In this collection, students will answer the question "What Makes a First Lady?" by comparing and analyzing images of various First Ladies. They will also think critically about their definition of the First Lady as compared to that of the President and the differences in medium (painting, photography, video) artists use to represent a First Lady. One of the final activities will require students to find an image of a First Lady not shown in the collection to test their definitions.

This activity is based on the "Reading Portraiture" Guide for Educators created by the National Portrait Gallery. The guide can be found at the end of the collection.