Who Is Barack Obama? Educational Resources K12 Learning, United States, History Lesson Plans, Activities, Experiments, Homeschool Help

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Not since Kennedy had the White House seen such youthful exuberance — that was, until the arrival of the nation's 44^th president, Barack Obama.

As the first African-American president, the 47-year-old and his wife, Michelle, brought childhood innocence back to the rolling greens of the gated D.C. estate.

Obama, along with daughters, Sasha and Malia (who were ten and seven, respectively, when Obama became president in 2008), has read every Harry Potter book and is a fan of exploring the wizarding world through the movies.

Throughout his eight years in the White House, both Sasha and Malia enjoyed every aspect of living in the White House.

Can you imagine living there?
What is the first thing you would do in the White House?

President Barack Obama was the first United States president of African descent.

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on 4 August 1961. His mother was from Kansas, and his father was from Kenya.

During his campaign, controversy was created over his ethnicity when proponents falsely claimed Obama had actually been born in Kenya and was not an American citizen.

Why was this conspiracy theory created?

Because the United States constitution states that all American presidents are required to be natural-born citizens, which is something everyone born in this country is considered to be regardless of their parents' citizenship.

All laws and amendments are created for specific reasons.

What reasons can you think of that made the founding fathers require the president to be an American?

For argument's sake, let's say that a U.S. president is elected, but the United States government later finds out that he or she was not always a U.S. citizen.

For example, the individual may have been born in another country, his or her parents immigrated to the United States when he or she was a young child, and the family obtained citizenship over time.

Think about the ramifications or consequences that might happen if a U.S. president were not originally from the United States.

How might that affect the trust level of the American people, and would it be a potential conflict of interest for the U.S. government?
Might there be a possibility that he or she is a spy?
Is there a possibility that he or she may be sharing secrets with another government that might threaten the national security of the U.S.?

After considering these possible scenarios, get ready to learn about Barack Obama and his presidential legacy.

President Obama broke many barriers and changed the face of the presidency forever.

As you learn more about the 44^th President of the United States, make a list of facts about him and the differences he made for the United States. Be prepared to create a presentation with what learned.

Start by reading 10 Things You Didn't Know About Barack Obama by Shelbi Austin for U.S. News and World Report

Then, watch Barack Obama *** from the American Presidents series: