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| Perspectives on the Fourth of July |
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Motivation:
Students do a “quick write” for ten minutes
on one of the following prompts:
- What did you and your family do last Fourth of July?
- What does the Fourth of July mean to you?
- Explain how the Fourth of July differs from other
days.
Procedure:
- Students respond to one of the motivation writing
prompts in their journals or on a piece of paper.
Responses are usually personal accounts of picnics
or barbeques, trips, time spent with friends and family,
and fireworks.
- Students brainstorm from their writing or experience
about commonalities in the way they celebrate the
Fourth of July. Choose two to three students to record
ideas on the board.
- Separate the students into seven groups. Each group
is given one of the seven position papers included
at the end of this lesson. Each position paper represents
the point of view of a person from the past about
celebrating the Fourth of July.
- Each group meets to research, discuss, and develop
a brief presentation on its assigned position. The
students should be fully prepared to explain and support
their positions.
- Using the reasoning of the paper it has discussed,
each group presents a position opposing or supporting
the celebration of the Fourth of July.
- Following the group presentations, the teacher engages
the students in a class discussion in which they debate
whether the ideals represented by the Fourth of July
were applied to all Americans in the past.
Summary Questions:
- Given the opposing views of some of these groups
in the past, why is July Fourth so widely celebrated
today?
- How do these celebrations help us to better understand
the ideals upon which this nation was founded?
Application: The U. S. Congress is sponsoring a contest
to help Americans appreciate the importance of the Fourth
of July. Create an advertising slogan (rhyme, image, or
phrase) that will help increase awareness of the meaning
of the Fourth of July for all Americans today.
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