Patriotism: Day Five

Field Trip!!!

Ideally, this unit would be taught around the 4th of July, so the field trip could involve attending a parade, barbecue, fireworks display, or other patriotic event.

Other ideas include:

• putting flags on graves at the cemetery
• going on a flag hunt to locate flags around town
• visiting a musuem which displays something about US history
• Washington D.C. or other historical sites
  

Patriotism: Day Four

More Flag Activities

• Entire Patriotic Theme from Mommy Nature

• Song: Red, White, & Blue (Tune: Farmer in the Dell) Red, white, & blue. Red, white, & blue. The flag of American is red, white, & blue.

• Flag sorting Game

• AMERICAN FLAG PICTURES: For each of your children, glue or tape a small American flag party pick onto a piece of construction paper. (Or attach an American flag sticker.) Set out crayons or markers. Then invite the children to draw pictures on their papers that incorporate the flags. Use their pictures to make a wall or bulletin board display, if you wish.

• PERSONAL FLAGS: Cut felt into rectangles about 6 by 9 inches each. Set out collage materials, such as felt and fabric scraps, yarn, ribbon, lace pieces, and rickrack. Invite your children to choose felt rectangles and glue on the collage materials any way they wish to create personal flags. When they have finished, staple each flag to a paper towel tube for a handle.

• SHAPE FLAGS: From various colors of construction paper, cut out squares, rectangles, and triangles to use as flags. Divide a large piece of paper into three sections and draw a set of flagpoles in each one. Label one section with a square, one with a rectangle, and one with a triangle. Then let your children work together to glue the "shape flags" on the flagpoles in the proper sections.

• FLAG MATCHING GAMES: Make ten flags by stapling or taping small index cards to craft sticks or drinking straws. Decorate the flags in one of the ways below and let your children use them for a matching game. (Number Flags: Draw numerals from 1 to 5 on five of the flags and sets of matching numbered dots or stars on the other five flags. Color Flags: Draw five different colored circles on five of the flags and matching colored circles on the other five flags. Picture Flags: Attach five different picture stickers to five of the flags and matching picture stickers to the other five flags.)

• FLAGS IN THE WIND: Give your children scarves to use for flags. Play music and invite them to dance around the room, waving their scarf flags in the air. Vary the tempo of the music to represent winds ranging from gentle breezes to stormy gusts.
  

• WAVE, WAVE, WAVE OUR FLAGS: Tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"

Wave, wave, wave our flags,
Wave them oh, so high.
Wave our colors back and forth
As we go marching by.

Invite your children to wave their Personal Flags, above, as they sing and march around the room

• FLAG SNACKS: Let your children use one of these ideas to turn crackers into "flags." Use thin celery sticks for flagpoles: Spread softened cream cheese over triangle-shaped crackers. Use carrot sticks or red bell pepper strips for decorations; cover graham crackers with peanut butter. Decorate with raisins, nuts, or strips of fruit roll-ups.
  

Patriotism: Day Three

Independence Day--Fourth of July
Celebrating the USA!!!

Children will learn about our country and that we celebrate our Independence Day on July 4th.

Learning Activities:
(from First-School)

Read a book about Independence Day and go over a simple history of the United States.

You could get ideas from Ben Franklin's Guide for Kids here.


Activity #1: United States Symbols The Eagle, and The Great Seal of the United States

1. The Bald Eagle - United States National Symbol:

The craft features the national bird and the national flag colors: red, blue and white.
1. Here is a friendly Ben Franklin with a simple presentation of the bald eagle.

2. The Great United States Seal - United States Government Symbol Ages 4.5+
The Great United States Seal is an important government symbol and it features the bald eagle prominently. We can acquaint the children with it, and as they grow expand on the meaning and significance of all of the elements in it.

Here is a depiction and explanation of this symbol -- at Ben's Guide to the United States Government - it is written for grade levels 3-5 so select a few elements and adjust to the age group. The introduction is well suited to provide a basic explanation.

Here is are coloring pages of both sides of the The Great Seal obverse side and reverse side courtesy of the U.S. Printing Office.

