Key points:
Whenever a national historical event or celebration occurs, questions inevitably arise about the nation's history, why we celebrate the holiday, how different traditions were formed, and what lies behind the celebration.
Although the classrooms are closed, these TED-Ed Lessons Explore a bit of the nation's history as it relates to Independence Day.
The TED-Ed platform allows educators to create lessons based on any original TED-Ed, TED Talk, or YouTube video. Once you find the video you want to use, you can use the TED-Ed lesson editor to add questions, discussion topics, and additional resources.
If you're already thinking ahead to the 2024-2025 school year, you may want to use these TED-Ed lessons to give your brain a break, introduce new learning units, or incorporate a fun and engaging conversation into your classroom.
1. The oddities of the first US electionHow did George Washington become the first president of the United States in 1789? Who decided (or voted for) who would be president, and how did they decide who would be the winner? Kenneth C. Davis reveals the surprising story behind America's first presidential election.
2. Why do Americans vote on Tuesdays?Since 1845, Americans have voted on Tuesdays, but why? In this humorous talk, Jacob Soboroff shares the history of Election Day and shows how voting on Tuesday affects voter turnout.
3. What you may not know about the Declaration of IndependenceIn June 1776, just over a year after the start of the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress of the United States met in a steamy Philadelphia hall to discuss independence. Kenneth C. Davis examines some of the lesser-known facts about the process of drafting the Declaration of Independence and questions one highly controversial omission.
4. The Creation of the American Constitution:How did a meeting meant to revise the Articles of Confederation lead to the new U.S. Constitution? Find out how a handful of men, sitting in sweltering heat and shrouded in secrecy, changed the course of American history in 1787.
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