Becoming an Independent Nation:

Primary Learning Topics:

þ The intellectual and physical battles fought in winning independence from the British, and the role of African-Americans in the context of this victory

þ The development of the Constitution

þ The events that sparked the expansion of America westward and the impact of Asian immigration

Read Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire's Benjamin Franklin according to the following schedule:

Day 1	Pages 1-11
Day 2	Pages 12-22
Day 3	Pages 23-29
Day 4	Pages 30-35
Day 5	Pages 36-42
Day 6	Pages 43-48

Read George Washington: A Picture Book Biography by James Cross Giblin according to the following schedule:

Day 1	Pages 7-11
Day 2	Pages 12-17
Day 3	Pages 18-23
Day 4	Pages 24-30
Day 5	Pages 31-40

Burke Davis’ Black Heroes of the American Revolution depicts the many unsung heroes of color of the Revolutionary War. This collection of short biographical sketches can be enjoyed at a chapter per day.

Begin reviewing the making of the Constitution by reading pages 3-13 of A More Perfect Union by Guilio and Betsy Maestro.

Continue A More Perfect Union according to the following schedule:

Day 2	Pages 14-28
Day 3	Pages 29-42

Transition into the 19^th century by reading America in the Time of Lewis and Clark by Sally Senzell Isaacs according to the following schedule:

Day 1	Pages 5-11
Day 2	Pages 12-19
Day 3	Pages 20-27
Day 4	Pages 28-35
Day 5	Pages 36-43

Note: America in the Time of Lewis and Clark covers a number of significant events in American growth between the years of 1801 and 1850. Events include westward movement and expansion, the War of 1812, the Spanish-American War, and the Gold Rush. For an expanded study on any one of these topics, consider the following resources:

Westward movement::	The Josephina Story Quilt by Eleanor Coerr If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Charles Shaw
War of 1812:	A Wish on Capital Hill by Esther W. Brady Eighteen Twelve: The War Nobody Won by Albert Marrin
Gold Rush:	The California Gold Rush: West with the Forty Niners by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk Gold! The Klondike Adventure by Delia Rush
Spanish-American War:	Battles of the Spanish-American War by Diane Smolinski The Rough Riders by Theodore Roosevelt

Read Joseph Bruchac’s Trail of Tears according to the following schedule:

Day 1	Pages 4-16
Day 2	Pages 17-27
Day 3	Pages 28-40
Day 4	Pages 41-48

Begin a discussion on Asian immigration into the America by reading approximately one-half of Coolies by Yin.

Complete the reading of Coolies by Yin.

Note: Also, as time and interests dictate, consider expanding this section with a study of the Transcontinental Railroad and the associated influx of Chinese immigrants into America using the following resources:

The Story of the Golden Spike by R. Conrad Stein

Asian Americans in the Old West by Gail Sakurai

To talk and think about: Why was it necessary to establish a document like the Constitution? What was the motivation for people like Lewis and Clark, as well as hundreds of thousands of others, to move westward? In the 12^th chapter of Genesis, Abraham is told to move from his home, friends, and relatives, and into a place that was unfamiliar to him. His journey is much like the journey of those pioneers heading westward into uncertain territories. What were some of the dangers and fears? Where might they find courage?