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Educational Curriculum to be used in Schools
465 East 850 South, Orem, Utah 84097
(801) 224-8505 fax: (801) 224-8545
This book contains a total of 44 inspirational and educational vignettes that are 5-20 minutes long and an Art-History Section. The vignettes are chronological in nature and most have at least one image in the Freedom Gallery that corresponds with them. They are dramatic presentations that teachers can give daily or weekly throughout the year. These are brief and inspirational moments in American history that inspire a desire to learn more and become involved in the freedom we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America. The Art-History Section provides information on each of the paintings in the gallery.
In an elementary school, not every grade level has a U.S. history focus of study. So when the classes go to the library for instruction, the librarian is in a key position to share the vignettes with each class. In a junior high and high school environment, teachers who teach American history, civics, etc could use the vignettes. Teachers can use vignettes during first period when the pledge is recited, etc. Clubs are encouraged to present vignettes at assemblies and over the loudspeaker during announcements.
The teacher will be able to involve his or her students in acting out the vignettes through a reader’s theatre, skits or plays. As the students become more involved with the drama of the vignettes, they will feel the patriotism and passion for their Roots of Freedom!
Entourage and Anticipatory Act
No Freedom Gallery image at this time
Cries of Freedom 1400-1500
Subject: People have always had the yearning to be free.
Objective: Students will become acquainted with a few examples of outstanding historical figures who placed freedom above all else.
Lesson time: 5-10 minutes
Act 1: Preparing to Declare Independence
Freedom Gallery Image: “The Spirit of ’76”
Scene 1: People Suffer Without Liberty 1608-1610
Subject: Why and how the pilgrims suffered under the reign of King James and how they escaped that tyranny.
Objective: Using a farcical and dramatic portrayal of Pilgrims and loyal Englanders, students will learn how the Pilgrims left England and fled to Holland then America for religious liberty.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 2 The Pilgrims Come to America - August 1, 1620
Subject: The crossing of the ocean by the first Pilgrims.
Objective: By learning of Pilgrim hardships in crossing the ocean, students will recognize the sacrifices they made for a chance at freedom.
Lesson time: 5-10 minutes
Scene 3 The Bulletproof George Washington - April to July 1755
Subject: How George Washington was prepared for the Revolutionary War including the bravery and protection George Washington had at the Battle at the Monongahela during the French and Indian War and throughout the Revolutionary War.
Objective: This lengthy and dramatic portrayal of a famous battle will provide interesting and perhaps little-known insights into George Washington’s life and mission.
Lesson time: 20-25 minutes
Scene 4 Why People Suffer with Kings - May 1766
Subject: How taxation without representation is a trademark characteristic of kings and why it led the colonists to revolt against English rule.
Objective: Using a fictional conversation between King George III and William Pitt, it will be clear to the students how even some in Parliament felt that taxation without representation was unfair.
Lesson time: 5-10 minutes
Scene 5 The Intolerable Acts - 1774
Subject: The colonists have had enough.
Objective: Through this farcical display of exasperation, the students will comprehend that the colonists had been pushed to their limits with the injustices King George had thrust upon them.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 6 The Famous Speech of Patrick Henry – March 23, 1775
Subject: Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech.
Objective: Students will experience the day that Patrick Henry gave his powerful speech and how it motivated colonists to decision and then action.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 7 The Revolutionary War Begins – April 19,1775
Subject: How the Revolutionary War began.
Objective: The class will discover the beginning of the war for independence by dramatizing a historically accurate enactment of that pivotal day in Lexington and the “the shot heard ‘round the world.”
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 8 The Age of Enlightenment and Common Sense – January 1776
Subject: The significance of the Age of Enlightenment, its influence on Thomas Paine, and the resulting pamphlet entitled Common Sense.
Objective: A friendly yet fictional conversation between Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, John Locke, and Queen Mary will help students will see how the Age of Enlightenment influenced Thomas Paine and how he advocated independence in plain language to the colonists.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 9 Thomas Jefferson vs. King George III – April, 1776
Subject: The irreconcilable differences that led to declaring independence.
