TeachersFirst: Fourth of July Resources

July 4 TeachersFirst's Fourth of July Resources

7 record(s) found - search again

Myth and Truth: Independence Day Grade 3 to 5 - Traci Gardner / NCTE- 5246

Four significant dates surrounding the Declaration of Independence are examined in this lesson that gets students thinking about why we celebrate the nation's birthday on July 4. With an emphasis on reading and writing, students investigate the origins and characteristics of myths, develop strategies for spotting bias and missing information, and, in the process, learn a lot about the birth of our Independence Day observance. Handouts, worksheets, and a project rubric are provided along with links to related resources. Aligned to NCTE/IRA standards. This site requires Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Take advantage of this FREE resource (that is ready to use). If you don't have time to do the entire lesson/mini-unit, find the "pieces" that fit with your curriculum.

Independence Day: The History of July 4th Grade 4 to 12 - The History Channel- 7943

This website was created to correlate with a video from the History Channel. However, the questions and activities could easily be used without viewing the video. Numerous vocabulary terms are introduced, a variety of questions (and levels of questions) are provided, and extension activities are included. The vocabulary terms provide definitions, audio pronunciations, and more. The questions are thought-provoking and useful in multiple grade levels for class discussion or writing activities.

In the Classroom:
Use this site as a lead-in to July 4 OR prior to a field trip (real or virtual) to Philadelphia and Independence Hall.

Independence Day Grade 2 to 8 - TeacherVision- 7941

Although this site does have annoying advertising, there is also a lot of good stuff for use in the classroom. This site offers numerous printables, online interactive quizzes, Social Studies, Language Arts, Arts and Crafts, and Reference activities. Some of the activities are for "members only", but most of the fun is open to everyone! This site requires Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Get an interactive whiteboard and test your students' knowledge of Independence Day with the online quizzes.

Independence Day Grade 1 to 5 - Joe Williamson- 7940

This simple WebQuest is a great tool to use for introducing your students to the history of July 4th, the meaning of symbols and independence. There is a lot of information available, which can easily be sifted through to find the useful activities for your classroom. A few of the links are no longer active, but the information should be relatively easy to find.

In the Classroom:
This is a great tool to introduce your class to the meaning of independence, symbols and more. Get an interactive whiteboard and take your students back in time - to 1776.

Kaboom Grade 9 to 12 - PBS- 5113

What do those Fourth of July fireworks and the Periodic Table have in common? Plenty! This creative and interactive site not only teaches students about the history and elements of the Periodic Table, but helps them discover which elements are responsible for the colors and special effects evident in a fireworks display. This site was created by NOVA.

In the Classroom:
Share this "hot" site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site to connect a topic students LOVE (fireworks) and the periodic table. Have cooperative learning groups explore this site together and create a multimedia presentation. Challenge groups to create online posters using a tool such as Project Poster (reviewed here).

July 4th Vocabulary Grade 3 to 9 - Vocabulary University- 9890

Celebrating July 4th in class or learning about our founding fathers? Check out this website: word puzzles, vocabulary words, basic facts, and more. Many of the activities are able to be printed FREE of charge. This site does have some basic advertisements.

In the Classroom:
Share the puzzles on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students work with a partner to try out the puzzles on their own. Have students try to create their own word puzzles and share them on a class wiki. Don’t know what a wiki is? Check out the TeacherFirst Wiki Walk-Through (reviewed here).

Patriotic Songs Grade K to 8 - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences- 9463

Need lyrics to your favorite patriotic song? Find a wealth of patriotic lyrics here with a quick click. . Play the instrumental audio file, as well. Find Yankee Doodle, Navy Hymn, America the Beautiful, and about twenty other patriotic songs.

Note: Please assume that most songs are copyrighted, so please honor the authors and musicians by not distributing these songs. This is intended for classroom use only. This site requires Quicktime and Adobe Acrobat. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Enhance your reading program with music. Have students listen to the songs while following the lyrics. Keep this site handy for those patriotic holidays. Use this site in social studies classes to learn the meaning behind some of the most popular patriotic songs. Play the sound in the background during class skits for Presidents' Day or other patriotic occasions.