The inaugural address, delivered by the president of the United States after they take the oath of office, is one of the most anticipated events each election cycle. The newly elected president is not required to deliver an inaugural address, but following the example of George Washington, it has become a tradition that kicks off a new president’s time in office.

In this resource, learners will examine the purpose of inaugural addresses, consider why these speeches matter to the American people, and assess the goals and strategies employed by many presidents in their inaugural addresses.

Learning is centered on this driving question: Why do presidents start a new term with a speech? The following supporting questions are included to guide your inquiry.

• What is an inaugural address?
• Why do we, as a nation, pay so much attention to inaugural addresses?
• What do presidents hope to do through their inaugural address? What strategies do they use to do this?
• How will you engage with the inaugural address?

Start by clicking on the first tile in the upper left-hand corner. Then move through the playlist by clicking on the ">" symbol at the bottom of the page. Look for the information and paperclip icons to provide more information about selected resources. As learners progress through the collection, educators and caregivers are encouraged to support student learning by reading the text and participating in the tasks together. There are 34 tiles in this collection.