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Grade 4 Social Studies · World 5: A Young Nation Grows · Level 42
Washington Burns
Locate Washington, D.C., and describe the burning of the Capitol and the White House, and "The Star Spangled Banner".
Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.
What children learn in Level 42
- Washington, D.C., became the nation's capital in 1800. It was built on the Potomac River, between Maryland and Virginia.
- In August 1814, British soldiers marched into the city. Government leaders fled, and the British set fire to the Capitol and the White House.
- Before leaving, First Lady Dolley Madison saw to it that a famous painting of George Washington was saved. Paul Jennings, a young enslaved man at the White House, helped and later wrote about that day.
- Next the British attacked Baltimore. Ships fired on Fort McHenry through the night. A lawyer, Francis Scott Key, watched from a ship.
- At dawn, the American flag was still flying. Key wrote a poem about it, “The Star Spangled Banner.” Set to music, it became our national anthem in 1931.
Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies:
- SS4H3.a — Describe the causes and events of the War of 1812; include the burning of the Capitol and the White House and the writing of "The Star Spangled Banner."
- SS4G1.b — Locate major man-made features of the United States: New York City, NY; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, D.C.; Gettysburg, PA; and the Erie Canal.