What is the American Flag? History and Meaning of Our Flag
Updated: 2 days ago
Grade Level: K-2
Duration of Content Video: 6 minutes, 9 seconds
Duration of Musical Video: 1 minute, 26 seconds
Themes:
Geography of the United States
American Revolution
History of the American Flag
Music: National Anthem
Art
US History
Photo by Danne via Pexels. Free to use under the Pexels license.
Description:
In this fun lesson, students are introduced to the American flag. Namely, what each symbol on the flag means, and what the original flag looked like at the time of the American Revolution. The lesson includes an engaging video, paying attention to key words while listening to The Star-Spangled Banner, and an art activity to build students’ appreciation of our cherished national symbol.
Lesson Plan:
🎯 OBJECTIVES (SWBAT)
Identify the American flag as a national symbol of the United States.
Explain what the stars, stripes, and colors of the American flag represent.
Compare the first American flag with the modern American flag.
Recognize that the original United States consisted of 13 colonies (states) and that the country now has 50 states.
Pay attention to key vocabulary ("flag" and "banner") while listening to "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Create artwork comparing the early American flag with today's American flag.
🧰 MATERIALS:
Teacher Sheet 1: Maps of the United States (Digital or paper copy for the teacher)
Teacher Sheet 2: Flags of the United States (Digital or paper copy for the teacher)
Smart Board or computer with projector
Content video: What is the American Flag? History and Meaning of Our Flag
Musical video: Star Spangled Banner Video - THE KIBOOMERS Preschool Songs for Patriotic Holidays
Poster board for each student
Markers (or crayons) for each student
📋 LESSON FLOW
Hook
Ask students:
What city do we live in? What state do we live in? What country do we live in?
Using your Smart Board, click on this link: Teacher Sheet 1: Maps of the United States, or print it and show the class today’s map of the United States.
Say:
This is a map (or a picture) of the United States. Our state is here. (Point to your state on the map).
Ask students:
Can you name some other states?
Take a guess, how many states are there in the United States? [50]
Background
Ask:
A long time ago, when the United States started as a brand-new country, do you think it had all FIFTY states? [No!]
Using your Smart Board, click on this link, Teacher Sheet 1: Maps of the United States, or print it and show the class the colonial map of the United States.
Say:
This is a picture of how many states America had when it was just a baby country. At that time, Americans won a war against England because we did not want the King of England to rule us anymore. The war was called, the “American Revolution.”
Write the words “American Revolution” on the board.
Ask:
How many states did the United States have when it was just a beginning country? [13]
Before Watching the Content Video
Using your Smart Board, click on this link: Teacher Sheet 2: Flags of the United States, or print it and show the class the picture of the American flag.
Say:
This is the American flag. It is very important to Americans.
Ask:
How many stars are on this flag? [50] Why do you think there are 50 stars? [One star for each of the 50 states.]
Using your Smart Board, click on this link: Teacher Sheet 2: Flags of the United States, or print it and show the class the picture of the Colonial Flag.
Say:
This was America’s FIRST flag when it was a baby (young) country.
Why do you think there are only 13 stars on it? [Represents the original 13 colonies/states.]
Say: We are going to watch a video about the American flag. As you watch the video, try to remember why it is red, white, and blue. We will discuss it afterwards.
Show the Content Video
Show the content video: What is the American Flag? What is the American Flag? History and Meaning of Our Flag
Discussion After the Content Video
Why does today’s American flag have 50 stars?
Why does the American flag have 13 stripes?
What do these colors on the flag mean to us?
[Red: Bravery, courage. White: Being good and honest. Blue: Justice, doing the right thing.]
What did the first flag of the United States look like? Why did it only have13 stars?
Where do people hang up the American flag today?
What does the American flag mean to you? [For a lot of people, it means Freedom!]
Musical Video Time
Say:
When America won the American Revolution, the war against England, Americans wrote a song to celebrate our freedom and our flag. It’s called “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
A “banner” is another name for “flag,” and “Star-Spangled” means “decorated with stars.”
Say:
I’m going to play America’s special song (our national anthem) – “The Star-Spangled Banner.” As you listen to the music and the words of the song, raise your hand when you hear the words “banner” and “flag.” Are you ready?
On the Smart Board, play this musical video: Star Spangled Banner Video - THE KIBOOMERS Preschool Songs for Patriotic Holidays
Teacher, be sure to raise your hand with the students when the song uses the words “flag” and “banner.”
Say: Great job raising your hand when you heard the words “flag” and “banner!”
Art Time
Using your Smart Board, click on this link: Teacher Sheet 2: Flags of the United States, or print it and show the class the picture of the American flags.
Say:
Here is a picture of the early American flag and what the flag looks like today.
Hand out posters and markers to each student.
Ask students to fold the poster in half. On the left side, they will draw the early American flag, and on the right side, they will draw today’s American flag.
Hang up these posters in the classroom. After a month or so, allow students to bring these drawings home.
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