Lessons on American Presidents.com
  Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on John Adams

John Adams was the second President of the United States. He was born in Massachusetts in 1735. He studied law at Harvard and became identified with the movement for independence. During the Revolutionary War he served in France and Holland in diplomatic roles, and helped negotiate the peace treaty with France. He returned from Europe and was elected Vice President under George Washington.

Adams served two terms as Vice President. The White House describes them as being “frustrating experiences for a man of his vigor, intellect, and vanity”. He complained to his wife Abigail about his frustrations with his sense of a lack of power in his position. He said: "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived."

When Adams first became President, the war between the French and British was causing great difficulties for the United States. It disrupted trade and shipping to the USA and caused fierce rivalries between Americans loyal to each of the European powers. His decision to send a peace mission to France badly divided American politics and he lost the 1801 election to Thomas Jefferson.

Adams retired from political life and returned to his farm. He will be remembered as being one of the key Founding Fathers of the United States and for the first U.S. politician to start a political dynasty – his son John Quincy became America’s sixth President. Adams died on July 4, 1826. His most memorable words are: "People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity."

Article adapted from www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnadams

John Adams was the second President of the United States. He was born in Massachusetts in 1735. _________________ Harvard and became identified with the movement for independence. During the Revolutionary War he served in France and Holland in diplomatic roles, and helped negotiate __________________ France. He returned from Europe ___________________ President under George Washington.

Adams _________________ Vice President. The White House describes them as being “frustrating experiences for a man of his vigor, intellect, and vanity”. He complained to his wife Abigail about his frustrations with his _________________ of power in his position. He said: "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most _________________ that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived."

When Adams first became President, the war between the French and British was ____________________ for the United States. It disrupted trade and shipping to the USA and _________________ between Americans loyal to each of the European powers. His decision _________________ mission to France badly divided American politics and he lost the 1801 election to Thomas Jefferson.

Adams retired _________________ and returned to his farm. He will be remembered as being one of the key Founding Fathers of the United States and for the first U.S. politician to start _________________ – his son John Quincy became America’s sixth President. Adams died on July 4, 1826. His most memorable words are: "People and nations are _________________ of adversity."

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

John Adams was the second President of the United States. He was born in Massachusetts in 1735. He studied law at Harvard and became infddeiiet with the movement for independence. During the Revolutionary War he redsve in France and Holland in diplomatic roles, and helped antoeetgi the peace treaty with France. He returned from Europe and was elected Vice President under George Washington.

Adams served two terms as Vice President. The White House describes them as being “frustrating experiences for a man of his vigor, ltienletc, and vanity”. He complained to his wife Abigail about his frustrations with his ssene of a lack of power in his position. He said: "My country has in its dmiwos contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived."

When Adams first became President, the war between the French and British was gusncai great difficulties for the United States. It disrupted trade and shipping to the USA and caused iefecr rivalries between Americans loyal to each of the European powers. His decision to send a peace mission to France badly vddieid American politics and he lost the 1801 election to Thomas Jefferson.

Adams retired from political life and nrdeetur to his farm. He will be remembered as being one of the key Founding Fathers of the United States and for the first U.S. politician to start a political datynys – his son John Quincy became America’s sixth President. Adams died on July 4, 1826. His most memorable words are: "People and nations are egorfd in the fires of adversity."

  UNJUMBLE THE WORDS

John Adams of United the President the was second States. He was born in Massachusetts in 1735. He studied law at Harvard and the with identified became for movement independence. During the Revolutionary War he served in France and Holland in diplomatic roles, and helped negotiate the peace treaty with France. returned He Vice elected was and Europe from President under George Washington.

Adams served two terms as Vice President. The White House being as them describes for experiences frustrating “ a man of his vigor, intellect, and vanity”. He complained to his wife Abigail about frustrations his lack a of sense his with of power in his position. He said: "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the ever that office insignificant most of invention the man contrived or his imagination conceived."

When Adams first became President, the war between the French and was great for British causing difficulties the United States. It disrupted trade and shipping to the USA and caused fierce Americans loyal to each rivalries between of the European powers. His decision to send a peace mission to France badly divided American lost he and politics to election 1801 the Thomas Jefferson.

Adams and to from life returned retired political his farm. He will one being as remembered be key the of Founding Fathers of the United States and for the first U.S. politician to start a political dynasty – his son John Quincy became America’s sixth President. Adams died on July 4, 1826. His most memorable words are: "fires the in forged are nations and People of adversity."

  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

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  STUDENT JOHN ADAMS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about John Adams in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING

Write about John Adams for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

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  HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about John Adams. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about John Adams. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. JOHN ADAMS POSTER Make a poster about John Adams. Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY JOHN ADAMS LESSON: Make your own English lesson on John Adams. Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach the class / another group when you have finished.

6. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool to get opinions on John Adams. Share your findings with the class.