Today we reviewed George Washington, both as commander of the Continental Army and as the first President, the 13 colonies, and Washington, DC as the nation's capital, including the idea that the District of Columbia is not a state. We then moved to the Declaration of Independence, its purpose, its authorship by Thomas Jefferson, and some of its key phrases ("all men are created equal," and "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"), along with the significance of July 4, 1776. Ayden was shown a list of the signers and the colonies whom they represented, so he could see that each of the colonies had its own representatives. Ayden was instructed to write the following items on paper: Washington, DC, District of Columbia, 13 colonies, and Declaration of Independence. He did so. We had a good day.