Around the World with First Lady Pat Nixon

Suggested Teaching Instructions

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Match photographs to their corresponding locations on a map
• Examine photographs for clues to a country's identity
• Better understand Mrs. Nixon's role as a diplomat
• Strengthen geographic skills

For grades 3-9. Approximate time needed is 25 minutes.

To begin, provide students with a brief biography of Pat Nixon and describe some of President Nixon's key diplomatic accomplishments. See www.archives.gov for more on Pat Nixon. To learn more about Richard Nixon visit www.nixonlibrary.gov.

Ask students to carefully examine each of the photographs, as a class, individually, or in small groups. Instruct them to look for clues to identify where the photo was taken and what the First Lady was doing in the photo. Then, discuss why the visit was important. Once they've correctly identified the photograph, they should match the country to the corresponding dot on the world map.

After they’ve completed the activity, encourage students to consider the importance of the First Lady. Lead a class discussion using the following questions:

• What makes First Ladies good diplomats?
• Do they have any constitutionally defined roles?
• How was Mrs. Nixon unique?
• How did she contribute to President Nixon’s foreign policy?