1. Text Set: Social Studies SOL 3.11
Emily Andrukonis, Courtney Guy, Catalina Moore

2. Social Studies SOL 3.11
The student will explain the importance of the basic principles that form the foundation of a republican form of government by a) describing the individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and equality under the law; b) identifying the contributions of George Washington; Thomas Jefferson; Abraham Lincoln; Rosa Parks; Thurgood Marshall; Martin Luther King, Jr.; and Cesar Chavez; c) recognizing that Veterans Day and Memorial Day honor people who have served to protect the country’s freedoms, d) describing how people can serve the community, state, and nation.

3. Recognizing our individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and equality under the law

4. I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin Jr., Michael Sampson
Average Readability grade level : 8.5
Grade level: 1-4
Classroom use:
Read aloud used in the beginning of the year to teach what we are saying during the pledge
This is a harder readability because of the lengths of sentence, but it is something they read everyday, but don’t know what they are really saying
It has lots of pictures and cues for the students to understand the text
Martin, B. Jr. Sampson, M. (2002). I pledge allegiance: The pledge of allegiance: With commentary. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

5. People Who Have Worked to Defend our Rights

6. Who Was George Washington? By Roberta Edwards
Lexile: 720 L
Grade level: 3 – 5
Classroom use:
Use first as a read- aloud and/or have available in the classroom for independent reading
Use when discussing citizens who have defended rights, Mount Vernon, presidency, and/or the military.
Edwards, R. (2009). Who was george washington?. Penguin.

7. Who Was Thomas Jefferson? by Dennis Brindell Fradin
Lexile: 680 L
Grade level: 3 – 5
Classroom use:
Use first as a read-aloud and/or have available in the classroom for independent reading
Use when discussing citizens who have defended rights, The Declaration of Independence, presidency, music, inventions, farming, architecture and/or the slavery.
Fradin, D. (2003). Who was thomas jefferson?. Grosset & Dunlap.

8. The Declaration of Independence by Elaine Landau
Lexile: 780 L
Grade level: 3 – 5 (4.6)
Classroom Use
Use first as a read-aloud and/or have available in the classroom for independent reading
Use when discussing Thomas Jefferson and The American Revolutionary War.
Landau, E. (2008). The declaration of independence. CT: Children's Press.

9. Abe Lincoln at Last! by Mary Pope Osborne
Lexile: 470 L
Grade level: 2 – 5
Classroom use:
Independent Reading
Use when discussing citizens who have defended rights, presidency, and/or the military.
Osburne, M. (2011). Abe lincoln at last!. Random House Books for Young Readers.

10. Who Was Abraham Lincoln? by Janet B. Pascal
Lexile: 720 L
Grade level: 3 – 5
Classroom use:
Use first as a read-aloud and/or have available in the classroom for independent reading
Use when discussing citizens who have defended rights, presidency, farming, “rags to riches,” the Civil War, and/or the military.
Pascal, J. (2008). Who was abraham lincoln?. Grosset & Dunlap.

11. I am Rosa Parks by Rosa Parks
Lexile: 520 L
Grade level: 3 – 5
Classroom use:
Use first as a read-aloud and/or have available in the classroom for independent reading
Use when discussing citizens who have defended rights, segregation, equality, boycotts, and/or the Civil Rights Movement.
Parks, R. (1999). I am rosa parks. Penguin Young Readers.

12. A Picture Book of Thurgood Marshall by David Adler
Lexile: 860 L
Grade level: 3 – 5
Classroom use:
Use first as a read-aloud and/or have available in the classroom for independent reading
Use when discussing citizens who have defended rights, the courts, government, and/or equality.
Adler, D. (1999). A picture book of thurgood marshall. Holiday House.

13. Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? by Bonnie Bader
Lexile: 750 L
Grade level: 3 – 7
Classroom use:
Use first as a read-aloud and/or have available in the classroom for independent reading
Use when discussing citizens who have defended rights, equality, boycotts, segregation, and/or the Civil Rights Movement.
Bader, B. (2007). Who was martin luther king jr.?. Grosset & Dunlap.

14. Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport
Lexile: 410 L
Grade level: 1 – 4
Classroom use:
Use first as a read-aloud and/or have available in the classroom for independent reading
Use when discussing citizens who have defended rights, equality, segregations, feelings, and/or the Civil Rights Movement.
Rappaport, D. (2007). Martin's big words: The life of dr. martin luther king, jr.. Hyperion Book CH.

15. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull
Lexile: 800 L
Grade level: 1 – 3
Classroom use:
Use first as a read-aloud and/or have available in the classroom for independent reading
Use when discussing citizens who have defended rights, civil rights, protests, migrants, and/or farming.
Krull, K. (2003). Harvesting hope: The story of cesar chavez. HMH Books for Young Readers.

16. Days that honor people who have served to protect the country’s freedoms

17. Memorial Day by Christian Ditchfield
Lexile: 900 L
Grade level: 3 and up
Classroom Use:
Read aloud for 3rd grade as an introduction to the holiday and why we celebrate it
Keep it in classroom library for students to look back at information and pictures
Ditchfield, C. (2003). Memorial day. Danbury, CT: Children’s Press.

18. Veterans Day by Rebecca Rissman
Lexile Score: 460
Grade level: Preschool and up
Classroom use
Read aloud to introduce what Veterans day is
Great pictures and visuals
Have a discussion afterwards about why the day is important and how we can celebrate it
Classroom library for independent read because it is below their grade level
Even though it is under grade level, they will still get the main ideas about Veterans Day
Rissman, R. (2010). Veterans day. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.