Date: March 2, 2003

Grade Level: Kindergarten, 1

Subject(s):

• Social Studies/World History
• Social Studies/Country Studies
• Arts

Duration: 40 minutes

Description: In this activity, students learn how the Canadian flag was created. Students create their own Canadian flag out of construction paper, and then brainstorm other ideas for a Canadian flag.

Goals: Social Studies Curriculum for British Columbia (Kindergarten to Grade 1) :

• Politics and Law: It is expected that students will demonstrate awareness of Canada.

1. Students will demonstrate an awareness of Canada by brainstorming ideas for what the Canadian flag could have been.
2. Students will demonstrate an awareness of the Canadian flag by creating one of their own.

• Canada’s Maple Leaf: The Story of our Flag by A.M. Owens & J. Yealland (1999)
• CD with "O Canada"
• map of the world
• Maple leaf outline (see Internet sites below or create your own)
• white paper
• pencils
• erasers
• scissors
• crayons
• glue

Introduction:
Review with students what they know about Canada. Ask the following questions: What is the name of our country? (Canada) What are the people who live in Canada called? (Canadians) Is Canada a big or small country? (big) Who can show me Canada on the map? (hold up a map and have a student point to where Canada is) What is the national animal of Canada?

Body:
Sing "O Canada" with the students, reinforcing proper protocol for singing the national anthem (hands at sides, no fooling around, don't use a silly voice, etc.) Have one student demonstrate how to stand. Discuss the Canadian flag. Ask students if they know the colours of the flag or what is on the flag. Tell the students the story of how we got our flag. (Read Canada’s Maple Leaf: The Story of our Flag .)

Brainstorm ideas that students would have submitted to the government if we were creating our flag now. Pass out a sheet which contains a Maple leaf outline. Have students colour the Maple leaf. Then students cut out the Maple leaf and paste it onto a piece of white paper. Next students should colour a red stripe on both sides of the paper, creating their own Canadian flag. If students finish this, they may then get a piece of white paper and draw what they would have submitted as their idea for the Canadian flag.

Closure:
Gather the students together on the carpet and display a few of the ideas that students created for what the Canadian flag could have been.

Assessment: Observation will be done by the teacher to ensure that students are on-task. This is an introductory lesson, so no content material will be tested.

Useful Internet Resources:
* Single Maple Leaf
http://www.first-school.ws/images/craft/animals/turkeymaple2bw.gif

* Three Maple Leaves
http://www.first-school.ws/images/craft/misc/mapleleavesbw.gif

* Small, Medium, and Large Maple Leaves
http://www.dltk-kids.com/t/canada/bpot.html

* The National Flag of Canada
http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/df1_e.cfm