"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America…"

From the look and sound of it one would wonder if there is a plane that does not fly directly over Woodworth Elementary School as it makes its descent on one of America’s busiest ports of entry. As each one eagerly approaches its destination, it is greeted silently by that familiar symbol waving proudly atop the school’s towering flagpole.

"And to the Republic, for which it stands…"

From the ground, one considers those frequent yet brief encounters and wonders what unique messages are transmitted in those red, white, and blue hues as they seem to call out to those onboard. For some, it is the promise of things to come. For others, it is the certainty of returning to that which one knows. And still, others hear only the whisper of dreams which were first betrayed and now, abandoned.

"One nation, under God…"

8:10 a.m. and the morning ritual begins. In the crisp morning air, orderly lines recite their unanimous oath to uphold the incomprehensible gibberish which apparently serves as the password to allow them to gain entry to the warmth and safety of their classrooms.

"Indivisible. With Liberty and Justice for All."

Or at least, the chance to take off this heavy backpack and finally sit down!

It’s America’s Birthday! The first week of July and it is the start of another school year at Woodworth Elementary School in southeast Inglewood. Room Three is abuzz with bright red, white and blue bulletin boards, patriotic wall decorations, and a life-sized Statue of Liberty door mural with the words "Welcome to Kindergarten" splashed across the flowing gown.

Indeed, the excitement and chaos of the first day of school is reminiscent of a scene from Ellis Island as Woodworth’s "new arrivals" pass through the gates which lead away from the world of home and into the world of school. Some arrive doe-eyed and alone carrying what appears to be their only worldly possession: a brightly colored backpack whose use is not quite yet known. Others come clinging apprehensively onto parents with whom we hurriedly exchange pertinent information about registration, schedules, and pick-up time in a nervous mixture of broken English and our broken Spanish. And so begins what promises to be no less of an adventure than those embarked upon by those early entrants to this, the "land of the free."

To ease the transition of our new entrants, we try to connect with them on the familiar theme of a Birthday Party. Acquainting them with the room’s decorations, we point out that they are right on time to celebrate a very special birthday. It is the birthday of the United States of America, the place where we all live: Our home.

"So how many candles will be on the U.S.A.’s cake?" " Well, over two hundred." She’s been "alive" for a long time. "But where did she come from? How was she born? How come she never dies?"

It’s a long story, but an important one. And so begins our American History and Democracy Studies Unit, a teacher-created course in elementary civics.

America Is for Everybody

Most people are a little surprised when they hear that we are teaching an American History and Democracy unit in Kindergarten. However, we wouldn’t dream of starting out our class without it. Our mantra is "America is for everybody!" and our mission is to make it clear to our students that they and their families are no exception.

It is no secret that our students hail from groups that have traditionally been marginalized in America. They are the proverbial "tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to be free" to whom America first extended and then rescinded its open invitation. They are the black and brown who don’t quite fit in with the red, white, and blue, or so they are told explicitly and implicitly. They come to us poised to enter their prescribed roles in the seemingly endless cycle of societal reproduction which our shared teaching philosophy adamantly resists. "America is for Everybody" whether she chooses to acknowledge it or not.

America is pluralism incarnate and regardless of how and when its residents have arrived, it has been established and maintained because of its immense diversity. It has taken the hands, hearts, and minds of many hues to build what continues to be regarded as one of the greatest nations on Earth. We want our Kinders to be aware of that from Day One so that they feel like they have both a stake and a responsibility in the future of this country.

Our own experience as members of two traditionally marginalized groups (women and African-Americans) has led us to the conclusion that the loyalty and sense of responsibility that one feels for her or his country is directly related to the degree to which one feels a part of it. We also know that acts of discrimination that seem to occur under the protection and, at times, promotion of the American flag have caused us to each go through periods wherein we questioned the rationale for patriotism and "allegiance to the flag." It was not until we were made aware of the centrality of our people in the history and development of this country that we understood that our forbearers contributed way too much for us to just abandon it.

After introducing the concept of "America’s Birthday," we question the children about their prior experiences with the Fourth of July and birthday parties in general. How do they celebrate? Whom do they celebrate? Why do they celebrate? This leads us into a discussion of what America is and why we celebrate its birthday. From there, we spend the next month and a half exploring the following sub-themes:

• Where is America? (locating it on a map and a globe, basic geography)
• Early History (first inhabitants & how they arrived, using map and globe for visual support)
• European & African Arrival (Who came? How? Why?, *using student role play & dramatization)
• Colonization (How did America change? How did the first inhabitants & the new arrivals coexist?, *using role play, non-fiction tradebooks, and relevant videos)
• The Move for Independence (What is freedom and independence? What was going on in Europe to cause the colonists to want to "break away?" How did the people show that they wanted freedom?, *using role play, study of the Declaration of Independence and rules, rights, beliefs, student-created "Declarations" projects.)
• Establishing Rules for The New Country (What types of rules were made for America? Who made them up? Why? Were they fair? Did they match with the Declaration? How can rules change? Who can change them?, * using role play, studying the basic of the Constitution, non-fiction tradebooks, relevant videos, choosing and revising rules for the classroom, art projects on the patriotic symbols of America)
• Immigration and Citizenship (What is an immigrant? From where do they come? Why? Who can come to America? Who does America belong to? What is a citizen? What jobs/responsibilities do citizens have? What is voting? *using role play, tradebooks, An American Tale animated movie, creating murals and collages, holding a mock campaign and election between the "Chocolate Chip Cookie Party" and the "Potato Chip Party")
• We close out the unit with a mock campaign and election in which we, the teachers, depict ourselves as candidates from the Chocolate Chip Cookie Party and the Potato Chip Party. We stage a debate and present our best arguments for why our parties should be selected as the representatives (treats) at the culminating class party. The students decide and cast their votes in our in-class polling place. There is always excitement and a sense of pride that accompanies the process and the students begin to see themselves as important agents in the destiny of their country or, at least, the fate of their class party!

We strive to keep the spirit of the American History and Democracy Studies Unit alive throughout the year. Class issues are typically voted on by the students and we try to keep track of local and nationwide elections when they are occurring.

This year, the Kinders used the Presidential Campaign as a basis for a math project to accompany a unit on graphing. The Kinders conducted a poll of first, second, and third grade students to study and compare voter trends across the three grade levels. It was an exciting event and it continues to be in the forefront of their class discussions due to the current controversy over the Presidency. It’s still surprising and pretty gratifying for us to see five year-olds taking such an independent interest in national politics!

A word of caution, though, to any teachers out there who might consider doing similar activities with their Kinders. This type of teaching quickly produces politically savvy students who are aware of their "rights" and the concepts of fairness and justice. In other words, expect to be questioned! It may take a little more effort to implement your plans and ideas, but we feel it’s a small price to have our students begin to realize their big place in the United States of America.

Cicely Morris and Aisha Blanchard teach kindergarten at Woodworth Elementary School in Inglewood.