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As the long line snaked its way toward The Rotunda we got
more and more anxious. We knew what was
in there - the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of
Rights, the Magna Carta, not to mention the incredible artwork and the other important documents
that surround the charters of freedom. The
boys wanted to see them. As we walked up
to the documents, we picked out George Washington's signature, John Hancock's
large, curvy handwriting (so the king wouldn't need his spectacles to read it) and many
other famous men's names. We also saw
the faded paper bearing the Bill of Rights. That particular document prompted an earlier discussion that left me smiling. Here's
what happened...
The day before we went to the National Archives we were
discussing how to write a story. We went
through the different types of stories (fiction and non-fiction), the parts of
a good story, some definitions that they would need to know (like antagonist
and biography), and then we went over the writing process. It includes:
1.
Prewriting - brainstorming
2.
Incubation - letting your ideas rest and grow
3.
First draft - also called a "sloppy copy", which
the boys prefer
4.
Editing - making sure you said what you meant to
say, checking for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors
5.
Writer's workshop/response - get someone else's opinion and suggestions
6.
Revision - change anything that you think would
make your story better and rewrite it
7.
Evaluation - comes in many different forms: your
grade, classmates' opinions, publishers' opinions, etc.
8.
Publishing - submit your finished work to be
published
As we approached the National
Archives, I was talking with my youngest son about what he would see inside -
the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. He knew of the first two, but wanted to know more about the Bill of Rights. "Well, after
the Constitution was drafted," I explained, "the founding fathers thought they
might want to add a few things to make sure that everyone agreed on some basic
rights that weren't specifically talked about in the Constitution."
"Oh, I get it," he nodded. "Editing."
Try this fun activity: Add your
name to the Declaration of Independence
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In March of 2008 our family of four (plus 1 dog) hit the road for a yearlong tour of the United States,
focusing on American History.
Come with us!
Through this website we’ll pass along how we homeschool on the road and
specifically what we’re learning about American history. In our newsletter we'll provide lesson plans and activity suggestions
so that you can learn along with us! 
We're excited to be able to partner