GenreComprehension

Skills and StrategyText Features

Expository nonfi ction

• Fact and Opinion• Author’s Purpose• Monitor and Fix Up

• Captions

Scott Foresman Reading Street 2.6.2

ISBN 0-328-13310-8

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Suggested levels for Guided Reading, DRA,™ Lexile,® and Reading Recovery™ are provided in the Pearson Scott Foresman Leveling Guide.

by Vita Richman

13310_CVR.indd A-B13310_CVR.indd A-B 11/19/05 11:11:28 AM11/19/05 11:11:28 AM

GenreComprehension

Skills and StrategyText Features

Expository nonfi ction

• Fact and Opinion• Author’s Purpose• Monitor and Fix Up

• Captions

Scott Foresman Reading Street 2.6.2

ISBN 0-328-13310-8

ì<(sk$m)=bddbaj< +^-Ä-U-Ä-U

Suggested levels for Guided Reading, DRA,™ Lexile,® and Reading Recovery™ are provided in the Pearson Scott Foresman Leveling Guide.

by Vita Richman

13310_CVR.indd A-B13310_CVR.indd A-B 11/19/05 11:11:28 AM11/19/05 11:11:28 AM

1. Uncle Sam is a symbol of the United States. Would it be a fact or an opinion if we said he was a good symbol for the country?

2. Reread the section about the Liberty Bell. In your own words tell what you know about this bell and what happened to it after it was made. Draw a web like the one below to show what you have learned about the Liberty Bell.

3. Why do you think the American flag has the nickname “Stars and Stripes”?

4. Why do people celebrate the Fourth of July?

Reader Response

The Liberty

Bell

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Happy Birthday,

America!by Vita Richman

Editorial Offices: Glenview, Illinois • Parsippany, New Jersey • New York, New YorkSales Offices: Needham, Massachusetts • Duluth, Georgia • Glenview, Illinois

Coppell, Texas • Ontario, California • Mesa, Arizona

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Every effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material. The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.

Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the property of Scott Foresman, a division of Pearson Education.

Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd)

Opener: Getty Royalty; 1 Getty Royalty; 3 Getty Royalty, Fotosearch.com; 4 Comstock; 5 Getty Royalty; 6 Getty Royalty, Image Farm; 7 SuperStock; 8 Getty Royalty, Comstock; 9 Image Farm, Getty Royalty, Fotosearch.com; 10 Getty Royalty, Comstock; 11 Comstock; 12 Getty Royalty, Image Farm

ISBN: 0-328-13310-8

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write to: Permissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 V010 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05

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3

What do you imagine when you think about the Fourth of July? Is it the flags waving in the wind? Is it the parade? Or the marching bands? Is it the family barbecue and the fireworks?

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4

The Fourth of July is a great holiday in the United States. It is a birthday party for our country. It is on the day America decided to be free from England. This happened more than two hundred years ago, on July 4, 1776.

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5

The first celebration of the Fourth of July took place in Massachusetts in 1781. Now you can see celebrations all over our country. Bands play. Fireworks light up the sky.

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6

The flag is an important symbol of our country. A symbol is an image used to remind you of something. The flag reminds us of the United States. One of its nicknames is the Stars and Stripes.

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7

Another symbol of our country is Uncle Sam. He wears a top hat, a vest, and a long jacket. He has stars on his hat. His trousers are striped. Sometimes people dress up like Uncle Sam in parades.

This man is dressed as Uncle Sam. People also draw Uncle Sam as a cartoon.

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8

The Liberty Bell is a symbol of freedom. It is in Philadelphia at Independence Hall. The Liberty Bell was made in 1752. It cracked when it was rung for the first time! This bell had to be remade two more times. The last bell was rung for the final time in 1846. It cracked too much to fix.

Liberty Bell

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9

Parades are a big part of the Fourth of July holiday. Marching bands, baton twirlers, baseball teams, and fire trucks may all take part in the parade. Many people cheer at the parade. They also wave flags.

A Fourth of July parade in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA

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10

After a parade, many people have a picnic. Some people have a barbecue in a park or on the beach. Fireworks light up the sky in many towns. The fireworks can be the same colors as the flag: red, white, and blue.

Families eat holiday foods at the park.

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11

Freedom is important for many countries around the world. People in India celebrate their country’s freedom on August 15. Mexicans celebrate freedom on September 16.

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12

For people in the United States, the Fourth of July is a very important date. Many people worked very hard for America to be free. The next time you see a Fourth of July parade, remember what it is all about!

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1. Uncle Sam is a symbol of the United States. Would it be a fact or an opinion if we said he was a good symbol for the country?

2. Reread the section about the Liberty Bell. In your own words tell what you know about this bell and what happened to it after it was made. Draw a web like the one below to show what you have learned about the Liberty Bell.

3. Why do you think the American flag has the nickname “Stars and Stripes”?

4. Why do people celebrate the Fourth of July?

Reader Response

The Liberty

Bell

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