Read, listen to, and look at various picture books about the Fourth of July.
Collaborate to make posters based on what they have learned.
Comment respectfully on other groups’ work.

","materials","

For the whole group:

A picture book focusing on the Fourth of July, such as 1 from this list:

Corduroy's Fourth of July by Don Freeman
Fourth of July by Emma Carlson Berne
Hello, Fourth of July! by Martha Day Zschock
My Fourth of July by Jerry Spinelli
The Night Before the Fourth of July by Natasha Wing
What Is America? by Michelle Medlock Adams

For each group:

Additional picture books about the Fourth of July, such as more of the titles suggested for the whole group
Pieces of large paper, heavy stock
Coloring materials such as markers, crayons, and colored pencils
Red, white, and blue construction paper
White or silver star stickers
Glue, paste, or tape
Safety scissors

","preparation","

Read through and familiarize yourself with the entire activity.

Gather a variety of picture books about the Fourth of July. (See Materials.) Leave the books in a central place so the children can take and return them by themselves.

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Ask the children if they know why we celebrate the Fourth of July in the United States. If they need prompting, tell them that the Fourth of July represents the United States’ freedom from rule by Great Britain. Explain that the holiday is also known as Independence Day because the date is when the United States gained its independence.
Tell the children that in this activity you will read aloud a book about the Fourth of July, and then they will make their own Fourth of July poster.
Read a book about the Fourth of July to the group. (See the suggested titles in Preparation.) Ask the children questions about what they learned, such as these:
- What was the American Revolution?
- What does the American flag look like?
- Who are some people who fought for America’s independence?
Divide the children into groups of 3 or 4. If possible, group readers with nonreaders. Give children time to look through the books you provide to learn more about the holiday.
Have each group plan their poster about the Fourth of July. Prompt the children with questions, such as these:
- Will the poster be read top to bottom, or left to right?
- Will the poster have pictures only, or words and pictures?
- What will the pictures show?
- Will you use construction paper and stickers or only markers, crayons, and pencils?
Circulate around the room, offering guidance as needed.
Pass out the art supplies. Have each group use the art paper and other supplies to make their poster about the Fourth of July. They may draw illustrations or glue pieces of construction paper to the art paper to create an American flag or anything else that represents the Fourth of July. Remind them to make sure to leave space for words, if they are using any.
Once the posters are done, have children write the group members’ names on the posters so everyone knows which group made which poster.
Hang all of the posters around the room. Invite the children to complete a gallery walk.
Reconvene as a whole group. Encourage the children to say what they liked about or learned from other groups’ posters.
To wrap up, discuss with the children what they learned from this activity. Ask:a. What colors represent the United States?b. Why is the Fourth of July important to the United States?
c. What are some things people like to do on the Fourth of July to celebrate?

","examples","versions","variations","

Instead of posters, have the children make books about the Fourth of July.

Children can work independently and make American flags.

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Students read and analyze books together in groups, practicing literary analysis skills.

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Fourth of July

Fourth of July

Fourth of July

Overview