United States Symbols First Grade By Rachel Horen Featured Selection: Easy Reader Biographies: Betsy Ross: The Story of Our Flag by Pamela Chanko Scholastic Teaching Resources 2007 Betsy Ross is given credit for making the first flag of the United States. Betsy and her husband owned an upholstery shop that was dependent upon her sewing skills. In 1776 Betsy was asked by George Washington to make the first flag of the United States. The flag was to have thirteen stripes (red and white) and thirteen stars in a blue square on the upper left hand corner that represent the thirteen colonies. Related Materials Liberty Lynn Curlee. Aladdin, 2003. Provides many details about the construction of Lady Liberty and her presentation to America. One of the greatest symbols for immigrants to the United States. The United States Cookbook: Fabulous Foods and Fascinating Facts From all 50 States Joan D Amico. Jossey Bass, 2000. This book contains recipes unique to each state and facts about each food and state. Such foods are symbols of the state in which they come from so in a way these foods are symbols of America. Uncle Sam and Old Glory: Symbols of America Delno West. This book contains fifteen symbols of the United States. Some are common and well known like the American Flag and the Statue of Liberty others are more subtle such as the log cabin and the buffalo. America the Beautiful Katharine Bates. Little, Brown and Company, 2004. The illustrator of this book adds amazing pictures to the original poem by Katharine Bates. The book gives a great visual to the things mentioned in the poem/song. Stories of Our American Patriotic Songs John Henry Lyons. Vanguard Press, 1942. Provides the stories about many of our patriotic songs and where/why they originated. This book is important because it explains why some songs that are classified as patriotic are so important. The Children s Book of America William Bennett. Simon & Schuster, 1998. Contains short histories of important events and songs in United States history. Adds other important things to the lesson of symbols by giving histories of important events. Stars and Stripes: The Story of the America Flag Sarah L Thomson. HarperCollins, 2003. This book has illustrations and short text descriptions of the history and development of our flag. The flag is the most well known symbol of the United States. F is For Flag Wendy Cheyette. Grosset and Dunlap, 2002. Our flag means many things: unity, a welcome sign, democracy, hope, etc. This book states many of the meanings the United States greatest symbol stands for.
The Great Seal of the United States Norman Pearl. Picture Window Books, 2006. This book explains how the seal of the United States came to be, what it is used for and why it is still important. Yet another symbol of importance to the United States. The American Eagle Lynda Sorensen. Rourke Publishing, 1994. Learn all about the Bald Eagle and see pictures of the great bird. The Bald Eagle is an important symbol of the United States. Standards Social Studies: 1.1.3 Identify American Songs and Symbols Language Arts: 1.2.7 Relate Prior Knowledge to What is Read Objectives 1. After the introductory lesson students will correctly identify the United States flag 100% of the time. 2. After the unit students will be able to explain correctly how the flag of the United States came about when asked 4 out of 5 times. 3. After rereading information about U.S. symbols students will portray their assigned symbol in a drama with 100% accuracy. 4. At the completion of this unit students can explain what the stars and stripes of the American flag represent with 95% accuracy. 5. After this unit students will be able to identify at least 2 symbols of the United States 100% of the time. Unit Plan Prereading: Birth of our Flag. Whole group story telling. Each student will share with the class why they think our flag is designed they way it is and who thought of it. The class will sit in a circle for this sharing activity. This activity gets the students thinking and questioning about where our flag came from and what it means/stands for. Musical hot potato. Whole group. Gross Motor. Find little replicas of U.S. symbols from the trade books and have the class sit in a circle. Pass the symbols out and make sure to have at least one less than the number of students. Play patriotic songs randomly stopping the music. While the music is playing the students must pass their objects around the circle and when the music stops the student(s) who does not have an object must leave the circle. Remove one of the passing objects and continue play. Repeat until only one student is left. Music.
Reading: During reading take pauses to create the first flag and add on to make it our current flag. Have a reasonable size piece of felt to represent the flag. Have red and white felt stripes, a blue felt square, and felt stars that can all be added to the first piece of felt to create a flag. When stopping points are reached in the reading, or when the teacher feels appropriate, pick students to put pieces of the flag on the felt to create the flag of the early United States. Choose students who might not be paying attention to come up and create the flag. Whole group for reading (chorus reading). Social Studies. Divide class into partners. Assign each pair an excerpt from one of the trade books explaining a symbol of the United States. The teacher needs to simplify the passage as necessary. The partners must read their excerpt and share with the class what they learned about their symbol. Walk around and listen to the students read and ask groups if they have any questions about the reading or their presentation. Responding: After listening to all the pairs in the class share their symbols ask students to choose their favorite symbol to write about. Students can explain the symbol, write a story about that symbol, explain why that symbol is their favorite, etc. Papers will be turned in when finished and assessed to see if students explained the symbol or if they wrote a story about the symbol was it correctly portrayed. Journal Entry. Individual. After reading the focus book for a second time have students write a journal entry about they think of when they see the United States flag. Check journal entries for understanding of what the flag stands for. Exploring: Lady Liberty science. Individual. Talk about the Statue of Liberty and explain how she is made of copper and used to be recognizably so until the salt water from the ocean turned her green. Inform the class that you are going to do a science experiment to see how long it takes copper to turn green. Have students hypothesize before experimenting. Give each student a piece of copper (can be a strip or even a penny). Each student should also have an empty baby food jar that you will pour a salt water solution into. Students will drop their copper into the salt water and set their jars in a designated place. Each day reserve some time to check on the experiment and monitor the progress and hypotheses. Drama. Small group. Divide the class into groups. Either assign each group a symbol or allow the group to choose a symbol. The group needs to make a skit involving each member of the group and focusing on their symbol. The skit can be about whatever the group wants as long as it somehow relates to their symbol. Teacher should make time to visit each group checking to make sure students are on task and answer any questions they have. Cooking. Math. Small group with a parent helper. Each state has a food that it is known for. The class will be divided into groups and a parent helper will be with each group. Each group will make a food from one of the states to share with the class at the picnic. Utilization of math skills in measurements and cooking times.
Applying: Recreate symbols of the United States. Individual. Have students pick their favorite symbol that they were introduced to through the readings. Let them recreate that symbol using whatever materials they want. Encourage them to be creative. Bring in several things that can be used and encourage students to bring things from home. Have students write a couple of sentences about their symbol to explain the display. Teacher should look to see if symbol is accurately portrayed and that they sentences correctly describe the symbol. Write a song about the United States. Individual, partner or small group. After having talked about patriotic songs of the United States give students a chance to make their own song. Tell students you would like them to make a new song about the United States. They can take parts of already made songs and add to them or they can completely make up their own. The song should reflect something the students have learned about the symbols of the United States and the history of such. Day 1 Flag story telling Day 6 Read about symbols of the United States Share Begin work on drama Day 2 read focus book make felt flag Day 7 Review symbols Symbol quick write Lady Liberty science Meet with drama groups Day 3 musical hot potato story of Yankee Doodle (introduction to patriotic songs) Day 8 Present drama s to the class Begin art project Day 4 Exploring patriotic songs Make new song Day 9 Finish art projects Day 5 Reread focus book Quick journal entry Make a class flag (whole group, with student s pics for stars) Day 10 State food picnic and art show
Name 1. Flag Story Telling 2. Read Betsy Ross book 3. Play Musical Hot Potato 4. Create New Song 5. Journal Entry 6. Made Flag with the Class 7. Symbol Quick Write 8. Lady Liberty Project United States Symbols Unit Checklist 9. Act out Drama What was your group s symbol? 10. Art Project What is your art project? 11. Picnic 12. Art Show