#3467. What America Means to Me

History, level: Elementary
Posted Wed May 4 15:54:06 PDT 2005 by Lynn Petronella (athlette@fastq.com).
Athlettes, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Materials Required: Crayons, paper, stars
Activity Time: 1 hour
Concepts Taught: History Lesson on Teaching America

HELLO,
I'M A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER AND WAS AN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL TEACHER FOR YEARS. I WAS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A WAY
TO TEACH FLAG DAY AND FOURTH OF JULY AND I FINALLY FOUND
A GREAT WAY TO DO THAT.

HISTORY, LEVEL: ELEMENTARY
MATERIALS REQUIRED: CONSTRUCTION PAPER (RED, WHITE, YELLOW AND BLUE) AND
GLUE.
ACTIVITY TIME: 30 TO 45 MINUTES.

THIS ACTIVITY IS FUN AND WILL TEACH ABOUT AMERICA ESPECIALLY ABOUT FLAG DAY
AND THE FOURTH OF JULY. THE CHILDREN WILL MAKE A COLONIAL FLAG AND IN THE
PROCESS LEARN ABOUT HISTORY.

1) CUT IN ADVANCE 2 inch STRIPS OF WHITE, AND RED PAPER, 3 of each color
per student.

2) CUT IN ADVANCE BLUE RECTANGLES 8 x 10 in size and one per student.

3) CUT IN ADVANCE 2 INCH SQUARES OF THE YELLOW PAPER AND ALLOCATE 13 PER
STUDENT. YOU CAN EITHER PRECUT THE STARS OR HAVE THE STUDENTS CUT THE EDGES
INTO STARS.

4) ASK THE STUDENTS TO ASK ONE ANOTHER WHAT FREEDOM MEANS TO THEM AND WRITE
ANSWERS ON THE STARS. THEY NEED TO HAVE 12 ANSWERS WRITTEN ON 12 STARS. ONE
STAR IS FOR THEIR OWN ANSWER.

5) ASK THE STUDENTS TO GLUE THE 13 STARS ONTO BLUE RECTANGLE. THEN GLUE
RECTANGLE ONTO A LARGER WHITE PAPER WITH THE STRIPS TO THE SIDE.

6) AFTER THE STUDENTS HAVE ASSEMBLED THEIR OWN FLAG DISCUSS WHY ONLY
THIRTEEN STARS AND THE MEANING OF EACH ANSWER.

7) THEN YOU CAN READ TOGETHER, What Freedom Means To Me, A Flag Day Story,
BY HEATHER FRENCH HENRY, CUBBIE BLUE PUBLISHING INC.
This book helps students learn about Betsy Ross and about the flag as Claire
makes a colonial flag and writes on the stars what freedom means to 12
people.

8) This can also be done for the Fourth of July and at the end of the
lesson, the students can read, Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Jellybeans,
An Independence Day Story, Heather FRENCH HENRY
This book helps students learn about the declaration of independence and
that with freedom comes responsibility.

THESE BOOKS ARE GREAT TOOLS AS THEY ALSO HAVE THE HISTORICAL FACTS IN THE
BACK. BUT IT'S THE FIRST TIME I SEE A CHILDREN'S BOOK THAT IS BOTH
EDUCATIONAL AND MAINSTREAM!

THANKS,
LYNN/AZ

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