Objective: Thomas Jefferson and King George III have a heated phone conversation that helps the class understand why England and America were locked in irreconcilable differences.
Lesson time: 5-10 minutes
Scene 10 King George on Trial! – May 1776
Subject: The grievances the colonists had against King George and their resolve to declare independence.
Objective: Through this dramatic and often humorous mock trial, students will perceive King George’s tyranny and the justification the colonists had for revolt.
Lesson time: 15-20 minutes
Act 2: Declaring Independence
Freedom Gallery Images:
- Writing the Declaration of Independence, 1776 (painting)
- The Declaration of Independence (painting)
- The Declaration of Independence (document).
Scene 1 The Writing of the Declaration of Independence – June 1776
Subject: The process by which the Declaration of Independence was written.
Objective: Using a 1930 fictional conversation between some high school students and Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, an American historical painter, the students will understand how the Declaration of Independence was written.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 2 The Power of Commitment – July 4, 1776
Subject: The commitment of the signers for The Declaration of Independence.
Objective: A re-creation of July 4th, 1776 will make students aware of the reservations the signers had then the commitment they made as they signed The Declaration of Independence.
Lesson time: 15-20 minutes
Scene 3 A Signed Document Creates a New Nation – August, 1776
Subject: A written document is necessary for the successful founding of a nation.
Objective: The class will hear Thomas Jefferson interviewed by newspaper reporters and will realize that the founding of America is different from the founding of any other nation because it included a written document that declared our independence and our beliefs. They will see examples of how other nations have failed without a signed document.
Lesson time: 15-20 minutes
Scene 4 Suffering for The Declaration of Independence, December 1776
Subject: The actual suffering endured by one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Objective: Students will come to understand the price of freedom on a personal level as they hear the story of Richard Stockton.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Act 3: Fighting for Independence
Freedom Gallery Images:
- Call to Arms (document)
- Washington Crossing the Delaware (painting)
Scene 1 Raising and Supporting an Army of Common People - 1776
Subject: How colonists were persuaded to join the army.
Objective: In a rather comical rendition of a recruiting party, students will gain insight on how the leaders in the revolution raised and maintained their forces.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 2 The Necessity for Victory - December 1776
Subject: A critical time in the Revolutionary War—December 1776.
Objective: Grandchildren visiting with George Washington help students to comprehend that there was a great need for victory at Trenton in the Revolutionary War.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 3 The Turning Point – December 25, 1776
Subject: The events at the Battle of Trenton and mentioning of the Battle of Princeton.
Objective: The grandchild interview continues and students are enlightened as to the miraculous nature of the victory at Trenton and Princeton, which led to a major turning point in the Revolutionary War.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 4 The End of Enlistments – December 31, 1776
Subject: How Washington convinced the American soldiers to reenlist after the victory of Trenton and before the victory of Princeton.
Objective: A re-enlisting soldier writing home to his wife helps the class explore the perilous circumstances that the “end-of-enlistments” created, the ramifications of the soldiers’ decisions, and the greatness of Washington’s leadership.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 5 The French Consider then Join the War - February 25, 1777
Subject: How the victories of Trenton and Princeton helped bring the French into the war as an ally to America.
Objective: Through a discussion between Benjamin Franklin and the Comte de Vergennes, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, students will receive insight into the reasons the French were willing to join the Americans in their war.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 6 Sacrifices of the Soldiers at Valley Forge - December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778
Subject: The tribulations of the soldiers at Valley Forge.
Objective: A conversion between a veteran of Valley Forge and his family help students appreciate the price these soldiers paid and will also help students perceive how Valley Forge cemented the will of the army to help them triumph over Great Britain.
Lesson time: 15-20 minutes
Scene 7 The Turning Point of Valley Forge and Baron von Steuben - March to June, 1778
Subject: The benefits of the experience at Valley Forge and how Baron von Steuban aided the situation.
Objective: Students will learn by listening to George Washington reflect with Baron von Steuban and Benjamin Franklin on his last day as Commander-in-Chief about the great turning point at Valley Forge. Students will be inspired as they fathom the influence one great person can have on a cause.
