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Chesterfield County School District

Excellence in Academics, Arts & Athletics

America250

The word 'AMERICA' is above the number '250' in a patriotic design.

 

On July 4, 2026, our nation will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The journey toward this historic milestone is an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.

America250 is striving for “350 by 250” — our goal to engage all 350 million Americans by our nation’s 250th anniversary. Join us in celebrating America’s Semiquincentennial by sharing your story through Our American Story or America’s Invitation, inviting students to describe what America means to them as part of America’s Field Trip, or helping make 2026 a record setting year for volunteer service through America Gives.

Resources

  • 1. The "Community Time Capsule" Project

    Goal: To capture what life looks like at the 250-year mark for those living at the 300-year mark.

    • For Teachers: Have students write letters to students in the year 2076. What are the biggest challenges today? What are our greatest strengths?

    2. "Hidden Histories" Walking Tour

    • Goal: To move history out of the textbook and onto the sidewalk.

    • For Teachers: Assign students a local landmark or an "unsung hero" from the community’s past. Have them research the site and write a 2-minute "audio guide" script.

    3. The "Living Constitution" Debate Series

    Goal: To understand how the founding documents are interpreted today.

    • For Teachers: Host a "Constitutional Convention" in the classroom. Assign students roles as historical figures and have them debate modern issues (like digital privacy or voting access) using the logic of the Bill of Rights.

    • 4. "Ancestors & Architects" Genealogy Workshop

      Goal: To bridge the gap between personal family history and national history.

    • For Teachers: Have students interview an elder or a long-term resident about a major historical event they witnessed. Create a "Living History" wall in the school hallway.

    For the Community: Partner with local genealogical societies to host workshops. Help residents find where their own family stories intersect with the American timeline—whether their ancestors arrived in 1620, 1820, or 1920.

    5. The "Revolutionary Art" Gallery

    Goal: To express civic identity through creativity.

    • For Teachers: Ask students to redesign the American Flag or a state seal to represent the next 250 years. What symbols would they include to represent unity and progress?

    6. Creative Arts and Crafts

    • "The 250-Inch Mural": Have kids work together to create a long paper mural. Every inch represents one year of history. They can draw one thing they love about their community in a specific "year" block.

    • Design a New "Unity Stamp": Give them a blank stamp template. Ask: "If you had to design a stamp that shows how we all get along, what would it be on it?"

    • Future-Me Postcards: Kids write a postcard to a child living in the year 2076 (the Tricentennial). They can draw their favorite current toy or food so kids in the future know what 2026 was like.

    7. "Junior Historian" Activities

    • The "History Hunt" Interview: Provide a simple 3-question script for kids to interview the oldest person they know (a grandparent or neighbor).

      • Question: "What is the biggest change you've seen in our town?"

    • Then & Now Scavenger Hunt: Give them photos of old objects (like a rotary phone, a quill pen, or a horse and buggy) and have them find the modern version in their house or classroom.

    8. Civic Action (Small Scale)

    • 250 Acts of Kindness: Create a classroom or family "Kindness Jar." Every time a child does something helpful, they add a red, white, or blue marble. The goal is to hit 250 before the 4th of July.

    • The "Great American Recipe" Book: Have kids bring in a recipe that is special to their family's heritage. Compile them into a digital PDF for the webpage to show the "flavors" of America.

    9. Active Play

    • 1776 vs. 2026 Games: Teach them games from the 1700s (like "Graces" with hoops, or Marbles) and compare them to their favorite video games today.

    • Birthday Card for America: Use a large piece of sidewalk chalk to draw the world's biggest birthday card on the school playground or a local park path.

       

     

     

     

     

  • The Story of America Video Series

  • Essential Primary Source Hubs

    • National Archives: DocsTeach The "gold standard" for teachers. It provides thousands of primary sources (letters, maps, photos) specifically organized into ready-to-use classroom activities about the American Revolution and founding documents.

    • Library of Congress: "It’s Your Story" Under this 250th-anniversary theme, the LOC has digitized Thomas Jefferson’s rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and launched "By the People," a crowdsourced transcription project where students and community members can help transcribe historical diaries and letters.

    • National Park Service: Teaching with Historic Places Includes a dedicated "Field Guide for the 250th" with inquiry-based lesson plans that use actual historic sites (synagogues, battlefields, and homes) to tell a more inclusive story of liberty.

    Specialized Educator Tools

    • PBS LearningMedia: The American Revolution Collection A robust collection of short videos and interactive maps. It’s perfect for visual learners, featuring clips on "unsung heroes" like Elizabeth Freeman (who sued for her freedom) and the role of various ethnic groups in the war.

    • Smithsonian Learning Lab: Cultivating Learning Offers "Learning Labs" specifically designed for the 250th. Teachers can create their own digital "collections" of artifacts to share with students or the wider community.

    • iCivics: Roadmap to 250 If your focus is on how history affects modern law and government, iCivics offers games and lesson plans that help students understand their "civic superpowers."

     Community & Local History Resources

    • AASLH: Making History at 250 Field Guide The American Association for State and Local History created this specifically for small towns and local historical societies. It’s the best resource for learning how to connect your local town history to the national 250th story.

    • America250.org: Our American Story The official national site. Their "Our American Story" initiative allows community members to record and upload their own oral histories, creating a modern record of American life.

    • Native Knowledge 360° (Smithsonian NMAI) Essential for ensuring the "past events" section of your site includes the perspectives and histories of Indigenous peoples before, during, and after 1776.

    South Carolina

  • How to Make a Tricorn Hat

    How to Make a Quill Pen

    Historic Coloring Pages

    The Midnight Ride of Jane Thomas Activity Quest

     

    Elementary SC250 Lesson Plans

     

    Middle SC250 Lesson Plans

  • Graphic Novels: American Revolutionary War in SC

  • Little-Known Stories of SC

Facts About the Revolutionary War

  • South Carolina was the site of over 400 battles, skirmishes and events during the Revolutionary-era, the second most in the United States.

  • In 1775, Colonel William Moultrie was tasked with creating a flag for his troops. He selected the blue from the South Carolina militia’s uniforms, which were dyed with indigo – today’s official state color.

  • Built from palmetto tree logs, sand, and clay, Fort Sullivan was able to withstand cannon fire from British ships during the Battle of Sullivan’s Island on June 28, 1776. The palmetto trees absorbed cannonball impacts, rather than splintering and shattering. Less than a week later, the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the fort’s name was changed to Fort Moultrie in honor of its commander, Colonel William Moultrie.

  • The best soldiers could reload a Revolutionary-era musket in 20 seconds.

  • Charleston’s own tea party happened a full 13 days before the Boston Tea Party. Rather than dump it in the harbor, the tea was sold to fund the Revolution.

  • One-third of all Revolutionary War casualties were in South Carolina.

  • South Carolina had the Revolutionary War’s bloodiest battle, the Battle of Eutaw Springs, on September 8, 1781.

  • 80% of battle casualties were caused by edged weapons.

  • African Americans and Native Americans in South Carolina fought on both sides of the Revolutionary War, as Patriots and as Loyalists.

  • British and Loyalists evacuated Charleston in December 1782 prior to the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the war in 1783, recognizing the 13 American colonies’ independence.