My+Country,+'Tis+of+Thee+Reinforcing+Activity


 * o I will first play the song, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” for my students.
 * § I will ask if anyone has heard this song, what it is, what it means/represents
 * § Then will ask when they think this song was created, and if it has stayed the same ever since (created in 1831, changed a lot)
 * o Then I will introduce the book, explaining that it is a type of anthem for America, about the progression of civil rights throughout history, and the lyrics and meaning of the song has changed over the years, as civil rights have changed and progressed throughout America
 * o Give each student a notecard, with one verse from the song
 * § Number notecards in order of when the verse appeared in history (don’t tell students what number means yet)
 * § Verses posted below
 * § Note: 19 total verses in book, but depending on number of students, can give some students same verse as a classmate
 * o Explain to students that they each have a verse from the song, all different verses and from all different times
 * o Tell students to listen and pay close attention while teacher reads, so they know when their verse is explained, and to jot down notes about your verse/what it means/time period, because we will be doing an activity with all the verses after
 * o Read the book
 * o Make sure each student has a few notes about their verse, if not, ask them for their verse and reread the page it was on so they can jot notes (can help them if need help here)
 * o Students go back to seats
 * o Pass out poster paper for each student
 * o Have them write their verse big on the paper, then draw pictures to illustrate what their verse means/what time period/significant events happening
 * o Allow them to refer back to the book while doing this part if need be
 * o Then each student (or students if have same verse) they will share their posters with class
 * o Elaborate/explain concept more if need be, can add any extra facts/info here as well that students did not present, emphasizing the progression of Civil Rights throughout America’s history (in back of book, there is a page called “Source Notes” with more notes/summaries of the pages and each verse)
 * o Finally, will play current version of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” for students again, and ask them if there is anything they would add or take away from the current lyrics, or if it is good the way it is
 * o Also ask if they think it will be changed anymore throughout history, or will stay the same
 * o Hang students’ posters in classroom or hallway for everyone to see
 * **Materials:**
 * o Book- //My Country, ‘Tis of Thee- How One Song Reveals the History of Civil Rights//
 * o Notecards with each verse of song from book (19 total verses, but depending on students can give some students same verse)
 * o Poster paper for each student in class
 * o Markers for each student in class
 * **Other Social Studies Strand this book may be used to teach**: Government (discusses Kings, Parliament, different freedoms in government, independence, Constitution, laws/rights,
 * **Tags:**
 * o History
 * o Civil Rights
 * o Government
 * o Claire Rudolph Murphy
 * o Primary sources
 * o “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”
 * o America
 * o Patriotism
 * o Women’s Rights
 * o Slavery
 * o Constitution
 * o Freedom

Verses to put on notecards for each student //God save our gracious King// //Long live our noble King,// //God save the King.// //Send him victorious,// //Long to reign over us,// //God save the King//

//God bless the prince, I pray.// //God bless the prince, I pray,// //Charlie I mean;// //That Scotland we may see// //Freed from vile Presbyrt’ry,// //Both George and his Feckie,// //Ever so, Amen.// //Come, Though Almighty King// //Help us Thy name to sing,// //Help us to praise.// //Father! All-glorious// //O’er all victorious// //Come, and reign over us// //Ancient of days.// //Fame, let they Trumpet sound.// //Rouse all the World around,// //With loud alarms!// //Fly hence to Britain’s land,// //Tell George in vain his Hand// //Is raised ‘gainst FREEDOM’S Band.// //When call’d to arms.//

//God save the Thirteen States!// //Long rule the United States!// //God save our States!// //Make us victorious;// //Happy and glorious;// //No tyrants over us;// //God save our States!// //Hail, though auspicious day!// //Far let America// //Thy praise resound:// //Joy to our native land!// //Let ev’ry heart expand,// //For Washington’s at hand,// //With glory crown’d!// //God save each Female’s right,// //Show to her ravished sight// //Woman is Free;// //Let Freedom’s voice prevail,// //And draw aside the veil,// //Supreme Effulgence hail,// //Sweet Liberty// //My native country, thee,// //Land of the noble free,// //Thy name I love.// //I love thy rockets and rills,// //Thy woods and templed hills;// //My heart with rapture thrills// //Like that above.// //My country, ‘tis for thee,// //Dark land of slavery,// //For thee I weep.// //Land where the slave has sighed,// //And where he toil’d and died,// //To serve a tyrant’s pride,// //For thee I weep.//

//Let music swell the breeze,// //And ring from all the trees// //Sweet freedom’s song.// //Let mortal tongues awake;// //Let all that breathe partake;// //Let rocks their silence break,// //The sound prolong.// //Then ‘mid the cannon’s roar// //Let us Sing evermore:// //God Save the South!// //Ours is the soul to dare;// //See, our good swords are bare—// //We will be free, we swear!// //God save the South!// //Come sing a cheerful lay,// //And celebrate this day// //Throughout the land.// //Oh! Let us joyful be,// //For freedom’s sons are we,// //In this land now the free// //At they command.// //My country, ‘tis of thee,// //Once land of liberty,// //Of thee I sing,// //Land of the Millionaire;// //Farmers with pockets bare;// //Caused by the cursed snare—// //The Money Ring.// //I love thine inland seas,// //Thy groves of giant trees,// //Thy rolling plains;// //They rivers’ mighty sweep,// //Thy mystic canyons deep,// //Thy mountains wild and steep,// //All thy domains.//

//Our country. Now from thee// //Claim we our liberty,// //In freedom’s name.// //Guarding home’s altar fires,// //Daughters of patriot sires,// //Their zeal our own inspires,// //Justice to claim.// //My country! ‘Tis to thee,// //Sweet land of Liberty,// //My pleas I bring.// //Land where OUR fathers died,// //Whose offspring are denied// //The Franchise given wide,// //Hard, while I sing.// //My country, ‘tis of thee,// //Sweet land of liberty,// //For thee we sing.// //Land where my fathers died!// //Land of the pilgrims’ pride!// //From every mountainside,// //Let freedom ring!// //Our fathers’ God, to Thee,// //Author of liberty,// //To Thee we sing.// //Long may our land be bright,// //With freedom’s holy light;// //Protect us by Thy might,// //Let freedom ring!//