Free Civics Studies Lesson 16: America's Marvels

Material and intellectual marvels and America’s growth.

Read the current chapter online: “America’s Marvels and America’s Station.”

Suggestions

Learn more about the Statue of Liberty.
Copy “The New Colossus,” the poem written by Emma Lazarus that adorns the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
View New York Harbor.
Sing the patriotic songs mentioned:
- “Star-Spangled Banner“
- “Yankee Doodle“
- “Battle Hymn of the Republic“
- “America“
Learn more about each one of these songs by using the resources below.
Review the importance of the World’s Fair at Chicago.
Learn more about Cicero and why he might be considered “a man who knows it all and knows just how to tell it.”
Compare the National Debt at the time the book was written (1894) to the National Debt figure today. What percent increase is this over time?
Classify the “marvels” listed in the book into the two groups the author has conceived: man’s invention and God’s handiwork. Create a t-chart showing the lists:
- Brooklyn Bridge.
- Eads Jetties.
- Pennsylvania mining.
- Masonic Temple at Chicago.
- Great geysers.
- Niagara Falls.
- Yosemite Valley.
- Mammoth Cave.
- Mountain of the Holy Cross.
- St. Elias Peak.
- Wrangell Peak.
- Mt. Ranier.
- Mt. Shasta.
- Pike’s Peak.
- Declaration of Independence.
- Constitution.
- Emancipation Proclamation.
- Telegraph.
- Telephone.
- Yellowstone Park.
- Sewing machine.
- Great Lakes.
- Ericsson’s Monitor.
- Mississippi River.
- Pacific Railway.
Read Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan.”
The Shakespearean quote is from Hamlet. Learn more.
Narration: What is considered “real Patriotism” by the author as described on pg. 243?
Read the entire poem by Woodberry, “Our First Century.”
On pg. 246 the author exposits on “America’s station,” enumerating facts that show America’s increase in stature in the world. Bring the figures up to date by creating a chart that shows the figures stated for 1800, the figures stated for 1900, and the figures today:
- Number of inhabitants.
- Geographical distance covered.
- Total area.
- Number of states.
- Production and trade.
- Number of children.
- Number of immigrants.
Copy the “Golden Rule” on Drawing & Writing paper and illustrate.
If you are keeping a Latin notebook, add libertas et natale solum (liberty and my native land).
Look back over each of the lessons. Choose the thing that most impressed you. Narrate.

Learn more about one of the marvels of America:

The Statue of Liberty, a colossal figure representing Liberty Enlightening the World, was designed by a French sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a native of Alsace, and was presented to the people of the United States as a gift from the people of France. The statue is on Bedloe’s Island, or Liberty Island, in New York Harbor. It was unveiled in 1886, the majestic figure of a woman holding aloft in her right hand the torch of liberty. In her left arm she carries a tablet bearing the date of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. The statue is 151 feet high. The top of the torch stands over 300 feet above the sea. The weight is 450,000 pounds. Forty persons can stand in the head, reached by a winding stairway.

The statue is made of copper plates over an iron and steel frame. The torch, usually lit up at night, is glass.

“Wonder Questions” from The Book of Knowledge

Additional Resources

Statue History
The engineering, the island, and the preservation.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Statue of Liberty
From the National Park Service.

The Immigrant’s Statue
More from the National Park Service.

Activities

Deconstructing History: The Statue of Liberty
(You may want to install an ad blocker before viewing.)

Statue of Liberty
Fascinating video from The History Channel.

Statue of Liberty Unveiled
View the painting by Edward Moran.

Torch Cam
View the world from the torch, or the crown, or simply view the harbor from the Statue of Liberty.

Books

The Star-Spangled Banner illustrated by Peter Spier
We love Peter Spier books. In this title, the words of our national anthem are beautifully illustrated with scenes from the War of 1812. Also contains background history and map, the original text penned by Key, and the words and lyrics to our national anthem. Highly recommended!