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Check out our complete list of US History Lessons.
The School House Rocks videos (most if not all the clips can be found on schooltube) are a useful and different way to review some major events and themes covered during a U.S. History course. (It also might be useful to show these just before a final exam or state assessment.) The clips are short and can be covered in a relatively short amount of class time.
Prior to watching, the students complete a viewing sheet to see how many students already know they answers. At the end of each segment, the class discusses the themes associated with each cartoon. The cartoons also can be show individually during the point of the year that you cover a particular topic.
The goal for each video is to share:
- Pre-veiwing questions.
- The video.
- The lyrics.
- The themes.
Below is the worksheet I give to the students along with a few “teacher” notes. Hopefully both are useful.
Pre-Viewing Questions (to test prior knowledge)
1. Who is the author of the book Common Sense?
2. How many original colonies were there?
3. List as many of the colonies as you can.
4. List a few Founding Fathers:
5. Who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Fireworks (3:05)
Main Points (Notes for Students)
- Thomas Paine’s Pamphlet Common Sense was very influential in swaying public support for separation from England.
- “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Fireworks Lyrics
Oh, there’s going to be fireworks (fireworks!)
On the Fourth of July (red, white, and blue!)
Red, white, and blue fireworks
Like diamonds in the sky. (diamonds in the sky!)
We’re going to shoot the entire works on fireworks
That really show, oh yeah
We declared our liberty 200 years ago
Yeah!
In 1776 (fireworks!)
There were fireworks too (red, white, and blue!)
The original colonists
You know their tempers blew (They really blew!)
Like Thomas Paine once wrote:
It’s only common sense (only common sense)
That if a government won’t give you your basic rights
You’d better get another government
And though some people tried to fight it
Well, a committee was formed to write it:
Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston
John Adams, Roger Sherman, Thomas Jefferson
They got it done (Oh yes they did!)
The Declaration, uh-huh-huh
The Declaration of Independence (oh yeah!)
In seventeen hundred seventy six (right on!)
The Continental Congress said that we were free (we’re free!)
Said we had the right of life and liberty
. . . And the pursuit of happiness!
Oh, when England heard the news (kerpow!)
They blew their stack (they really blew their cool!)
But the colonists lit the fuse
There’d be no turning back (no turning back!)
They’d had enough of injustice now
But even if it really hurts, oh yeah
If you don’t give us our freedom now
You’re going to see some fireworks!
And on the Fourth of July they signed it
And 56 names underlined it
And now to honor those first 13 states
We turn the sky into a birthday cake
They got it done (oh yes, they did!)
The Declaration, uh-huh-huh
The Declaration of Independence (oh yeah!)
In seventeen hundred seventy six (right on!)
The Continental Congress said that we were free (we’re free!)
Said we had the right of life and liberty
. . . And the pursuit of happiness!
We hold these truths to be self-evident
That all men are created equal
And that they are endowed by their creator
With certain inalienable rights
That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
And if there’s one thing that makes me happy
Then you know that it’s (oh)
There’s going to be fireworks!
Fireworks Themes
Red White and Blue fireworks on the 4th of July, 1776
Thomas Paine = Common Sense
Founding Fathers: Thomas Jefferson
Declaration of Independence
Continental Congress
“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness” – Man chasing a woman ????
“We hold these truths to be self-evident that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”