Anybody Can Be President...Well, Almost Anybody
The objectives of this lesson plan are to teach students the three prerequisites to
becoming a United States president. It will explore and dispel some common
misperceptions about the requirements for the presidency and will elicit thoughts and
discussion on what criteria is important for the president of the United States. It
will also motivate student interest in the office of the president, presidential
elections, and prompt further research into the topic of presidential qualifications.
First, tell the students that anyone can try to become president of the United States
as long as they meet three basic requirements. These requirements are set out in the
U.S. Constitution.
First: Have each student write down on a piece of paper the three requirements they
think all presidential candidates must meet. After students have had the time to
write down their guesses, open up a discussion on the topic. Write the students' ideas
on the chalkboard. Once you have listed a variety of answers, take a class vote to see
which items the majority of the students feel are the most important requirements
for a president.
Next, inform the students of the three actual criteria presidential candidates must
meet.
a. The person must have been born in the United States, or be a U.S. citizen at
the time the Constitution was adopted.
• Does everyone in the classroom meet this requirement?
• Does anyone in the classroom know someone who would not meet the first
requirement and therefore could not be president? (Perhaps the students'
parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were born in another country, or
they know foreign exchange students or celebrities from foreign countries
such as Elton John or Arnold Schwarzenegger or Prince William of England.)
b. The person must have lived in the United States for 14 years.
• Does anyone in the classroom meet the second requirement?
• Do their parents meet this requirement?
• Why would this be a requirement before someone can become president?
c. The person must be at least 35 years of age.
• Do any of the students have parents that meet this last requirement?
• Why is this a requirement for the presidency?
• Should there be a maximum limit as to how old a president can be? Why or
why not?
