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The third Monday of February, so it always falls between February 15 and 21. Federally the holiday is still officially called Washington's Birthday.
The holiday is usually a day off, so teach it the week before. Keep the focus on the office and the Constitution rather than on current politics, and agree ground rules for respectful discussion. Pair primary sources (Washington's Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address) with civics content. Many districts also have midwinter break around this date, so check your calendar.
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Presidents' Day began as a celebration of George Washington's birthday, February 22, which became a federal holiday in 1879 for workers in Washington, D.C. and nationwide in 1885. Under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, passed in 1968 and taking effect in 1971, the holiday moved to the third Monday of February, which means it now never falls on Washington's actual birthday.
The federal holiday is still officially named Washington's Birthday, but many states and businesses call it Presidents' Day, and some states use it to honor Abraham Lincoln (born February 12, 1809) or all presidents.
Schools mark it because it is a natural way into civics: what the president does, how the executive branch fits into the Constitution's system of checks and balances and how presidents are elected. It is also an opportunity to look critically at historical leaders, including Washington's ownership of enslaved people.
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Children can learn that the president is a leader chosen by voting, and meet Washington and Lincoln through simple stories and symbols such as coins and bills. Keep it concrete and fun.
Look closely at a penny (Lincoln) and a quarter (Washington), sort and count coins and talk about why presidents appear on money.
Talk about leaders at school and home, then hold a simple class vote on a story or snack to show how people choose leaders.
Make Lincoln's tall hat or Washington's tricorn from paper while hearing one fact about each president.
Students can learn basic facts about Washington and Lincoln, the White House and how a president is elected. Introduce the idea of rules and responsibilities in government without partisanship.
Students write and draw what they would do to help people if they were president, using a sentence frame and practicing responsibility language.
Compare the two presidents' lives and achievements using simple biographies and a Venn diagram.
Lincoln was 6 foot 4 inches tall. Students measure their own heights and compare using a tape measure and bar graph.
Locate the capital on a US map and identify landmarks such as the White House, the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial.
Students can learn the three branches of government, the president's powers and limits and the election process. Use biographies of several presidents and introduce primary sources.
Groups act out how a bill becomes law, including a presidential veto and Congress's override, to show checks and balances in action.
Students research one president, create a timeline of key events and present one decision that shaped the country.
Use the 538 electoral votes and the 270 needed to win to add, subtract and find combinations of states.
Read the Gettysburg Address, define key vocabulary, paraphrase each sentence and discuss Lincoln's main message.
Middle school students can examine Article II of the Constitution, compare presidencies and evaluate leadership using evidence. Include critical history, such as Washington's enslavement of people at Mount Vernon.
Read Article II and categorize powers (commander in chief, treaties, appointments, veto), then discuss limits set by Congress and the courts.
Analyze Washington's warnings about political parties and foreign alliances and debate how relevant they are today.
Use Mount Vernon's records to examine the lives of the people Washington enslaved and discuss how to evaluate historical figures fully.
Analyze ages at inauguration and length of terms, calculating mean, median and range and creating a line plot.
High school students can evaluate presidential power, its growth over time and the role of the courts, Congress and the press. Keep discussion evidence-based and nonpartisan.
Trace executive orders, emergency powers and war powers from Lincoln to the present, evaluating constitutional limits.
Examine how historians rank presidents, critique the criteria and build a class ranking framework based on evidence.
Compare inaugural addresses, such as Lincoln's second and Franklin Roosevelt's first, analyzing rhetorical strategies and historical context.
Analyze historical approval rating data, discussing sampling, margin of error and how polls are reported.
A few things worth thinking about before you plan, so every child in the room feels included and the facts stay accurate.
Federally, the holiday is officially Washington's Birthday. Since the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved it to the third Monday of February in 1971, many states and businesses call it Presidents' Day, and some states use it to honor Lincoln or all presidents.
Washington was born on February 22, 1732. The holiday is the third Monday in February, which can only fall between February 15 and 21, so it never lands on the 22nd.
Focus on the office, the Constitution and historical evidence rather than current officeholders. Use primary sources, agree discussion norms, present multiple perspectives and ask students to support claims with evidence. Avoid sharing your own political preferences.
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