ClassX Video Lessons ‘If I Ran For President’ read by Lonnie Chavis, Parker Bates and Mackenzie Hancsicsak
Hi there! Welcome to Storyline Online, where we love to read and learn together. Today, we’re going to explore a fun book called “If I Ran for President,” written by Catherine Stier and illustrated by Lynne Avril Cravath. Let’s imagine what it would be like to run for president of the United States!
Running for president is a big decision! If I wanted to be president, I’d have to think about it carefully. I’d ask my family how they felt about it and think about whether I’m ready to work hard for my country. If I decided I was the right person for the job, I’d tell everyone that I wanted to be president. This is called declaring my candidacy.
To become president, I’d need to run a campaign. This means telling people all about me and why I’d be a good president. People who believe in me might help by giving money or time. I’d have a team to help me, and soon my name would be on signs, buttons, and even T-shirts! I might even be on TV commercials!
I’d also work with a political party. These are groups of people who have similar ideas about how the country should be run. The two main parties are the Democratic Party, which has a donkey as its symbol, and the Republican Party, which has an elephant. There are other parties too, called “third parties.”
Many people want to be president, so the parties have to choose who they will support. They do this through meetings called caucuses and elections called primaries. These help show which candidates are popular. The first primary is in New Hampshire, and I’d make sure to visit there!
In the summer before the election, the parties have big meetings called conventions. Here, they announce their candidate for president. It’s like a big party with cheering, balloons, and confetti. Everyone watches on TV to see who will be chosen.
If my party picked me, I’d make a speech to get everyone excited. I’d talk about my plans for the country, called my platform. I’d also have a running mate, who would be my vice president if I won.
As a candidate, I’d join debates where I’d answer questions from a moderator. People would listen to my answers to learn more about me. I’d also travel around the country to meet lots of people, using a campaign bus or airplane. I’d make speeches, shake hands, and talk to everyone I met.
Finally, in November, Election Day would come. I’d be nervous and excited as millions of people voted. After voting, officials count the ballots, and everyone finds out who the next president will be. I’d stay up late, hoping to win!
If I didn’t win, I’d be sad, but also proud to have been part of a fair election. I’d call the winner to congratulate them. But if I won, WOW! I’d become president on January 20th, with a big parade and celebration. Then I’d move into the White House to start my job as president.
This book teaches us about more than just running for president. It’s also about being a good citizen and voting. When I turn eighteen, I can’t wait to vote! Voting is important because it helps us choose leaders who represent us. Even though we can’t vote yet, we can still use our voices to make a difference.
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Create Your Own Campaign Poster: Imagine you are running for president! Design a campaign poster that shows your name, a picture of yourself, and a slogan that tells people why you would be a great president. Use crayons, markers, or colored pencils to make it colorful and eye-catching. Share your poster with your family and friends and explain why you chose your slogan.
Family Debate Night: Organize a fun debate night with your family. Choose a simple topic, like “Should school start later in the morning?” Take turns being the candidate and the audience. Practice giving a short speech about your opinion and answer questions from your family. This will help you understand how candidates share their ideas and listen to others.
Neighborhood Election: Plan a small election with your friends or family. Choose a fun position, like “President of the Playground” or “Snack Time Leader.” Create ballots and a voting box. Everyone can vote, and then count the votes together to see who wins. This activity will help you learn about the voting process and how every vote counts.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
Welcome to Storyline Online, brought to you by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. I’m Lonnie Chavis. I’m Mackenzie Hancsicsak. And I’m Parker Bates. Today, we are going to read “If I Ran for President,” written by Catherine Stier and illustrated by Lynne Avril Cravath.
It would be great to run for president of the United States! If I ran for president, I’d hope the people of the United States would choose me for a very important job—the job of leading our country. I’d hope to follow in the footsteps of past presidents such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
I’d have to think carefully about my decision to run for president. I would want to know how my family felt about it, too. Then I’d ask myself: “Am I the best person for the job? Am I ready to work very hard for my country? Do lots of people believe in me, and will they help me run for office?” If I could answer yes to all those questions, then I’d declare my candidacy. That means I’d announce I was interested in the job of president of the United States.
