I've spent seventeen years teaching fourth graders, in two different states. I love teaching them history and the reasons why we have the United States of America. For eight years, one of my curriculum items was the Constitution. First, we learned all about the Magna Carta, then we moved into the events that led to the colonists declaring independence from Great Britain. We studied the Revolutionary War, and then, we were ready to study the Constitution. You might be thinking that it seems like a fairly advanced subject for nine year olds. Yes, and no. They were very interested in the all of it, for a variety of reasons.
First: It was the real thing! It wasn't abstract, or fictional. Real people had done real things. We lived quite near Washington D.C. and other historical areas. One of our favorite field trips was to Fort McHenry, where the Battle of Baltimore took place. We sang the National Anthem while standing on the very ramparts mentioned in the song. So, my Maryland students had a sense of history.
Second: It appealed to their childhood sense of fairness. Fourth graders are hyper aware of "fair" and have a strong need for order. As we'd learn about the various taxes, orders, boycotts, and burdens placed on the colonists as King George tried to extract repayment for the expenses of the French and Indian War, the students developed a growing sense of irritation and were so ready to declare independence themselves.
Third: It's an exciting story. Many of my students back east were children of military families. Their parents worked at the Navy base just across the river from our school. Some parents worked further north in the nation's capital or at the Pentagon. From our playground, we often saw Air Force One on its final approach to land at the base just forty miles north. Their family members worked every day for our nation, and the children knew it. And the stories of how we became our own country inspired them and gave them a sense of being part of long chain of people who were willing to do their part for America.
I was always amused when we'd get to the Constitution and especially the Bill of Rights. We'd read the content, then we'd talk about what it meant. I'd refer to the incidents during the years that led up to the Declaration of Independence. The students could connect those events to the prohibitions or guarantees laid forth in the document written to frame our government. There was often outrage expressed that anyone could even try to take away some of the freedoms stated in the Constitution. Imagine: you being forced to quarter soldiers in your home! You not being allowed to complain about government leaders! You being forced to give your taxes for a church you don't even go to!
So, today, or tomorrow...take some time to read a little history. Find out why we declared independence from Britain. Find out why those signers were willing to pledge their "lives, fortunes and sacred honor" to go up against the most powerful military might in the world at that time. They were all British citizens--no small thing in the 18th century. But they took a huge risk to cast off that privileged state to keep the rights they knew belonged to them as a birthright from their God.
Eat hot dogs, wave sparklers, wear your flag shirt! And offer up a prayer to the Father of us all and thank Him for the blessing we have to live in this great country. Ask Him to bless us to be wise enough to maintain it as the beacon of freedom and rights for many years to come.
USS Bowfin--naturally--a submarine, in honor of our son.
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