Growing into Public Service: William Howard Taft's Boyhood Home

1. To explain the role the Taft family played in the 19th and 20th centuries and the effect their civic participation had on the country; 2. To describe how Taft's family background influenced his success in achieving the posts of president of the United States and chief justice of the Supreme Court; 3. To examine how Taft's occupations before the presidency prepared him for his most prominent positions; 4. To compare the leadership qualities of current figures with members of the Taft family.

Recommended level: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade