America: A Patriotic Primer

Lynne Cheney has drawn on a lifetime of learning about the American past, and on the inspiration that comes from witnessing recent history firsthand in order to choose which twenty-six people, historical figures, symbols, events, or ideas would be put together to create this book. Illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser exemplifies Cheney's words with exuberant drawings. Together they created a book that teaches history by celebrating the diversity, tenacity, and faith of the American people.

The book not only teaches primary grades their ABC's, but also about important historical figures or events that have occurred. The book was published on May 1st, 2002. It can be classified as a work of nonfiction due to it's historical contents. The material is all fact-based, appropriate for children in primary grades (intended audience) to understand, and uses appropriate terminology. The illustrations, which were fully reviewed in Publisher's Weekly as being "rendered in ink, watercolor washes and colored pencil" provide multiple images on each page and features inventive borders that contain pictures and brief factoids that have been washed-out in order to provide an older feel to it. The illustrations in this book do a magnificent job of illuminating the facts and concepts which Cheney is trying to share with the children of our nation.

Discussion Questions

1) What do you think the purpose of Mrs. Cheney creating this book was for?

2) Why do you feel it is important to know the history of our country?

3) Do you feel that the illustrations created by Robin Glasser take away from or add to the overall quality of the book? Explain.

4) What was your favorite letter that Mrs. Cheney included in her book? Why? Do you feel it could have been represented differently?

5) Think of any of the letters and the objects or figures used to represent that letter, do you think there was a better historical event, figure, symbol, etc. that could have have been better suited to represent this letter. Discuss your answers.

Motivational Activities

1) Symbolism: Display a picture or draw a simple symbol on the chalk or whiteboard. After establishing the children’s schema for symbols, point to the American flag in the classroom. Ask: “What is that?” Most of the children will say that it is the flag. Ask some of the following questions, or other questions to lead the discussion:

• What does it stand for?
• Is this America?
• Where are some of the places you have seen the flag flying?
• What do you notice about the flag?
• What is it a symbol of?
• What colors do you see?

2) Parts of the Flag: Display the classroom flag near the children’s eye level. Spread it out so the children can see all the parts of the flag. Ask the children to identify the colors of the flag. Discuss with the children the suggested meanings of the three colors. Working either with large groups or as a center activity, have the children complete the chart The Colors of My Flag. Put some red paint in one dish and blue paint in another. Place marbles in each dish and roll them around to coat completely with paint. Have the children place their paper, print side down, in the cake pan. Drop a marble onto the paper and move it around by tilting the cake pan. Repeat this with marbles of both colors until the child is satisfied with his painting. These can be mounted and displayed in the classroom, or sent home to share with families.

3) The American Flag Book: Using these templates--- The American Flag book, prepare enough books in advance for the class members. Set up a sample of a completed book, or provide support for the children to fill in the blanks. Make crayons, markers, or colored pencils available. Have each student talk about the significant of the colors they use, the number of stars on the flag, and why they think we pledge allegiance to it at school.

Refererences

Cheney, Lynne. America: A Patriotic Primer. New York: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2002. Print.

Galda, L., Cullinan, B., & Sipe, L. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.