, where because of a tax they went down and dumped the tea in the Harbor. Well, that was America's original tax revolt, and it was the fruits of our labor -- it belonged to us and not to the state. And that truth is fundamental to both liberty and prosperity.
Q My name is Cam Fitzie and I'm from St. Agnes School in Alexandria, Virginia. I was wondering if you think that it is possible to decrease the national debt without raising the taxes of the public?
PRESIDENT REAGAN: I do. That's a big argument that's going on in government and I definitely believe it is because one of the principle reasons that we were able to get the economy back on track and create those new jobs and all was we cut the taxes, we reduced them. Because you see, the taxes can be such a penalty on people that there's no incentive for them to prosper and to earn more and so forth because they have to give so much to the government. And what we have found is that at the lower rates the government gets more revenue, there are more people paying taxes because there are more people with jobs and there are more people willing to earn more money because they get to keep a bigger share of it, so today, we're getting more revenue at the lower rates than we were at the higher. And do you know something? I studied economics in college when I was young and I learned there about a man named Ibn Khaldun, who lived 1200 years ago in Egypt. And 1200 years ago he said, in the beginning of the empire, the rates were low, the tax rates were low, but the revenue was great. He said in the end of empire, when the empire was collapsing, the rates were great and the revenue was low.
The students probably didn’t know any better, but this is an idea that has been rejected by virtually every economist not named Larry Kudlow.PRESIDENT REAGAN: I do. That's a big argument that's going on in government and I definitely believe it is because one of the principle reasons that we were able to get the economy back on track and create those new jobs and all was we cut the taxes, we reduced them. Because you see, the taxes can be such a penalty on people that there's no incentive for them to prosper and to earn more and so forth because they have to give so much to the government. And what we have found is that at the lower rates the government gets more revenue, there are more people paying taxes because there are more people with jobs and there are more people willing to earn more money because they get to keep a bigger share of it, so today, we're getting more revenue at the lower rates than we were at the higher. And do you know something? I studied economics in college when I was young and I learned there about a man named Ibn Khaldun, who lived 1200 years ago in Egypt. And 1200 years ago he said, in the beginning of the empire, the rates were low, the tax rates were low, but the revenue was great. He said in the end of empire, when the empire was collapsing, the rates were great and the revenue was low.
Do Sean Hannity and the folks at NewsBusters think President Reagan was engaging in Maoist indoctrination? Do Glenn Beck and WorldNetDaily think Reagan was pulling a Mussolini or attempting to assemble his own Hitler Youth? Or is it possible that the conservative media has decided that if Obama is for it – whether “it” means “universal health care” or “stay in school” – they’re against it?
Banned
Satan, I am encouraged you are going to eat those words.
I don't think so, because at the rate you're going, all the swiftboat material you're slinging around will be exhausted by election time. It has limited shelf life.
SoWal Insider
There is a difference between indoctrination and loyalty and allegiance to your country. But then, I wouldn't expect you to understand the difference taking into consideration most of your posts.so it's about your brand of indoctrination. one nation, under god, correct?
SoWal Guide
Obama's Random Act of Kindness - Urban Legends
awww... thanks for sharing that TFT.
Beach Lover
On a lighter note: When I was in school(the dark ages), we were forced to listen to presidents talk about the state of the nation, etc. and I would spend the time writing notes to my buds, BORING! I think it is a good thing for the President to speak to the students about things that concern them= their education, etc. On the other hand, I do object to the "lesson plans" that accompany the speech. Why not let educators do their jobs and lead intellegent discussions with their students???? Simply rhetorical, please.
margarita brocolia
The content of his character. Uh-huh..
Obama's Random Act of Kindness - Urban Legends
I don't agree politically with Obama on everything, but see him as a man of good character.
Thank you TNT for the link.
?As tears streamed down her face, she heard a "gentle and friendly voice" behind her saying, "That's okay, I'll pay for her." Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before.?
?She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway. At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker* in Chicago, and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.?
?Mary says that when her friends and associates talk about the election, especially when race relations is the heated subject, she relates the story of the kind man who helped out a stranger-in-need over twenty years ago, years before he had even thought about running for high office.?
.
SoWal Insider
with liberty[for some], and justice for all[who can afford a good attorney]. now that's truth in indoctrination eh, a?
SoWal Insider
With the high drop out rate of African American and Latino students, I think it would quite empowering to all students, especially AA students, for our first AA President to challenge our schoolchildren to do their best.
Also, I would not have had a problem with GW addressing students in the same fashion as long as he used proper grammatically correct sentences unlike: "Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things." and the "Future will be better tomorrow." (Quotes- GW Bush)
Also, I would not have had a problem with GW addressing students in the same fashion as long as he used proper grammatically correct sentences unlike: "Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things." and the "Future will be better tomorrow." (Quotes- GW Bush)
Beach Fanatic
No one is going to respond to the story about Reagan talking to the schoolchildren, huh?
