Famous U.S. Symbols

Robin Zelinski&

Jennifer Morrow

EDE 417

Table of Contents

Pg. 3 Introduction to slides

Pg. 4-7 History, Activities, Websites

Pg. 8-11 People in Societies, Activities, Websites

Pg. 12-15 Geography, Activities, Websites

Pg. 16-20 Economics, Activities, Websites

Pg. 21- 24 Government, Activities, Websites

Pg. 25- 28 Citizenship, Activities, Websites

Pg. 29- 32 S.S. Skills, Activities, Websites

Famous U.S. Symbols

• 2nd Grade

• The students will learn about the:• Liberty Bell• Great Seal• American Flag• Mount Rushmore• Pledge of Allegiance

History

• The students will learn about the following areas:

• Chronology• Daily Life• Heritage

Flag Facts

• 13 stripes• 50 stars• Red=valor and

bravery• Blue=vigilance,

perseverance, and justice

• White= purity and innocence

• Stars are considered a symbol of the heavens and the stripes symbolize a ray of light from the sun

• First official flag came about in 1777

• Has gone through many changes since then

History Activities• Students will document

on a timeline each year a change was made to the U.S. Flag. We will talk about what adding a star to the flag meant

• Students will do a webquest on the making of the flag. They will write in their journal about how the flag was made in 1777, versus how it would be made today.

• Students will create a “flag” and document facts they learn about the flag during the lesson

History Activities (continued)

• Students will examine pictures of the different US flags and note their similarities and differences

• Students will create a flag and put into words in their journals what the colors of the flag means to them.

• Students will learn how to properly fold the flag

History Websites

• Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government• http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/flag.html

• Betsy Ross’s Homepage• http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/

• Fact Monster for Kids• http://www.factmonster.com/spot/flagday.html

• History of the U.S. Flag• http://www.usflag.org/

• Flag Rules and Regulations• http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html

People in Societies

• The students will learn about:

• Cultures • Diffusion

People in Society Activities

• The students will take a poll of teachers in the school to see whether or not they think Betsy Ross sewed the first flag

• The students will research, using books and computers, the myth surrounding Betsy Ross.

People in Society• Students will dress in

period costume and tell the story of the making of the flag (Teacher will have costumes available)

• On a five sided star the students will create an acrostic poem using the flag

• Discussion on what it was like to live 225 years ago. Make a Venn diagram comparing how it was alike and different from today

Websites

• Education World Lesson Plans• http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson267.shtml• Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government-Flag• http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/flag.html• History of the American Flag• http://www.usa-flag-site.org/history.shtml• PBS for Educators of the Flag• http://www.pbs.org/americaresponds/theamericanflag.html• VA Kids• http://www.va.gov/kids/k-5/multicontent.asp?intPageId=

8

Geography

• The students will learn about:

• Location• Places and Regions• Human Environmental Interaction

Mount Rushmore Facts

• Location: Black Hills, South Dakota

• Created by Gutzon Borglum

• Faces are between 50-70 feet high

• 4 presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Lincoln

• Began drilling in 1927• Took 14 years to

complete by Gutzon’s son

• 800 million pounds of stone were removed

• Workers had to climb 506 steps each day to the top

Geography Activities

• Students will look at a map, and map the distance from their home to the Black Hills in South Dakota

• Students will create a diagram that compares the similarities and differences between South Dakota and the state they live in.

Geography Activities• Students will go outside

and try to measure out 50-70 feet, using whatever measures necessary (This was the height of the faces)

• We will discuss as a class, why John Borglum was not able to carve from the head to the waist (CLUE: this was due to the granite being to crumble) Brainstorm as a class and make a bar graph of the different ideas

Websites for Mount Rushmore

• South Dakota Tourism• http://travelsd.com/placestogo/rushmore/• Ben’s Guide to Mount Rushmore• http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/mountru

shmore.html• National Park Service• http://www.nps.gov/moru/• American Park Network• http://www.americanparknetwork.com/parkinfo

/ru/• Enchanted Learning• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/

symbols/index.shtml

Economics

• The students will learn about:

• Scarcity and Resource Allocation• Production, Distribution, and

Consumption• Markets

Liberty Bell Facts

• Bell was ordered from London, England

• Had a crack in the bell from shipping

• Weighs 2000 pounds

• 70% copper & 30% tin

• Liberty Bell was recast several times in order to make the ring sound “right”

• Liberty Bell was removed from Independence Hall in 1777 for safe keeping during the war