The bald eagle's appearance is powerful and compelling to children. They can appreciate how majestic it looks soaring and flying free in the sky.
Activity #2: Bald Eagle Printable Crafts

Patriotic Bald Eagle Craft - (easy ages 3+) and learning activities:

Patriotic Bald Eagle Paper Bag Puppet Craft - (ages 5+) and learning activities:

1. Skills that can be addressed with these craft activities: colors, numbers, shapes, small motor skills (scissor, cutting and assembly)

Activity #3: Alphabet Letter E is for Eagle Activities

Review and present letter E eagle theme alphabet lesson plan activities

Activity 4: Additional Activities with Eagle Coloring Pages:
Have children glue dark color craft feathers to the wings and chest of an eagle coloring pages. Optional: Add a wiggly eye. Color beak and legs yellow or orange. Write the letter E e and the word eagle prominently in the border before distributing.

Activity #5: Online Jigsaw Puzzle: Bald Eagle
Here are two 6-piece online puzzles. To increase the number of pieces click on the SHAPE button.
The puzzles are effective to develop problem solving skills.

Patriotism: Day Two

I Pledge Allegiance

Purpose: Children will learn the Pledge of Allegiance and how to show respect for the flag.

Read I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin, Jr.



Talk about why we say the Pledge of Allegiance and what it means. Teach children to show respect during the pledge by:
standing quietly
removing hats
placing hands over hearts
reciting the pledge.

Display a flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. Say the Pledge, having children follow. Even if children don't learn it right away, through role-modeling and consistency, they will! Now, you can start each day by reciting the pledge.

Additional Activities:

• Learn the Pledge of Allegiance in sign language.
• Sing patriotic songs, marching with the flag.
• Flag color pages.
• Learn the Pledge of Allegiance song.
  

Patriotism: Day One

F is For Flag

Adapted from lessons from First School.


Purpose: Introduce young children to the importance of a national symbol, the United States flag.

Read a book about flags such as: Stars and Stripes: The Story of the American Flag by Sarah L. Thompson.


Activity #1: What is a flag? What does a National Flag represent?
Display a flag picture of point out pictures from books.

*Ask the children: "What is a flag?"
A flag is a piece of cloth, in the shape of a rectangle or triangle, with colors, and designs. Flags are used for signaling or as symbols of a country or organization.

*Every country has a national flag. A national flag represents a country’s citizens. When you are the citizen of a country is like being part of a team and you work together to take care of the country. A country is like a big home with many rooms and in each room are families and individuals living in communities. You can expand on how "the big rooms" are states, with "smaller rooms" called counties and sections called towns and cities.

*Sing: "You're a Grand Old Flag"


Alphabet Activity: Alphabet Letter F is for Flag

Print the F flag coloring page.

* Finger and Pencil Tracing:
Trace letter F's in upper and lower case with your finger as you also sound out the letter. Invite the children to do the same on their coloring page (first presentation) or handwriting practice worksheet.
Encourage the children to trace the dotted letters with your choice of sharpened crayon, fine tip marker, coloring or regular pencil and demonstrate the direction of the arrows and numbers that help them trace the letter correctly. During the demonstration, you may want to count out loud as you trace so children become aware of how the number order aids them in the writing process.

*Find the letter F's: Have the children find all the letter F's in upper and lower case on the page and encourage them to circle or trace/shade them first. Visit each child to make sure they have identified the letter F's and then discuss the locations with the poster.

Coloring Activity: Encourage the children to color the image in the coloring page or worksheet.

Print this American Flag Coloring Page.

Here are some important facts about the American flag that children should understand. Discuss these facts while children color the flag pages:

1. Shapes > Identify that the flag is a rectangle. Two long sides and two short sides. Have children trace with their finger the long sides and short sides in the template.
2. Colors and counting > Discuss that red, white and blue are the national colors. Have children count the thirteen stripes. Identify that seven are red and six are white.
3. The blue rectangle houses 50 white stars for each state. Show a map of the states and locate the state where you live.
4. Tell the children they will decorate and add the stars > choose painted fingerprints or star stickers (silver stars are easy to locate). Add only 13 fingerprints for the first colonies or add up to 20 to fill up the blue space.




Additional Activities:

• Pull out a real American Flag for children to look at/play with. Talk about the colors, the stripes, the stars, the shape, etc.
• Make a "flag" by tying a piece of cloth or a towel to a dowel or wooden spoon. Have children wave the flag as you sing "You're a Grand Old Flag."