First Lady Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is an inspiring figure in our nation's history. She is the first African-American First Lady being the wife of our 44th President, Barack Obama. I remember many lessons of the Presidents of the United States when I was in school but I do not recall a meaningful lesson on any of the First Ladies. Even though Michelle Obama identifies herself first as the mother of her daughters, Sasha and Malia, she has studied at Princeton and is a graduate of Harvard Law. She has also held high profile jobs for Chicago City Hall and The University of Chicago. Today, Michelle Obama focuses on current social issues making her a valuable figure to introduce in the classroom. I believe it is important to highlight inspirational figures in the classroom. With the Let's Move! Campaign, Obama fights childhood obesity by promoting exercise and eating healthier food. This is an easy segue into both physical education and health education. Michelle Obama also started the first vegetable garden on the White House's South Lawn since Eleanor Roosevelt. This garden and the accompanying book can inspire your own school's garden project. This lesson can be used as a jumping-off point to investigate the First Ladies in our history. After this lesson, students can each select a First Lady to research and present their finding to the class. This lesson can also be used to encourage healthier habits in your students both inside and outside your classroom.