Lesson Plan #: AELP-USH0199

American Flag

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan

Submitted by: Meghan Quinlan
Email: mdqst2+@pitt.edu

Date: September 22, 1999

Grade Level(s): 6, 7

Subject(s):

Duration: 45 minutes

Description: Students will learn about the American Flag and the woman who made the first official American Flag.

Goals: Students will gain meaningful information about the American Flag.

Objectives:

  1. Students will be able to name the colors of the flag and explain what they represent.
  2. Students will be able to state that there were 13 original colonies and that there are 50 states.
Materials: Procedure:

Anticipatory Set:
Ask the students if they recognize the American Flag. Ask the students what the flag means to them. Tell the students that they will be learning about the American Flag and the woman who was in charge of sewing the first official American Flag. Also, tell the students that they will be making their own flags at the end of the lesson.

Continuation of Lesson:
Begin by teaching the meaning of the stars and stripes to the students. Explain that the stars stand for the 50 states; show a visual of the 50 states of America. Also, explain that the stripes stand for the original 13 colonies; show a visual of this. Read the colonies names aloud with the students. Explain to the students what the colors on the flag symbolize:

red - valor and hardiness
white - innocence and purity
blue - vigilance, perseverance, and justice
Have the students explain what each of the above words mean. After the students define the words themselves, write the words on the board and define the words. Have the students orally read the definitions of the words, and ask them to describe instances where these terms can be used appropriately.

Closure:
Introduce Betsy Ross. Give background information on Betsy's life and why she became responsible for sewing the first official flag of America. Show a copy of the flag that Betsy made and compare it to the current flag.

Assessment: Tell the students that they will be creating their own flags. Have the students pick three colors of their choice to construct their flags. However, they must have a reason for choosing these colors. For example, they can choose yellow for happiness or pink for love. Next, have the students choose two to three symbols to put on their flags. For example: shamrocks -- because their family came from Ireland. Encourage creativity! Have the students share their flags with the class, and they can explain to the class why they chose certain colors and what their symbols represent.