White House Holidays Unit Studies

Multi_subjectAll Grades

White House Holidays Unit Studies: Presidential-Themed Holiday Learning

White House Holidays Unit Studies are short-duration, multi-subject unit studies that explore holidays through the lens of American presidents and their families. Published by Silverdale Press, these downloadable PDF studies integrate history, reading, and activities while emphasizing primary source documents and presidential connections to major holidays.

Best for

Homeschooling families seeking short-term holiday studies with historical focus, particularly those comfortable adapting materials for different grade levels and facilitating discussion-based learning

Evaluation Criteria

2 strengths · 3 concerns · 1 neutral

Knowledge CoherenceStrength

The curriculum builds coherent historical knowledge by connecting holidays to specific presidential eras and historical periods. Each study focuses on relevant time periods and historical contexts.

Studies align with historical periods - Thanksgiving with colonial era, Labor Day with Industrial Revolution, Veterans Day with WWI/WWII eras, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day with civil rights movement

Cross Curricular IntegrationStrength

The curriculum integrates subjects naturally around holiday themes, combining history, reading, and occasional crafts or cooking activities. The presidential focus provides a coherent thread connecting different subject areas.

Studies combine reading primary source documents, historical research, discussion questions, hands-on projects like visual narratives and posters, and occasional cooking projects, all centered around presidential connections to holidays

Teacher TrainingConcern

The curriculum provides minimal teacher support beyond brief answer keys and the study materials themselves. Parents are expected to adapt activities independently.

Each study comes with only 'a separate, brief answer key' and parents must determine how to 'adapt activities so that they adequately challenge students'

Retrieval PracticeConcern

The curriculum includes some review through discussion questions and research assignments, but lacks systematic retrieval practice or cumulative review across studies.

Studies include 'discussion questions, particularly those related to primary source documents' and occasional research assignments, but no mention of systematic review or retrieval practice

Individual Subject RigorConcern

The curriculum emphasizes reading and history but appears less rigorous in other core subjects like math and science. Written work varies significantly by grade level with younger students doing little writing.

Studies 'rely more on reading than on projects or activities' and have separate activity levels for K-6 and 6-12, with older students completing more written work while younger students do 'little or no writing'

Direct InstructionNeutral

The curriculum provides structured materials with information to read to students and discussion questions, but relies heavily on parent facilitation rather than explicit instructional design. Teacher guidance appears minimal.

Studies include 'information to read to students' and discussion questions, but parents must 'adapt activities so that they adequately challenge students' and decide how to implement lessons

Review Sources

cathyduffy

Cathy Duffy

Key Facts
GradesAll Grades
SubjectMulti_subject
PedagogyNot specified

Looking for something different?

If none of these options feel right, explore a non-traditional approach. Pallas Center offers a unique curriculum, or design your own with Palladay.