Education Programs – Activities and Contests For Schools and Scouting

Programs and Activities about Colonial/Revolutionary History And Patriotism

The Sons of the American Revolution was started by a group of men who, after the 1876 Centennial, thought it would be appropriate to document and record the stories of their Revolutionary War ancestors and the events in which they were involved. These efforts lead to the establishment of an organization with goals to foster Patriotism, perpetuate our American Heritage, and retain and expand historical records of the American Revolution.

In keeping with these objectives, the Sons of the American Revolution sponsor projects to bring about an awareness of the American Revolutionary spirit and a sense of patriotism to students in our educational system. The programs for all age levels are shown below and programs specific to grade levels are part of this packet.

* A CD entitled “American Heritage” that contains shareware covering lesson plans for educators of elementary, middle, and high school levels who teach American History, Georgia History and/or character education.

* Presentations by members of the Sons of the American Revolution dressed in the Continental Army Uniform are available when requested by Special Program coordinators or teachers at the school. The presentations cover people and events associated with the Declaration of Independence and other activities of the Colonial and Revolutionary period and concentrate on Georgia’s participation.

Currently the majority of our programs are in Elementary Schools in the 4th or 5th grades where American History is taught

We also participate in the Middle School level during Georgia Heritage Day programs

Programs can be developed for High School students if any school systems are interested

In addition to school classroom programs, we have an expanded series of presentations for adult groups interested in this historical period. These programs cover a wider range of information on people and events of the time. These presentation can be made available to teachers and other educational groups, if requested.

* A Poster Contest is open to Elementary School students of the 4th or 5th grade (where American History is taught). A theme is selected by a committee of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution each year and distributed nationally. Students are asked to research the Revolutionary theme and create a poster depicting the theme event. School representatives judge posters from each class and SAR members judge the selected classroom posters to determine the school winner. The sponsoring Chapter of the SAR judge school winners and the Chapter winners are judged at the Georgia Society’s State Convention. The state winner is then judged at the National Congress. Monetary awards are given to the winners at the chapter, state and national levels.

* The Knight Essay Contest is open to High School students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grade. Students research material on American History for an essay theme that focuses on an Event, Person, Philosophy, or Ideal associated with one of three events: 1) American Revolution, 2) Declaration of Independence or 3) the United States Constitution. The essay is to be 800 to 1000 words with annotated references. Along with the essay, the student is judged on his/her overall participation in school and civic areas. Winners are selected at school, chapter, state, and national levels with Monetary Awards at each level.

* The JROTC program is an annual program to select the JROTC cadet who exemplifies the “Citizen Soldier”. The “Minuteman” of the American Revolution was the first “Citizen Soldier” and was the equivalent of our current National Guard. The “Citizen Soldier” Award is given to the cadet who exemplifies the military persona of the Revolutionary War Minuteman or member of the militia of the time.

A second program for an Enhanced JROTC Award is also an annual event. This award is given to JROTC cadet selected by his senior instructor as the “Citizen Soldier” who will prepare a 500-word essay that tells how the JROTC program enhances his/her citizenship. The winners of the Enhanced JROTC Award are selected at the chapter, state, and national levels, with monetary awards given at each level.

* Another program for High School students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grade is the Joseph S. Rumbaugh Oration Contest. The subject material is the same as for the Knight Essay Contest. A manuscript of the oral presentation must be submitted, and the oral presentation must be between five and six minutes in length and must be essentially the same as the manuscript. Notes and props may not be used in the presentation. Winners are selected at the chapter, state and national levels, with monetary awards given at each level.

These programs are offered to students and teachers in Public, Private, Parochial, and Home Schools in the following levels of schooling:

Elementary Schools

• Classroom presentations
• Poster Contest

Middle Schools

• Classroom presentations
• Georgia Heritage Day

High Schools

• Classroom presentations
• Knight Essay Contest
• JROTC Awards
• Rumbaugh Oration Contest
• Good Citizenship Award