The American Flag

Name: Diana Pyatigorsky                                         

Grade: Third

Subject: Social Studies with Arts Integration

Lesson Title: The American Flag

Materials:

The American Flag Worksheet

“America the Beautiful” song

American Flag

Pencils

Paper

Pre-assessment of Student Knowledge: Students have been immersed in a unit on historical topics and have explored different time periods and cultures. The majority of students are writing and reading fluently. Five students struggle with comprehension.

(B)Students were able to accurately complete a K-W-L chart on life in our nation, state and community.

Standards:

Social Studies

Standard 2:   World History

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

English Language Arts

Standard 2:   Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent.

Objectives:

Students will gain knowledge about the American Flag and the importance of the flag in the school and community.

Procedure

Introduction and Motivation:

Students will start the lesson by saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
Students will brainstorm what they know about the American Flag ,the  meanings of the stripes, stars, and colors of the American Flag.

Direct Teaching

Teacher will lead read aloud of: “America the Beautiful” song
Together read verse 1-2 and then discuss what it means. After the discussion, read verses 3 followed by a discussion and repeat this method for all the verses.
Teacher will initiate a discussion from the worksheet about some laws and regulations about taking care of the flag and why they are important. These laws and regulations can be used when we raise and take down our flag at the school when the students arrive and when it is time for departure.

Some of the laws and regulations we will be discussing are:
The flag is normally put up during sunrise and taken down at sunset, sometimes though when there is a need for a patriot effect the flag can be displayed 24 hours a day.
The flag should not be displayed when weather is bad, unless it is an all-weather flag.
The flag should never be flown with the stars facing to the ground unless the nation is under distress.
The flag should never touch anything beneath it, like the floor. The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always up and free.
When the national anthem is sung and the flag is displayed all people except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with their right hand over their heart.
Teacher will lead read aloud one more time and I will ask them if this song will help them remember what the colors and symbols of the flag represent.

Activities:

Students will return to their desks to review and complete the American Flag Worksheet. They will then draw, label and illustrate the American Flag and write a short journal entry about its importance.

Students will include in the journal entry what the colors and symbols on the flag represent.

Closure:  Students will share-out their illustrations and journal entries.

Assessment-Teacher will assess understanding during conference time and during the share. Ask follow up questions if students are not confident with their explanations. Students will be assessed for their activity participation, their participation as audience members and their working material. Student project work will be reviewed against the rubric.

Diversity: This lesson continues the work of opening a window into a past cultural experience through the use of historical role-play.  Allowing students to role-play and create their own journal entries brings to life the understanding of their own time period in respect to other time periods throughout history.

Differentiation:

Using project-based and creative learning activities, students that struggle with comprehension are able to use their imaginations to show that they understand the content. This lesson also supports concreteness of the topic with the use of pictures and personal narratives.

American Flag Handout

 

The American flag is red, white, and blue.

It has 13 stripes and 50 stars. The stars are white and are located in a field of blue. The stripes are horizontal and are red and white.

Seven of them are red and six of them are white.

The flag is displayed daily from sunrise to sunset in front of schools and government buildings like post offices and libraries. It is displayed with the blue field of stars nearest the staff. The staff is the pole that the flag hangs on. When the flag is displayed on a pole, it should be raised quickly and lowered slowly. On special holidays and occasions the flag is flown at half-staff. Half-staff means the flag is halfway up the pole. When the flag is flown half-staff, it is first raised quickly to the top of the pole and then slowly lowered to the halfway mark. At the end of the day, it is raised all the way to the top of the pole and then lowered slowly. The American flag was adopted in 1777 during the American War of Independence. The American War of Independence was from 1775-1783.

 

B. True or False

1. ________ The American flag has three colors.

2. ________ The red stripes on the flag are vertical.

3. ________ The flag is displayed from sunset to sunrise.

4. ________ Stars on the flag are located in a blue field.

5. ________ Half-staff means the flag is flown halfway up the pole.

America the Beautiful

Words by Katharine Lee Bates,
Melody by Samuel Ward

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
Whose stem impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through
wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man’s avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

 

Rubric for Student Work

Fails to Meet Standard	Approaching Standard	Meets Standard	Exceeds Standard
Relates basic facts about the American Flag	Demonstrates an understanding of basic facts and about the American Flag	Demonstrates an understanding of the basic facts and context of the American Flag	Demonstrates an understanding of the significance as well as the contextual influences of the American Flag
Quality and Effort	Little or no effort put into project and lack of quality.	Student put forth some effort.	Student’s work displays high quality and put forth great effort

Illustration ConstructionIllustration is poorly made. Almost no color used.Illustration is attractive. Some different colors were used.Illustration is extremely attractive. Many different colors were used