Lesson time: 15-20 minutes
Scene 8 Drummers and Fifers Influence on the Revolutionary War
and the Surrender at Yorktown – October 19, 1781
Subject: The significance drummers and fifers played in the Revolutionary War and at the surrender at Yorktown.
Objective: Through a series of question, answers, and some singing, the students will learn little-known information about the important yet misunderstood role of drummers and fifers.
Lesson time: 15-20 minutes
Act 4 – Independence Without Order
No Freedom Gallery images at this time
Scene 1 The Critical Period – 1781 to 1787
Subject: How most nations go back and forth from tyranny to anarchy and from anarchy back to tyranny. In America, we went from tyranny to freedom.
Objective: By interviewing citizens from France, Mexico, and Russia the students will understand how most nations revolve between tyranny and anarchy and how America broke that unhealthy cycle.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 2 The Problems with a Weak Government - 1782
Subject: The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the need for a stronger government.
Objective: Through John Dickinson and Delaware citizens the students will understand the balance needed of states’ rights and federal powers and the how the Articles of Confederation did not balance these two levels of government.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 3 Washington Saves the Union from Marshal Law and Tyranny – March 15, 1783
Subject: How American independence hung by a thread after the Revolutionary War.
Objective: A reenactment of a critical, yet little-known incident will help the students understand how Washington literally saved the Union from marshal law and tyranny.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 4 The Annapolis Convention – September 1786
Subject: The varying views of the founders in 1786 at the Annapolis Convention.
Objective: By learning the views of the founders in 1786 the students will better understand what finally led to the famous Constitutional Convention of 1787.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 5 The Last Straw Before the Constitutional Convention of 1787 – February 1787
Subject: Shays Rebellion and how this incident helped convince Americans that they needed a stronger central government.
Objective: By reenacting the court case of several participants at Shays Rebellion, students will comprehend the struggles of the colonists and the need for a stronger central government.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Act 5 – Independence Saved! The United States Constitution
Freedom Gallery Images:
- “Signing the Constitution” (painting)
- “The Constitution of the United States” (document)
- “The Bill of Rights” (document)
Scene 1 The Stage is Set for the Constitutional Convention – April 1787
Subject: The necessary ingredients that had to be set in place before the Constitution Convention could succeed.
Objective: Through a fictional conference call between several key founding fathers in 1787, the students will understand what setting was necessary for the Constitution Convention of 1787 to succeed.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 2 The Miracle of the Constitutional Convention – May to September 1787
Subject: The great issues of the Constitutional Convention and how it almost ended in failure yet how the great compromises actually strengthened our nation.
Objective: By role-playing some of the actual events at the Constitutional Convention, the students will begin to understand the mains issues at hand and the miraculous resolution of those issues.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 3 Powers and Duties of the Three Branches of Government – September 1787
Subject: The difference between the basic powers and duties of the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches of government.
Objective:
- Part A: As the students listen to our most important elected officials explain their positions and restrictions, the students will begin to understand how each branch checks the others to restrict power.
- Part B: The students are divided into three groups, and each group decides how to handle a real-life issue.
Lesson time: Part A: 10-15 minutes, Part B: 10-15 minutes.
Scene 4 Checks and Balances – September 1787
Subject: The checks and balances of the Constitution establish people’s law and regulate the two extremes of anarchy (too little law) and tyranny (too much law).
Objective: A Frenchman, speaking of the French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte, and an American, speaking of the Constitution and James Madison, help students understand how the Constitution’s checks and balances create freedom for all.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 5 The Ratification of the Constitution – June 17, 1788
Subject: How the Federalists and Anti-Federalists kept balance in the ratification debate.
Objective: Students will learn how the constitutional ratification convention of the state of New York on June 17, 1788 was a good example of the views of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists and how the Bill of Rights originated.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 6 Creating of the Bill of Rights – February to December 16, 1789
Subject: How and why the First Federal Congress created the Bill of Rights as well as the ideas and documents that influenced its development.
Objective: Through a conversation between James Madison and Patrick Henry with Madison also traveling back in time to visit King John, King Charles and others, students will grasp the historical precedent and need for our Bill of Rights.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 7 Why we have the Bill of Rights – December 15, 1791
Subject: Why the Bill of Rights was needed.