OK, I will: It was fine then, and it's fine now. Then, it was just "The Great Communicator" using every opportunity to spread his message. Now, it's even milder.
When the people feel that the President of the United States addressing schoolchildren is anything other than a bit of PR, then those in opposition need to think very, very hard about why they feel that way.
OK, I will: It was fine then, and it's fine now. Then, it was just "The Great Communicator" using every opportunity to spread his message. Now, it's even milder.
When the people feel that the President of the United States addressing schoolchildren is anything other than a bit of PR, then those in opposition need to think very, very hard about why they feel that way.
Edited
Beach Lover
The backlash prompted the Education Department to revise one of its ideas for classroom activities that could accompany Obama?s speech. The agency suggested on its Web site earlier this week, that students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade ?write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president.? Some critics interpreted that to mean Obama wanted school children to help him push his political agenda.
?The true meaning is really for students to write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their own goals,? Sandra Abrevaya, an Education Department spokeswoman, said yesterday in an interview. ?We just adjusted the language so it was clear.?
?The true meaning is really for students to write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their own goals,? Sandra Abrevaya, an Education Department spokeswoman, said yesterday in an interview. ?We just adjusted the language so it was clear.?
Beach Lover
What I found amazing was the second I posted it the disciples were coming out of the cracks to label me spammer of the year etc. Quite honestly I think they are getting testy because they can't believe how fast their precious ship is sinking. There were so many times with President Bush that the right would get upset over such things as Dubai Ports, Amnesty, Border Security and so on, but I get the feeling these people will jump right off the cliff if President Obama told them to. Did the last 8 years of hatred for the President damage their ability to think for themselves, or is it just the nature of the secular progressives to be mesmerized by the pide piper?
AMEN to that!!!!
Beach FanaticAuthor
If this post is a preview of Republican 2010 campaign talking points, the dems have nothing to worry about. WTF??Do you have any dignity whatsoever??? Can't you just be a sad, silent, sore racist loser???
It is a proven fact with many videos that we have all seen, yet you come back at me by calling me a racist. I guess that is your immature game that has spawned from your anger when the truth hurts. I point out that Obama attended a racist anti semitic church for 20 years, you turn around and call me a racist. So in your liberal mind if you don't like the truth you deflect back by changing the subject and accuse the messenger of the same rhetoric. Excuse me if I'm wrong, but isn't that how 4 year olds solve disputes. I think he's a poo face...no you're a poo face. Grow up, Sam...and wipe the cr@p off your face.
Edited
Beach Fanatic
I don't care if Obama gives a speech a week to the kids regarding working hard and staying in school. What I do object to is the DOE materials that ask for essays on " How can I help the President" and such. Totally unnacceptable. My gosh, even Chris Mathews said this morning that this was too far and wrong. (Source Morning Joe)
Banned
It is a proven fact with many videos that we have all seen, yet you come back at me by calling me a racist. I guess that is your immature game that has spawned from you anger when the truth hurts. I point out that Obama attended a racist anti semitic church for 20 years, you turn around and call me a racist. So in your liberal mind if you don't like the truth you deflect back by changing the subject and accuse the messenger of the same rhetoric. Excuse me if I'm wrong, but isn't that how 4 year olds solve disputes. I think he's a poo face...no you're a poo face. Grow up, Sam...and wipe the cr@p off your face.
Pathetic was another adjective I should have included in my description of you.
SoWal Insider
I don't care if Obama gives a speech a week to the kids regarding working hard and staying in school. What I do object to is the DOE materials that ask for essays on " How can I help the President" and such. Totally unnacceptable. My gosh, even Chris Mathews said this morning that this was too far and wrong. (Source Morning Joe)
That one question in the lesson plan seems more like poor PR than anything else, not attempts at mind control or indoctrination. Everything else seems pretty standard.
In hindsight it appears that the greater problem is that no alarm bells seemed to go off about that one question, or about how the idea of a message from Obama "might" be received after a summer of discontent. The last thing I want for any administration is for it to be filled with people who just nod their heads at each other. That was a big problem during the Bush years, and I'd hate to see it continue with Obama.
But in general this has been way overblown. I am very sure that the speech was always intended to be another in a series of messages to the public. Similar messages (including his speech to the NAACP about personal responsibility and his Father's Day article in Parade) were praised widely, and for good reason. Most kids seem to like him; why not use that for a good message?
