Social Studies Unit Plan

By: Kim Dieter

Grade: Kindergarten
Unit: The American Flag and Other Symbols
Focus Questions
1.) What is a symbol and how is it important for a country and its
people?
2.) How should we change or add to the symbols that we currently
use?
3.) What are important symbols and landmarks and how do they
represent the United States of America?
Lesson Sequence
Lesson #1 The Importance of Symbols

Children begin at a very early age to learn the meaning of

symbols in our culture and environment. In this lesson, students
will begin to understand how the meaning of some universal
symbols, such as traffic signs and signals, handicap logos,
gender signs on restrooms, etc., is essential for responsible
membership in society. Other signs and symbols will be identified
as reflective of middle American values and habits: golden
arches and other fast food logos; polka dot donut boxes, labeling
on media and entertainment products, etc.

Lesson #2 The American Flag

In this lesson, students will be exposed to the American Flag to

help them develop a sense of patriotism and belonging in their
communities and the country in which they live. Students will
learn the design of the American flag and what each part means.
They will also learn about how the flag was chosen to represent
the United States of America. Students will be read the story F is
for Flag by Wendy Cheyette.

Lesson #3 Create Your Own Flag

In this lesson students will be creating their own symbols and

meanings which will be used to create the flag representing who
they are as an individual. Students will take a look at many
different flags from a variety of cultures and time periods to see
the diversity of symbols, shapes and colors of the different flags.
Students will create their flags and then share them with the
class and explain what their symbols and pictures represent on
their flag.

Lesson #4 Liberty Bell

Students will be taught about the Liberty Bell, one of the United
States national symbols. This will allow them to be informed and
knowledgeable citizens of the country they live in. Students must
know the history and significance of this symbol. The students
will watch a video and look at a blown up picture of the Liberty
Bell to determine its characteristics and get a sense of the
environment of where the Liberty Bell is located.

Lesson #5 - The Bald Eagle

In this lesson on the Bald Eagle as a national symbol, students

will explain why they think the bald eagle is an important symbol
of the United States. Students will be able to think of examples in
this lesson of where the Bald Eagle is visible in American society
(e.g. money, stamps, state flags, etc). Students will be reading
Bald Eagles by Philip Mayer throughout the lesson.

Lesson #6 The Statue of Liberty

This lesson explores the Statue of Liberty as a national symbol
and its sources of symbolism. With guiding questions of: What is
a symbol? How can a symbol be used to communicate an idea?
Students will walk away from this lesson knowing that the Statue
of Liberty is a major symbol of freedom in the United States.
Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to recognize the importance of United

States symbols (SS.K.A.2.5)

Students will be able to identify at least three national symbols

and give one face about each.

Students will be able to reader emergent reader texts with
purpose and understanding (RF.K.4)

Students will be able to use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly

(LA.K.1.6.1)
Students will be able to describe familiar people, places things and events with prompting
and support, provide additional details (SL.K.4).

Benchmarks

Students will be able to

recognize the importance of U.S.
symbols (SS.K.A.2.5)
Students will be able to identify
at least three national symbols
and give one fact about each.
Read emergent-reader texts with
purpose and understanding
(RF.K.4)

Students will be able to use new

vocabulary that is introduced and
taught directly (LA.K.1.6.1)
Students will be able to describe
familiar people, places things
and events with prompting and
support, provide additional
details (SL.K.4)

Assessment Tasks

Students will be assessed at the

end of the unit on the HOT thinking
assessment in the form of an
interview. Students will be able to
answer the question, why are
national symbols important to our
country.
Students will be assessed on orally
identifying three symbols that they
learned throughout the unit. The
student will be able to name thee
national symbols within a twominute time frame.
Students will be able to read the
first 5 pages of A is for America; a
Kindergarten level picture book.
Students will be able to explain
what they read by summarizing the
text. For students with special
needs I will differentiate instruction
accordingly.
Students will be shown a picture of
a term that they have learned this
semester and must use that word in
a sentence to demonstrate they
understand its meaning.

Key Concepts

Symbols

Freedom

Patriotism

Monuments

Citizen

Value

With prompting and support,

students will be able to describe at
least one of the national symbols
discussed in the unit in great detail.

Bonepile
Douglass, Lloyd. American Flag (Welcome Books American Symbols Series).
New York: Rosen Books, 2003.
- - - The Statue of Liberty (Welcome Books American Symbols Series). New
York: Rosen Books, 2003.
- - -. The Bald Eagle (Welcome Books American Symbols Series). New York:
Rosen Books, 2003.

- - -. The White House (Welcome Books, American Symbols Series). New York:
Rosen Books, 2003.
About the White House. The White House. 13 September 2011
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/white-house-101/>.
Bald Eagle: Creature Features. National Geographic. 13 September 2011
<http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/baldeagl
e/>.
Bloom, Amy and Mark Raffler. Supplemental Materials (Unit 5, Lesson 7).
Teacher-made material. Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum,
2011.
Inside The White House. The White House. 13 September 2011
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/inside-white-house>.
Statue of Liberty - Light Show 9.28.06. YouTube. 13 Sept. 2011
<http://www.youtube.com/v/NYvDReH7dLs>.
Statue of Liberty. National Park Services. 13 September 2011
<http://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm>.
Symbols of the U.S. Government: Statue of Liberty. Bens Guide to Government.
13 September 2011 <http://bensguide.gpo.gov/35/symbols/ladyliberty.html>.
Symbols of the U.S. Government: The Bald Eagle. Bens Guide to Government.
13 September 2011 <http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/eagle.html>.
Symbols of the United States: Uncle Sam. Bens Guide to Government. 13
September 2011 <http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/unclesam.html>.
The Executive Branch. The White House. 13 September 2011
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/executive-branch>.
The Meaning and History of Flags. Historical Resources, Suite 101. 13
September 2011 <http://www.suite101.com/content/flag-speaka198592#ixzz1XTZYbD60>.
The Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty Elllis Island Foundation. 13
September 2011 <http://www.statueofliberty.org/Fun_Facts.html>.
White House Interactive Tour. The White House. 13 September 2011
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/interactive-tour>.

State Symbols USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

<http://statesymbolsusa.org/National_Symbols/National-Symbols.html>.