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A Creed for Americans (1942) by Stephen Vincent Benét We believe in the dignity of man and the worth and value of every living soul, no matter in what body housed, no matter whether born in comfort or born in poverty, no matter to what stock he belongs, what creed he professes, what job he holds. We believe that ever man should have a free and equal chance to develop his own best abilities

Happy Independence Day, USA!

Here are some facts about the United States flag and a fun craft for Independence Day

from Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

President Harry S. Truman designated June 14th as a National Holiday in 1949. On Flag Day, Americans fly the flag in front of schools, offices and homes. Students learn about the history of the flag and how to treat the flag with respect.

The modern day American flag has seven red stripes and six white stripes. The top left corner is blue with fifty white stars. The thirteen stripes stand for the original thirteen colonies and the stars represent the fifty states. The red stripes represent England and the white stripes represent the United States.

Because the flag is so familiar, we may think that it has always been the same. This is not true. No one knows for certain who designed the original flag. We believe that Congressman Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, designed the original flag. Even though there is a legend that Betsy Ross made the first flag, historians to not believe that this is true. Before June 24, 1912, there was no standard for the American flag. Flags made before this time had unusual arrangements of stars and odd proportions. President Taft established the proportions of the flag and the arrangements of the stars in an Executive Order. The number of stars on the flag increased each time a new state was added to the United States, but the number of stripes will always stay the same.

By 1912, when Arizona and New Mexico entered the Union, the flag had forty-eight stars. The number remained the same until 1959, when Alaska became a state. A year later, on July 4, 1960, the fiftieth star was added to mark Hawaii’s entry into the Union. The flag today looks exactly like the one we had in 1960.

America’s national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner” was written about the American flag. Francis Scott Key wrote a poem in 1812 that was later set to music and adopted as our national anthem. The flag flying over Fort McHenry in Maryland after a bombardment during the War of 1812 inspired him.

It is our universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset. However, when patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if it is lit up at night. The American flag should be displayed above state or city flags when flown on a flagpole. Occasionally the flag is flown at half-staff. This is a sign of respect for the memory of a public official or in the event of a national tragedy.

Our country honors the flag, which stands as a symbol of our unity as a nation, of our freedoms and of our power. Respect and honor the flag on Flag Day and on all other days during the year.

INDEPENDENCE DAY CRAFT

Handprint American Flag:

Materials
Large sheet of white paper (about the size of two poster boards)
Paint: Red, white and blue
Small sponge in shape of star
Pencils
Ruler

Instructions:
This flag can be made at home, but it will work best as a classroom activity. The completed flag should be displayed on a large wall or bulletin board.
1. Have students draw a box in the top left corner of flag for the fifty states.
2. Using the ruler, draw thirteen stripes on the flag with pencil. Mark the stripes that will be red with a small checkmark. The American flag has seven red stripes and six white stripes. The top and bottom stripes are both red.

3. Have one student paint the top corner box with blue paint.

4. Other students will take turns dipping their hand in red paint and placing red handprints on the stripes marked with the checkmarks. There is no need to paint the white stripes.

5. When the blue paint is dry, have several students make fifty stars by dipping the star sponge into white paint and pressing on the blue area.

We love and support children’s books because they are a crucial means for us to communicate with the next generation—not just in what we say to children through books but even more importantly in what children say to us in their responses, and what we learn from those responses. In their openness, in their not-yet-severed connection with something pure and whole, children reconnect us with something obscured in our “grown-up” hearts. Reading books to and with children helps us knit the raveled sleeves of our lives.

Children sense the truth about people, but exposure to the cynical, fear-ridden, or narrow in adult attitudes can inhibit their good instincts. In these divisive days, when openness to other cultures can be suspect, even dangerous, outstanding writers and illustrators of books for children are in the forefront of truth-tellers and freedom-keepers for humanity. Today, Independence Day in the U.S., we honor and support the talent and heart in their work. Hats off to all of you! Independence Day is a big deal in most countries of the world; for a list of dates, click here.

A Happy Canada Day and Happy Independence Day to all, with some poems to mark the occasions. Rivers of Canada by Bliss Carman (1861-1929) O all the little rivers that run to Hudson's Bay, They call me and call me to follow them away. Missinaibi, Abitibi, Little Current--where they run Dancing and sparkling I see them in the sun. I hear the brawling rapid, the thunder of the fall, And when