July 4 is Independence Day! One of its most famous symbols is the giant cracked Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, PA. The bell stands 3 feet tall and weighs over 2,000 pounds! It was made in the year 1753 and rang in July 1776, the day the Declaration of Independence was read to the crowds for the first time. Sadly, the bell cracked in 1846, so no one rings it anymore. But you can bet that when it rang, it was loud.
Wee ones: Who’s taller, you or the 3-foot-tall Liberty Bell? Find out your height!
Little kids: The clapper — the stick that bangs the inside of the bell to make a ding — swings back and forth to hit both sides, making 2 dings. If you tug on the bell twice and each tug makes 2 dings, how many dings do you hear? Bonus: To ring the bell at 12 noon, how many times do you tug the rope to make 12 dings?
Big kids: Even the bell’s clapper is pretty heavy: 44 pounds! How much more do you weigh, or how much less? Bonus: What would weigh more, your 3,500-pound car or 2 of those 2,000-pound bells?
Answers:
Wee ones: Different for everyone…find out if you are at least 3 feet tall!
Little kids: 4 dings. Bonus: 6 shakes.
Big kids: Different for everyone…subtract 44 from your weight in pounds, or vice versa. Bonus: The 2 bells weigh more, at 4,000 pounds.
And a big thank-you to Soraya S. for sharing this idea and the photo!