• Liberty Bell is gently rung on July 4th each year

Economics Activities

• We will discuss the differences in price between 1751 and present day

• Foundry workers created the Liberty bell. There will be a discussion about the role of machinery today versus hand-made

Economics Activities• The U.S. bought the

Liberty Bell from London. We will examine different types of money i.e. American, English and other types (have real examples if possible)

• The class will make a chart of services that you normally pay for and those that are free

Economic Activities

• The Liberty Bell was melted down several times, using different metals. The students can determine if this made the price of the bell go up or down. (opinion-based, depending on the age of the children)

Economic Websites• The Liberty Bell• http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/libertybell.html• Liberty Bell Museum• http://www.libertybellmuseum.com/activities.htm• Liberty Bell-Enchanted Learning• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/monuments/liberty

bell/• U.S. History• http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/• Liberty Bell Facts• http://home.att.net/~honorAmerica/libertybell/history/bellfacts.ht

m

Government

• The students will learn about:

• The role of government• Rules and laws of government

Government Activities• We will read So you want

to be President?

• As a class, we will discuss the role of the President and the rules they have to enforce and follow. Make a chart of rules these particular presidents may have had to follow and how the rules are different from today.

Government Activities• The students will elect a

President for the day, this student will make speeches, enforce rules, get along with people and shake hands with those in the hall.

• Each student will do a webquest on a different president. They will find out their home state and what number president they were. Once information is gathered each student will place their president on a map in the classroom.

• Explain that presidents wear many hats. Each time a student learns an new fact about the presidents job, they will write it on the “President’s Hat”

Websites• Scholastic• http://teacher.scholastic.com/researchtools/articlearchives/

civics/index.htm• 2nd Grade Teaching Site• http://www.orange.k12.nc.us/he/pages/teaching%20inte

rnet/2nd%20grade.html#Government• White House• http://www.whitehouse.gov/• PBS• http://pbskids.org/democracy/presforaday/• Education World• http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson223.sht

ml

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities

• The students will learn about:

• Participation• Rights and Responsibilities

Pledge of Allegiance

• First published in 1892

• Published in the Youth’s Companion magazine

• First published in public schools to celebrate Columbus Day on Oct. 12, 1892

• Received recognition by Congress as an act on June 22, 1942

• The phrase “under God” was added on June 14, 1954

Citizenship Activities• Read America: A Patriotic

Primer by Lynne Cheney

• The students will learn how to display and take care of the U.S. Flag

• Students will look closely at the Pledge of Allegiance and break it down line by line into words that we think it means

Citizenship Activities• Have students vote

which book they would like to listen to today. Explain the concept of voting in a democracy

• The teacher will explain what “citizenship” is, and the students will participate in Citizenship Day! Students will take notice when they see others showing good citizenship in school.

Citizenship Websites

• Memorial Day Activities• http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/may/memorial

_activities.html• The Flag of the United States• http://www.usflag.org/• Betsy Ross Homepage• http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/• Education World Citizenship activities• http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr008.shtml• Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government-Flag• http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/flag.html

S.S. Skills and Methods

• The students will learn about: • Obtaining Information• Thinking and organizing• Communicating information• Problem-solving

Great Seal Facts• Created by Ben Franklin,

John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson

• Approved on June 20, 1782

• Center of Seal=Eagle (National bird)

• Beak holds a scroll that says “E pluribus unum” which means out of many, one; one nation created from 13 colonies

• One claw holds an olive branch and the other claw holds a bundle of 13 arrows; these symbolize power and peace

• Shield with 13 red and white stripes covers the eagle’s breast

• Cloud above the eagles head contains 13 stars which form a constellation

• There is a pattern of 13 on the seal representing the 13 states

Social Studies Skills• Students will work

together in pairs to do a webquest on a symbol of their choice, they will report interesting facts they have found to the entire class

• Students will read about the myth surrounding who actually made the first flag. Was it Betsy Ross or not? They will hold a debate in class, presenting both sides

Social Studies Skills• As a class, we will

determine if George Washington actually cut down the cherry tree

• Students will brainstorm in groups, to determine all of the sources that are available for finding information on a topic, come together as a large group to identify all of their sources

• Students will participate in a quiz bowl, which will be a review of all of the facts they have learned

Websites

• Education World• http://www.education-world.com/awards/past/topics/soc

_sci.shtml• PBS- Liberty• http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/• Symbols of the U.S.• http://www.evergreen.edu/library/GovDocs/symbols.htm

l• Info USA• http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/symbols.htm• AtoZ Kids Stuff• http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/symbols.html