• Help students make a personal connection to the text by inviting them to talk about their experiences with Independence Day. Ask them what Independence Day celebrates. Talk about how different nations around the world celebrate Independence Day.
• Hand out Worksheet 1. Have students write a brief description of an Independence Day celebration they remember. They can create a list of things that they did, or they can write a brief narrative about their Independence Day celebration. Tell them that after they read, they will retell the Hoppers' Independence Day celebration and compare their own experience to the text.
• Have students describe their favorite fireworks. Where and when have they seen fireworks?
• Ask students if they have ever been on a picnic. Where did they go? What did they eat?
• If students have read other Hoppers stories, discuss the characters and their previous adventures. Ask for volunteers to retell their favorite Hoppers stories. Point out the roles that Snubby Nose and Grandpa Grizzly play in the stories. 

Preview the Book

• Show students the front and back covers of the book. Have students read the title. Point out the illustrator's name and talk about the illustrations. What do students think might happen in the book?
• Open the book to the title page. Have students look at the illustration. Ask them how they think the Hoppers will celebrate Independence Day.
• Preview some of the other illustrations in the book and elicit predictions about the story. Encourage students to connect their own ideas about Independence Day with what might happen in the book. Tell them that it can help them understand a text if they have had some experience with the subject in real life. 

Set the Purpose
Tell students that they will read the book to see how the Hoppers celebrate Independence Day. As they read, they should think about how they celebrate Independence Day themselves and how the Hoppers' celebration is similar or different.