Beach Fanatic
I don't care if Obama gives a speech a week to the kids regarding working hard and staying in school. What I do object to is the DOE materials that ask for essays on " How can I help the President" and such. Totally unnacceptable. My gosh, even Chris Mathews said this morning that this was too far and wrong. (Source Morning Joe)
It's unacceptable for citizens to ask themselves how they can help the President. Gotcha. We are all just onlookers, riders on the storm. No matter who it is, no matter what the agenda, we should all sit on our hands, because the President is a member of a political party that we may or may not be part of. All righty then. I guess we need to rewrite all of the Citizenship books. Wait, that's not necessary, we don't teach citizenship in schools anymore, because it is too controversial.
BTW, that's the ONLY ACTUAL PART of the DOE materials that I could find even slightly tilted towards the president. The rest of it was pretty much standardized lesson plan crap that is included in every lesson plan distributed by anyone.
Show me also where it says this is mandatory for all schools to participate in. Show me the line where their funding will be pulled if they don't show the President's speech. Show me the part where ANY school ANYWHERE does ANYTHING which is not part of the test-oriented curriculum that they don't allow parents to opt their kids out of.
When I was in grade school, President Kennedy told us all we were fat and lazy and to drop and give him 20. Well, not in so many words, but that's what he meant. I guess my parents should have protested that I was just big boned and that it was none of his business. (And BTW, I don't remember that test being optional, because I sure as hell would have opted out).
Show me the last President who gave a flip enough to address school kids on TV. REAGAN! Holy cats, that was like 20 years ago! I personally think addressing kids ought to be a no-brainer. Apparently, this flapdoodle is why nobody does it.
Beach Fanatic
Pathetic was another adjective I should have included in my description of you.
Sam, I think you asked for it. Do you honestly believe that Wright is not a racist? If so, refute his point. But name calling does not really get us anywhere.
Beach Fanatic
hereforgood and toofartampa:
I agree with the vast majority of what you say. I have no problem with the POTUS giving a speech to children about the values we all agree on: hard work and getting an education. But some staffer at the DOE went too far. We do not need to drag partisan plitics into our schools.
What I hope you can understand is the concern parents have when they see textbooks that call Columbus a war criminal and spend pages on the interment of Japanese in WWII and one or two paragraphs on America's role in ending the holocaust. Then they hear the President is going to speak to their child and lesson plans are being sent out that point towards a cult of personality ( the Presidents) They go crazy! Mess with me or my property, that is one thing, mess with my child, way bigger.
Maybe everyone will take a step back and try and fix the abuses.
I agree with the vast majority of what you say. I have no problem with the POTUS giving a speech to children about the values we all agree on: hard work and getting an education. But some staffer at the DOE went too far. We do not need to drag partisan plitics into our schools.
What I hope you can understand is the concern parents have when they see textbooks that call Columbus a war criminal and spend pages on the interment of Japanese in WWII and one or two paragraphs on America's role in ending the holocaust. Then they hear the President is going to speak to their child and lesson plans are being sent out that point towards a cult of personality ( the Presidents) They go crazy! Mess with me or my property, that is one thing, mess with my child, way bigger.
Maybe everyone will take a step back and try and fix the abuses.
SoWal Guide
It's unacceptable for citizens to ask themselves how they can help the President. Gotcha. We are all just onlookers, riders on the storm. No matter who it is, no matter what the agenda, we should all sit on our hands, because the President is a member of a political party that we may or may not be part of. All righty then. I guess we need to rewrite all of the Citizenship books. Wait, that's not necessary, we don't teach citizenship in schools anymore, because it is too controversial.
BTW, that's the ONLY ACTUAL PART of the DOE materials that I could find even slightly tilted towards the president. The rest of it was pretty much standardized lesson plan crap that is included in every lesson plan distributed by anyone.
Show me also where it says this is mandatory for all schools to participate in. Show me the line where their funding will be pulled if they don't show the President's speech. Show me the part where ANY school ANYWHERE does ANYTHING which is not part of the test-oriented curriculum that they don't allow parents to opt their kids out of.
When I was in grade school, President Kennedy told us all we were fat and lazy and to drop and give him 20. Well, not in so many words, but that's what he meant. I guess my parents should have protested that I was just big boned and that it was none of his business. (And BTW, I don't remember that test being optional, because I sure as hell would have opted out).
Show me the last President who gave a flip enough to address school kids on TV. REAGAN! Holy cats, that was like 20 years ago! I personally think addressing kids ought to be a no-brainer. Apparently, this flapdoodle is why nobody does it.
thank you thank you thank you. amen.
Beach Fanatic
View attachment 14258
View attachment 14259
I've attached menu of the proposed class room activities. See above. How how dastardly!!!!
The worse thing that can happen is for parents to tell their children how "evil" this is. Kids are smart. They can tell if this is a good thing. I read these goals to the daughter of a family who really does not like Obama. I took out references too Obama. Guess what? She thought the goals were great and was EXCITED to have them to help her with her long term plans. But when I told her it was Obama she was frightened to say she thought they were sound ideas becasuse she knew how her folks felt. Is this a good thing? I don't thik so.
