Together, these clips explore the idea behind the Statue of Liberty and the inspiration for its creation, including a discussion of the meaning behind the symbols included within the Statue of Liberty. Accompanying discussion questions and teaching tips encourage students to explore the creation of the Statue of Liberty in particular, and the purpose of national symbols and monuments in general. It may be helpful to view these clips alongside the written biographies of Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi and Édouard de Laboulaye, Frenchmen who provided the idea for and designed the Statue, which are included as Background Reading.

About the Support Materials Author:

David Olson teaches at James Madison Memorial High School in Madison, WI. Beyond teaching AP U.S. Government and Politics, Criminal Justice, and other Social Studies courses David helps spread his passion for civic education by serving on the iCivics Educator Network, the Teacher Advisory Board for the National Constitution Center, and the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies (WCSS) Executive Board. In 2017, David was chosen as the WCSS High School Teacher of the Year and as a PBS Digital Innovator and Innovator All-Star in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, David was awarded the WCSS Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2020, David was named to the National Humanities Center Teacher Advisory Council and he was awarded the Outstanding Voter Service Award from the League of Women Voters of Dane County.