You may not be able to take your class to see Ft. McHenry, the birthplace of our national anthem, but using video clips, your learners can see the site for themselves. A curated collection of videos discusses the writing of the anthem in the 19th century, as well as its long history until it became America's national anthem in 1931. Additional clips feature a tour of the Smithsonian exhibit about the song. 

Concepts

the star spangled banner, the war of 1812, francis scott key, american history, museums, fort mchenry

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Use clips of Ft. McHenry tour to supplement instruction of the War of 1812
• Offer the playing of the national anthem as a way to stimulate discussion on anthems and the role they play in American culture

Classroom Considerations

• Create a free C-SPAN Classroom account or the use of the following login credentials: Username: students, Password: C-SPANCLASSROOM to use the videos
  

Pros

• Clips offer details history of a point of curiosity for many pupils
• Videos give context to the War of 1812 and its causes and effects

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.6-8.1 RH.6-8.2 RH.6-8.4 RH.6-8.6 RH.6-8.10 RH.9-10.1 RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.4 RH.9-10.6 RH.9-10.10 RH.11-12.1 RH.11-12.2 RH.11-12.4 RH.11-12.6 RH.11-12.10