Let it go - let the president help and encourage the youth of our country to do their homework, to set goals, etc.... We should all be jumping for joy!!
Geez :roll::roll:
G
View attachment 14259
I've attached menu of the proposed class room activities. See above. How how dastardly!!!!
The worse thing that can happen is for parents to tell their children how "evil" this is. Kids are smart. They can tell if this is a good thing. I read these goals to the daughter of a family who really does not like Obama. I took out references too Obama. Guess what? She thought the goals were great and was EXCITED to have them to help her with her long term plans. But when I told her it was Obama she was frightened to say she thought they were sound ideas becasuse she knew how her folks felt. Is this a good thing? I don't thik so.
Let it go - let the president help and encourage the youth of our country to do their homework, to set goals, etc.... We should all be jumping for joy!!
Geez :roll::roll:
G
Beach Fanatic
Gerhart cries
Flashback 1991: Gephardt Called Bush's Speech to Students 'Paid Political Advertising'
By Noel Sheppard
Created 2009-09-03 10:45
As Barack Obama prepares a nationwide broadcast to America's students next Tuesday, it has been revealed that Democrats complained in 1991 when then President George H. W. Bush broadcast a speech from a Northwest Washington junior high school.
In fact, the House Majority leader at the time, Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), said "The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students."
Such was reported [1] by the Washington Post on October 3, 1991 (h/t KY3 Political Notebook [2] via Chuck Todd):
House Democrats criticized President Bush yesterday for using Education Department funds to produce and broadcast a speech that he made Tuesday at a Northwest Washington junior high school.
The Democratic critics accused Bush of turning government money for education to his own political use, namely, an ongoing effort to inoculate himself against their charges of inattention to domestic issues. The speech at Alice Deal Junior High School, broadcast live on radio and television, urged students to study hard, avoid drugs and turn in troublemakers.
"The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students," House Majority Leader letter [3] concerning this event, one has to assume it's costing the Department a great deal of money.
Flashback 1991: Gephardt Called Bush's Speech to Students 'Paid Political Advertising'
By Noel Sheppard
Created 2009-09-03 10:45
As Barack Obama prepares a nationwide broadcast to America's students next Tuesday, it has been revealed that Democrats complained in 1991 when then President George H. W. Bush broadcast a speech from a Northwest Washington junior high school.
In fact, the House Majority leader at the time, Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), said "The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students."
Such was reported [1] by the Washington Post on October 3, 1991 (h/t KY3 Political Notebook [2] via Chuck Todd):
House Democrats criticized President Bush yesterday for using Education Department funds to produce and broadcast a speech that he made Tuesday at a Northwest Washington junior high school.
The Democratic critics accused Bush of turning government money for education to his own political use, namely, an ongoing effort to inoculate himself against their charges of inattention to domestic issues. The speech at Alice Deal Junior High School, broadcast live on radio and television, urged students to study hard, avoid drugs and turn in troublemakers.
"The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students," House Majority Leader letter [3] concerning this event, one has to assume it's costing the Department a great deal of money.
Beach Fanatic
Flashback 1991: Gephardt Called Bush's Speech to Students 'Paid Political Advertising'
By Noel Sheppard
Created 2009-09-03 10:45
As Barack Obama prepares a nationwide broadcast to America's students next Tuesday, it has been revealed that Democrats complained in 1991 when then President George H. W. Bush broadcast a speech from a Northwest Washington junior high school.
In fact, the House Majority leader at the time, Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), said "The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students."
Such was reported [1] by the Washington Post on October 3, 1991 (h/t KY3 Political Notebook [2] via Chuck Todd):
House Democrats criticized President Bush yesterday for using Education Department funds to produce and broadcast a speech that he made Tuesday at a Northwest Washington junior high school.
The Democratic critics accused Bush of turning government money for education to his own political use, namely, an ongoing effort to inoculate himself against their charges of inattention to domestic issues. The speech at Alice Deal Junior High School, broadcast live on radio and television, urged students to study hard, avoid drugs and turn in troublemakers.
"The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students," House Majority Leader letter [3] concerning this event, one has to assume it's costing the Department a great deal of money.
FActs are a stubborn thing.
Beach Fanatic
FActs are a stubborn thing.This, in fact, proves my point. The President addresses children, the opposition protests it, and life goes on. It's the American way.
Not, the opposition whips up wingnuts by telling them that the President is teaching their children socialism. This is not the American Way, nor is it intelligent discussion.
Beach Fanatic
This, in fact, proves my point. The President addresses children, the opposition protests it, and life goes on. It's the American way.
Not, the opposition whips up wingnuts by telling them that the President is teaching their children socialism. This is not the American Way, nor is it intelligent discussion.
I would agree with you if Obama wasn't so........ well you fill in the blank.
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