apologia scienceThe Fourth of July celebrations should extend to the homeschool classrooms. The homeschooling students need to know about the historical significance of the day. This can be taught in a fun manner by the homeschooling parent using these methods.

Story Time

For really young children tell the story of how King George III of England decided to tax the 13 colonies of the new world. Explain how the people in America then were British Citizens and had to prove their allegiance to the distant king sitting in Europe. Explain how things got nasty with the rising taxes. Then comes the famous tea tax and the Boston Tea Party. You can use pictures from the internet and make it a powerpoint slide show to go along with the story to make it more visually appealing.

Work your way up to the fifty six men who decided to break free from colonial rule and signed the Declaration of Independence. Spell out how it was considered treasonous against the crown and the men were in danger of losing their lives if caught. Talk about the freedom movement reaching its culmination in 1783. Then speak of the ways in which the day is celebrated. The fireworks, community picnics, marching bands in parades and all. In the end have them stand up as you hoist the flag and sing the national anthem.

Quiz Time

As your children grow older you may have to repeat the story a couple of years for them to remember all the pertinent details. Then you can ask them to join in on the retelling of the story of how America won independence. Introduce them to important documents such as The Magna Carta, The Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States, George Washington’s Farewell Address, The Star Spangled Banner, and The Gettysburg Address.

Eventually you can move on to an Independence day Quiz based on all that they read in these documents. Instill in your homeschooling students a sense of pride in their nation. Teach them about liberty, oppression, the law and just governance. Explain how the nation stands for freedom from tyranny of the exploitative and unjust forces that use violence to gain their means. Talk about how America helps other nations who are suffering from such compulsions. Give them much food for thought and a sense of gratefulness to be born in such a great nation.