Happy Birthday, Mr. President

February is the month our nation celebrates the birthdays of two presidents: Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Both iconic leaders loom large in schools' American history curricula. For teachers, one challenge has been to place these figures in context without trivializing their significance or overwhelming students with unmanageable detail.

Books from Enslow's intriguing American history series "What Would You Do?" provides solution for that pedagogical dilemma. Author Elaine Landau's six-title series is structured to foster a variety of teaching needs, including small group exploration, whole group activity, or individual work. Each book's 48-page length, excellent illustrations, and Guided Reading Level "O" content helps create the conditions for a successful reading experience. Landau also combines speculative opportunities for students within her narrative to encourage critical thinking development. Free, downloadable teacher's guides, which includes activities in all curricular areas, are available for all books in this series.

The Emancipation Proclamation: Would You Do What Lincoln Did? drives readers to consider the Union's situation and Lincoln's options as he considered this freedom-giving declaration. George Washington Crosses the Delaware: Would You Risk the Revolution? presents the historical moment and decisions Washington faced to maintain the struggle for American independence. Both books are available in paperback from Enslow Classroom for $7.95 per title. Library-bound editions for these titles are also available.

235th Anniversary of Washington's Crossing the Delaware

The holiday season includes anniversaries of important dates in American history. One of them is George Washington's bold crossing of the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War. His strong leadership and skillful tactics helped wavering colonial forces rally during a key period of the conflict.

For teachers and media specialists planning to include Washington's crossing in December's American history lessons, an excellent resource to use is Enslow Publisher's George Washington Crosses the Delaware: Would You Risk the Revolution?  Elaine Landau's 48-page book, part of the six-book "What Would You Do?" American history series, offers a unique, speculative approach to the Christmas Day battle. Each chapter concludes with the award-winning author asking readers to place themselves in the shoes of historical figures and articulating how they would have decided various courses of action. The structure thereby encourages the development of critical thinking skills in the context of an American history narrative.

Full-color photographs and illustrations, as well as historical works, add visual support to the Guided Reading Level "O" text. The book also includes a useful timeline, a "words to know" section, and sources for further reading. A free, downloadable teacher's guide is also available on the Enslow Classroom paperback website -- http://www.enslowclassroom.com -- or at www.enslow.com. The paperback edition is available for $7.95; the library-bound version is available to qualifying schools and libraries for $17.95.