Objective: A conversation between a grandma and grandson on December 15, 1791 will reveal to the students the reasons we have the Bill of Rights and how the British Crown motivated Americans to get a bill of rights to protect us against abuse of our natural or unalienable rights.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 8 What the Constitution needs to succeed - 1798
Subject: What kind of people we must be as citizens if the Constitution is to succeed.
Objective: George Washington and John Adams, speaking of Washington’s Farewell Address, reveal to the students the need for religion, morality, and knowledge among our citizens if we are to succeed as a nation.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 9 The Constitution is a Timeless Treasure – Quotes Through the 21st Century
Subject: How people view the Constitution of the United States and how it fits into our nation today.
Objective: By reading quotes of influential people, including our own president and his oath of office, students will begin to understand the greatness of our Constitution.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 10 The Amendment Process – December 6, 1933
Subject: How amendments are created and sometimes ended through the example of Prohibition (18th and 21st amendments).
Objective: A very funny radio broadcast in 1933 will teach students how Prohibition began with the 18th amendment and ended with the 21st amendment.
Lesson time: 20-25 minutes
Scene 11 The Bill of Rights Restrict the Federal Government – December 15, 2005
Subject: How the Bill of Rights restricts the federal government from taking away our natural rights.
Objective: A casual teacher/student conversation will teach students how the Bill of Rights protect us from the federal government taking away our natural rights.
Lesson time: 20-25 minutes
Act 6: The American Flag
Freedom Gallery Image: “Our Flag”
Scene 1 The flag is a symbol of our patriotism
Subject: Why we use symbols such as the flag to show our devotion and patriotism to our country and why knowledge and devotion make patriotism become real in our life.
Objective: By learning the real meaning behind the Pledge of Allegiance and reciting the “Ragged Old Flag” students’ understanding and appreciation for the flag will increase.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 2 How a suffering people turn to our flag for inspiration
Subject: How Americans have turned to the flag in their moments of crisis for inspiration and how we can do the same.
Objective: A dramatic presentation of Francis Scott Keys writing the “Star Spangled Banner” will help students feel increased passion and love for our flag.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Scene 3 America is a symbol of freedom and opportunity
Subject: America has always been a symbol of freedom and opportunity to those suffering in the world.
Objective: By listening to the stories of several immigrants students will learn the great privilege it is to be an American.
Lesson time: 15-20 minutes
Scene 4 Our American Flag
Subject: How to honor the flag to increase our patriotism.
Objective: This concluding scene will leave the students and teachers with several long-term activities they can participate in such as flag ceremonies and a flag appreciation program they can use in their school.
Lesson time: Ongoing
Scene 5What it Means to be Patriotic
Subject: What it Means to be Patriotic
Objective: Through a conversation between a grandfather, who is a Revolutionary War veteran and his grandson, students will learn what it means to be patriotic.
Lesson time: 10-15 minutes
Art-History SectionThis section will provide art-history information for each of the paintings in the gallery.
“The Spirit of ‘76” by A.M. Willard
Objective: Students will learn about this painting and receive little-known information concerning drums and fifes.
See Act 3 Scene 8 for more information on drums and fifes.
“Writing the Declaration of Independence, 1776”by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris
Objective: Students will learn about this painting and the artist.
For more information on what is depicted in the painting see Act 2 Scene 1.
“The Declaration of Independence” by John Trumbull
Objective: Students will learn more about this painting and the artist.
For more information on what is depicted in the painting see Act 2 Scene 2.
“Washington Crossing the Delaware” by Emmanuel Leutze
Objective: Students will learn more about this painting and the artist.
For more information on what is depicted in the painting see Act 3 Scene 3.
“Signing the Constitution” by Howard Chandler Christy
Objective: Students will learn more about this painting and the artist.
For more information on what is depicted in the painting see Act 5 Scene 2.
“Our Flag” by Fred Tripp
Objective: Students will learn more about this painting and the artist.
For more information on what is depicted in the painting see Act 6 Scenes 1-4.
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