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Social studies activity

Pennsylvania's Story: Liberty Bell, William Penn & Independence Hall

The Liberty Bell cracked the very first time it was tested! It was sent all the way from England, then as soon as workers rang it — CRACK! It had to be melted down and recast twice. Then it cracked again in 1846 while ringing for George Washington's birthday. The most famous symbol of American freedom has been broken almost its whole life. Let's make one!

Hands OnAbout 25 minutesScreen-freeParent help expected

Materials and setup

How this changes by age

Pre-K (ages 3–4)

The Liberty Bell cracked the very first time it was tested! It was sent all the way from England, then as soon as workers rang it — CRACK! It had to be melted down and recast twice. Then it cracked again in 1846 while ringing for George Washington's birthday. The most famous symbol of American freedom has been broken almost its whole life. Let's make one!

Difficulty 1 of 3

Steps

  1. Look at a picture of the Liberty Bell. Find the famous crack — it goes right up from the bottom!
  2. Cut a bell shape from yellow or gold paper.
  3. Draw a crack down the middle with a dark crayon — make it look like a real crack, jagged and uneven.
  4. Write or trace the word 'LIBERTY' on your bell.
  5. Ask: 'If your bell cracked, would you fix it or keep it with the crack? Why?'

Learning objectives

  • Wonder at the fact that the Liberty Bell cracked almost immediately and has been broken most of its existence
  • Notice the specific crack in the bell and ask why something broken can still be important
  • Connect the idea that symbols can be imperfect and still meaningful

Kindergarten (ages 5–6)

Here's something amazing about the Liberty Bell: it cracked the very first time workers rang it, all the way back in 1752. It was recast twice, then cracked again in 1846 while ringing for George Washington's birthday. The bell that became America's most famous symbol of freedom has been broken almost its entire life. Maybe that's not a flaw — maybe a cracked bell that kept trying is the most honest symbol of all. Pennsylvania is also where ENIAC — the first electronic computer — was built at the University of Pennsylvania in 1945. It was so big it filled an entire room! Draw the bell's story!

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Fold paper into three sections to make a story strip.
  2. In section 1, draw the brand-new bell arriving by ship from London, England in 1752. Add workers ready to ring it for the first time.
  3. In section 2, draw the bell cracking with a loud CRACK! Add surprised faces.
  4. In section 3, draw the cracked bell on display today, with people coming from all over the world to see it.
  5. Write or dictate under each picture. Under section 3, write: 'Even broken, it still means _____.' Fill in the blank.

Learning objectives

  • Retell the Liberty Bell's story: arrived 1752, cracked immediately, recast twice, cracked again 1846
  • Explain that a cracked, imperfect object can still be a powerful symbol
  • Reflect on what 'liberty' means and why a broken bell might represent it honestly

Early elementary (ages 6–8)

Pennsylvania is called the 'Birthplace of America' — and it really is. The Declaration of Independence was debated and signed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 1776. The US Constitution was written in the same building in 1787. And Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog in the world, has been predicting the weather from western Pennsylvania every February 2nd since 1887! Pennsylvania is also where the first computer (ENIAC) was built in 1945 — it filled an entire room and weighed 30 tons. Map these events and connect the Liberty Bell's crack to the big ideas that came out of Philadelphia.

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Draw an outline map of Pennsylvania. Label Philadelphia (southeast), Punxsutawney (central), and Pittsburgh (southwest).
  2. Mark Independence Hall in Philadelphia and write: '1776 — Declaration of Independence. 1787 — US Constitution. Same building, 11 years apart.'
  3. Mark the University of Pennsylvania and write: '1945 — ENIAC, first electronic computer. Filled an entire room!'
  4. Draw the Liberty Bell with its crack. Write the year of each crack: '1752 — first crack. 1846 — second crack. Still famous.'
  5. Write 2–3 sentences: What do these Pennsylvania inventions have in common? What big problems were people trying to solve?

Learning objectives

  • Identify Independence Hall as the location of both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution
  • Recall surprising facts about Pennsylvania: ENIAC, Groundhog Day, the Liberty Bell's cracks
  • Write sentences connecting founding ideals to later innovations using Pennsylvania examples
  • Sequence Pennsylvania's major events and identify what connects them

Upper elementary (ages 8–10)

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was 272 words. His speech before it — by Edward Everett, considered America's greatest orator — was 13,607 words and lasted two hours. Lincoln spoke for two minutes. The next day, Everett wrote to Lincoln: 'I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours, as you did in two minutes.' The Gettysburg Address redefined what the Civil War was about — from 'preserving the Union' to 'finishing the unfinished work' of human equality. That reframing changed American history. Pennsylvania is also where ENIAC — the first true electronic computer — was built in 1945, and where William Penn founded one of the most tolerant colonies in the early Americas in 1681. What does it mean that so many world-changing ideas came from one state?

Difficulty 3 of 3

Steps

  1. Read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address carefully. Find the three things Lincoln says the living must do: dedicate, consecrate, hallow the ground. Then notice he says 'we cannot' — and shifts to what the living must do instead.
  2. Research the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863): why it was a turning point and what Lincoln's visit to dedicate the cemetery four months later meant.
  3. Research William Penn's 'Holy Experiment' in Pennsylvania: his policy of buying land from the Lenape people rather than simply claiming it, his friendship with the Lenape, and how Pennsylvania became known for tolerance.
  4. Analyze Lincoln's specific word choices: he said 'Four score and seven years ago' — going back to 1776, not 1789. Why? He used 'all men are created equal.' Who was excluded in practice?
  5. Write your own address (8–10 sentences) for a cause that still has unfinished work. Model Lincoln's structure: honor the past effort, define what it stood for, call others to complete the work.
  6. Discussion question: Lincoln's speech was two minutes long. Edward Everett's was two hours. What does that tell you about what makes a powerful argument?
  7. Ben Franklin started a print shop in Philadelphia and published Poor Richard's Almanack, which sold around 10,000 copies a year at about 5 cents each. Calculate the yearly revenue. Design a modern kid almanac — what would you put in it, what would you charge, and how many do you need to sell to earn $500?
  8. The Liberty Bell cracked because of a flaw in the casting. Melt crayon 'metal' into a small mold (ice cube tray) to see how casting works. Draw the bell and label the yoke, crown, lip, and clapper. Then design one change to the mold that could have prevented the crack.

Learning objectives

  • Analyze the Gettysburg Address as a rhetorical reframing of the Civil War's purpose — from Union preservation to equality
  • Research William Penn's founding of Pennsylvania and his unusually respectful approach to Native peoples
  • Evaluate Lincoln's word choices and the gap between the ideals he invoked and the reality of the time
  • Write an original commemorative address that identifies unfinished work and calls others to complete it

Safety and evidence note

Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.

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