If I ran for president, I’d run a campaign to let voters learn all about me. People who thought I would be a good president would donate money or time to help. I’d hire people to work on my campaign, too. Campaigns can make a candidate famous! Soon my name or face would appear on signs, buttons, bumper stickers, and T-shirts! I’d even star in television commercials.
If I ran for president, I’d work with my political party—that’s a group of people who share the same beliefs about how the country should be governed. They support candidates who uphold those ideas. The two major parties are the Democratic Party (their symbol is a donkey) and the Republican Party (their symbol is an elephant). There are other parties, too, called “third parties.”
But people besides me would want to be president. The Republican and Democratic parties must choose whom they’ll support in the election. In some states, like Iowa, the parties each hold meetings called caucuses, where members pick their favorite candidate. In most states, party members hold an election called a primary. Caucuses and primaries show which candidates are popular with voters and who might have the best chance of being elected president. The first primary is held in New Hampshire, in the winter before the presidential election. I’d be sure to visit there—but I’d have to bundle up!
In the summer before the election, the political parties announce their candidate for president. The major parties make this announcement at meetings called conventions. Each state sends delegates to the convention. Delegates vote for the candidate who was most popular in their state. A convention looks like a big celebration, full of cheering and chanting, balloons, and confetti. Millions of Americans watch the excitement on TV. By the time of the convention, everyone usually knows which candidate will be chosen, but the delegates still hold a vote.
If my party chose me to run for president, I’d make a speech to get everyone excited about helping me win. I’d tell the American people about my platform—my plans and ideas for our country. My running mate would make a speech, too. That’s the person who’d be my vice president if I became president.
If I ran for president, I’d be invited to debate with other presidential candidates. A person called a moderator would ask us questions. People across the country would listen carefully to our answers. Reporters would ask me questions, too, about my life, my family—even my kitten! They’d print old photographs of me in newspapers and magazines.
If I ran for president, I would travel the country to meet lots of people. I’d have my own campaign bus or airplane to take me from place to place. Inside there’d be comfy seats, perfect for checking out the news, writing speeches, and thinking about how to solve the nation’s problems. I’d take naps, too—I’d need the extra rest! I’d work hard and be very busy!
All in one week, I might share cereal with kindergartners in California, crunch corn with farmers in Kansas, and have dinner in Delaware. After all that food, I might not feel too well! Still, I’d have to smile and talk with the people I met. Presidential candidates make lots of speeches, shake hands, and connect with the community.
Finally, in November, Election Day would arrive. If I ran for president, I’d be nervous and excited! On Election Day, millions of voters from across the country go to their polling places to vote. In our country, people vote in private. No one but you knows how you voted, but I know I’d choose my favorite candidate—me! Once the voting is finished, officials count up the ballots. Then comes the announcement on television, radio, in the newspapers, and on the Internet. People everywhere find out who will be the next president of the United States. I’d stay up late and keep my fingers crossed.
If I ran for president and lost, the people who worked so hard on my campaign would be disappointed. I’d be disappointed, too! Still, I’d be proud that I had taken part in a free and fair election. I’d make a telephone call to offer my best wishes and my support to the winner—our next president! But if I won… WOW! On January 20th, I’d say the words of the oath of office and be sworn in as president. On that day, my Inauguration Day, there’d be a parade and a fancy ball! Then I’d move into the White House in Washington, D.C., to begin my four-year term as the president of the United States of America.
And what would I do when I became president? Well, that’s another story. The end! I learned a lot from this book. It’s not just about running for president; it’s also about being a good citizen and voting. I can’t wait to turn eighteen to vote. I’m going to register to vote when I’m seventeen so I’m ready to go. It’s up to us to elect people who will represent us the best. Voting is super important. I go with my mom to the polls when she votes. It’s a lot of fun too. And as kids, we have to remember we have a voice too. Even though we can’t vote yet, we can still use our voice to make change.
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