7월 4일 미국 독립기념일(The Fourth of July, America's Independence Day) 은 초,중,고 학생들이 여름방학중이라 그역사적 의미와 중요성을  학생들이나 학부모들이 7월 4일 당일 잘 새기지 않는듯 합니다. 

여행, fireworks, picnic, 바비큐나 해먹으며 놀기만 하는것 보다는 초,중, 고 자녀들에게 The Fourth of July, American Independence Day 에 대해 공부해서 간단히 발표해보라고 하는것은 어떨까요?   Declaration of Independence (독립선언문) 도 읽고,  Frederick Douglass 의  "What to the American is the Fourth of July?"(7월 4일 독립기념일은 미국인에게 어떤 의미가 있는가? ) 를 어른들도  읽어보세요. 

E-book 으로 "The Meaning of Independence day" (미국 독립기념일의 의미)도 읽어본뒤 미국독립기념일 (7/4) 과 한국해방기념일 (8/15)의 역사적 중요성 (historical significance) 를 비교,대조하여 비슷한점 (similarities), 다른점 (differences)을 분석해서 작문을 지을수도 있겠습니다. 

Books on the 4th of July:

1. The Declaration of Independence: The Words that Made America by Sam Fink

2. Stars and Stripes: The Story of the American Flag by Patricia Pingry

3. The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh

4. Apple Pie Fourth of July by Janet Wong

5. (For High School Students) Born on the Fourth of July by Ron Kovic 
(영화도 나왔음)

19세기 (1819-1891) 의 미국시인 James Russel Lowell 의 July 4th Independence Day에 대한 아래와 같은 시도 읽어볼만합니다. 

 I. Our fathers fought for liberty,

They struggled long and well,
History of their deeds can tell—
But did they leave us free?

II.

Are we free from vanity,, America's 
Free from pride, and free from self,
Free from love of power and pelf,
From everything that’s beggarly?

III.

Are we free from stubborn will,
From low hate and malice small,
From opinion’s tyrant thrall?
Are none of us our own slaves still?

IV.

Are we free to speak our thought,
To be happy, and be poor,
Free to enter Heaven’s door,
To live and labor as we ought?

V.

Are we then made free at last
From the fear of what men say,
Free to reverence To-day,
Free from the slavery of the Past?

VI.

Our fathers fought for liberty,
They struggled long and well,
History of their deeds can tell—
But ourselves must set us free.