Independence Day
4th of July
"We
hold these truths.....
Background Information
Over 200 years ago, these words were read at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, USA. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." These brave words are part of the Declaration of Independence, affirming the independence of the American colonists from England.
Today, in the United States, we pay tribute to these ideals on the 4th of July. We celebrate this national holiday with parades, speeches, bonfires, picnics, concerts, and the display of the American Flag, just as the early American colonists did over 200 years ago! In fact, as far as we know, the only custom we don't observe today is the lighting of candles in house windows, which some colonists did to show support of the new government.
Duration: 5 days
Objectives:
The
student will be able to:
1. recognize several of the individuals
involved in the Revolutionary War.
2.
identify characteristics shared by leaders in the Revolutionary War.
Materials:
Shoe box
Colored paper
Markers/crayons
Any other materials to create a diorama
Computer with Internet access
Printer
Pencils/pens
Highlighters
Notebook paper
Key Vocabulary:
Procedures:
1. Read pages 12-18 of A New True
Book: The Declaration of Independence , which tells the reasons why the
Americans turned against British rule. Have the children put these reasons on a
chart.
2.
Read pages 5-12 in Fireworks, Picnics and Flags , by James Cross Giblin,
which tells more reasons why the Colonists were angry with
3.
Read pages 19-45 in A New True Book: The Declaration of Independence .
This part of the book describes the process followed to get the Declaration of
Independence written and approved. It also tells basically what the Declaration
of Independence says.
4.
Discuss why
5.
The children should read or be read to about other participants in the
Revolutionary War. Among the books that the teacher might share with the class
are:
Adler,
David. The Picture Book of Benjamin Franklin.
Adler,
David. The Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson.
Barrett,
Marvin. Meet Thomas Jefferson.
d'Aulaire,
Ingri. Benjamin Franklin.
Fritz,
Jean. Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?
Peterson,
Helen Stone. Abigail Adams.
Scarf,
Maggi. Meet Benjamin Franklin.
Stevens,
6.
Children should make a list of the personal characteristics, such as bravery,
that were displayed by people in the stories read. For each characteristic, they
should give as many examples as possible from the people whose lives they have
read about. They may also recall examples from the life of George Washington
when he displayed these characteristics.
Assessment:
The students will receive a grade for their accuracy and creativity on their research and diorama that is explained in the Extension Activities Section. Have your students take notes while their peers present their information. This ensured you that everyone is paying attention and it doesn't make the presenter as nervous. Give the students a separate grade on how well they took notes.
Home Learning:
Have students visit the following links and share in class what they found and how it is helpful.
The Holiday Zone-4th Of July - The Holiday Zone offers games, language activities, arts & crafts, poetry and more for celebrating the 4th of July.
50states.com - Learn all about our states!
The White House for Kids - Take a look into the White House with Socks and Buddy.
Extension Activity:
The students will research a famous person or event
from the American Revolution. There are several websites that give useful
information for the students to use. Other topics may include flags, taxes,
acts, slaves, women, or documents that contributed to the revolution.
The students will print the information out and highlight the important facts.
Then, they will write the research in their own words to create a report.
The students will create a diorama corresponding to their topic. The students
will present their research and diorama to the class.