Learn and Have Fun Sharing Presidential Trivia with the Young People in Your Life
In honor of this year's presidential campaign, the NCBLA is posting three presidential trivia questions each week. Why not test your knowledge? You can share the questions while driving to basketball practice, during a Scout meeting, or while finishing the family chores.
This Week's Trivia Questions
- Americans in primary states have been inundated with TV commercials promoting--or denigrating--all of this year's hopefuls for the Republican nomination. Which presidential candidate was the first to promote his candidacy using TV?
- Which president proclaimed "The Star-Spangled Banner" to be our national anthem?
- Which president was so well-known for his silent nature that during a dinner party a guest teased that she had bet a friend she could entice the president to say more than five words during the meal, to which he answered, "You lose?"
A perfect resource for discovering more about America's presidents is the NCBLA's interdisciplinary anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, and it's coordinating educational website OurWhiteHouse.org! An incomparable collection of essays, personal accounts, historical fiction, poetry, and a stunning array of original art, Our White House offers a multifaceted look at America’s history through the prism of the White House.
Answers and Information for Learning MORE!
- Dwight Eisenhower. In 1952 Dwight Eisenhower became the first candidate to exploit the new technology of television by appealing to voters in a series of 20-second commercials that showed Eisenhower answering questions posed by citizens on the street. Though many idolized the war hero, these TV ads demonstrated Eisenhower's ability to communicate easily with ordinary people. Learn more in "Persuading the People: Presidential Campaigns" on OurWhiteHouse.org.
- Herbert Hoover. In 1931 Hoover, our thirty-first president, elevated "The Star-Spangled Banner" to the highest level. He signed legislation making "The Star-Spangled Banner" the national anthem of the United States. Learn more in "Star Spangled Presidents" by Helen Kampion on OurWhiteHouse.org.
- Calvin Coolidge. In "The Eloquence of 'Silent Cal,'" Katherine Paterson writes, "There are many such stories about Calving Coolidge sitting through entire social events without uttering a word. He himself said: 'If you don't say anything, you won't be called on to repeat it.' And at another time, 'I have never been hurt by what I have not said.'" To read the complete article on OurWhiteHouse.org, click here.
Our White House is available in both hardcover and paperback from Candlewick Press. Ask for it at a library or bookstore near you!
And be sure to check out the companion educational website, OurWhiteHouse.org, which provides expanded book content that includes additional articles, resources, activities, and discussion questions related to book topics as well exclusive resources and articles regarding the presidency, presidential campaigns, and presidential elections.
