Title:
Margaret Chase Smith: A Woman for President
Bibliographic Information:
Plourde, L. (2008). Margaret Chase Smith: A Woman for President. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
Weekly Requirement:
Picture Book Pleasure Reading
Plot Description:
Margaret Chase Smith: A Woman for President tells the story Maine's former U.S. senator Margaret Chase Smith. She was born into a poor family in Skowhegan, Maine in 1897. Margaret was a hard working and independent child and grew up to be a young woman involved in her community. When Margaret was a young woman she married Clyde Smith, who went on to serve in the U.S. of Representatives. When he died suddenly she took his place. She served in both the House and the Senate where she made many important contributions. She helped women in the military, supported space exploration, and she spoke out against Senator McCarthy. In 1964 she became the first woman from a major political party to run for president. She did not win, but still continued to be active and involved in her community.
Quantitative Reading Level:
Flesch-Kincaid 5.1
Qualitative Reading Analysis:
The text is written in American English and told in the third person. The first page adds complexity to the text timeline because it foreshadows her presidential bid by sharing how she ran despite the odds, then the story begins with her birthday and moves forward in chronological order until her death. The bottom of each page includes historical timelines of things relevant to each page such as history of women in the U.S. military, history of the Cold War, etc. These timelines add complexity because they add background information and depth to the story. The knowledge demands of the book are low. No background information is need to understand the story.
Content Area:
U.S. History
Maine Common Core Content Area Standard:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.1
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
This is a great book for teachers to read to upper-elementary age children during a presidential election year or during women's history month. Teachers can also encourage students to read the text independently and use it for book reports about figures in U.S., women's, or Maine's history. Fourth or fifth grade teachers can also use the book to introduce students to Chase Smith's Declaration of Conscience speech and compare it to other important historical speeches.
Politics, women's history, determination
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