click here to Chapter 7 activity

Hi, fellow Americans! It’s Chloe. It’s probably no surprise that my brother is in the doghouse. When Woody saw the Scottish Terriers at the Capitol, he had to say hello! Being the friendly little guy he is, he meant no harm. He was surprised when two men in suits stopped him in his tracks. They introduced themselves as the Secret Service and explained their job was to protect the president and his family. They searched Woody’s backpack, questioned him and then returned him to mom and dad. You could tell by the look on Woody’s face that he was so relieved to be back with his family. Woody apologized to everyone and explained that he just wanted to say “Arff” to his fellow canines. The Secret Service accepted his apology. They explained they would not formally punish Woody, but instructed him to always pay attention to the rules. Woody thanked the men and apologized once again. The men left and Woody began to cry. (Don’t tell him I told you!) We hugged Woody and told him we loved him, and then mom and dad told Woody he would have to pay the consequences. He must memorize The Pledge of Allegiance and “The Star-Spangled Banner. ”I told Woody I’d let everyone know he was OK and that the incident had not landed him in jail! 

Though I was sorry Woody was in trouble, I was happy to share what I’ve learned while visiting Washington D.C. I had learned so much about our founding fathers, but what about our founding mothers? Being a girl, I knew there must be some ladies that helped shape America. I asked mom, confident she would know. She gave me information on many exciting women. I learned about Martha Washington – the first First Lady of the United States.  I also learned about Abigail Adams. Like Mrs. Barbara Bush, Mrs. Adams was the wife of one president and the mother of another.  I loved reading about Dolley Madison, the wife of James Madison.  According to history, Mrs. Madison was very pretty and very smart. During the War of 1812, she was planning a dinner party when the British invaded D.C. She had to leave the White House, but not before she packed up a painting of George Washington, the Declaration of Independence, and her pet parrot! My favorite story though was about Betsy Ross. Legend has it that Betsy Ross sewed the first official American flag. According to Mrs. Ross, three men – one of whom was George Washington – came to her house one day in 1776 and asked her to sew the very first American flag.  (George Washington was not yet the President, but a General in the Army.)  Betsy knew George Washington since they attended the same church. In addition, she had sewn ruffles on his shirts. Therefore, he knew she was a great seamstress.  General Washington showed Betsy a design of a six-point star.  History says that Betsy took her scissors and cut a five-point star in one single snip. Amazed, the men changed the design from a six-point to five-point star and gave her the job! The first flag had 13 white stars on a field of blue and 13 red and white stripes – 13 representing the colonies. Since then, the flag has changed to include 50 stars – one for each state, yet the 13 stripes remained unchanged.

I love seeing the American flag fly in schools, public buildings and even our own front yard. Mom and dad have always taught us that every time we see the flag we should remember our freedom and be thankful that we live in the greatest country of all! Because it represents America, mom says we always need to treat it with respect by not letting it touch the ground, not letting it stay in the rain, and even standing to salute it during the Star Spangled Banner and Pledge of Allegiance. 

I was inspired. Girls could do important things, too! I realized everyone’s job is equally significant. I also realized I wanted to learn to sew. (This could be tough since mom never lets us use sharp scissors.) I was thrilled when she said she would give me some sewing tips. Who knows? Maybe I’ll sew something that makes the fashion magazines. So, my friends, goodbye for now. Mom is waiting with a spool of thread! Hopefully Woody will be out of the doghouse next week! In the meantime, take a minute to observe the flag and be thankful for our freedom – and, in the words of my brother, “Work and dream like a big dog!”

CHLOE

Thanks to LG&E/KU both E.ON companies and KPA for making this project possible. Thanks to the Kentucky Secretary of State for sponsoring the new podcast. For podcast and questions and activities go online to www.kypress.com.