Symbols of America

This is the time of year we like to teach about our national symbols.
For a culminating activity (and a way to incorporate opinion writing), I ask the children to tell me their favorite nation symbol and why they like it.
 They write on the the lines that have the dash line down the middle and they color the empty lines with the side of a broken red crayon.
After they draw the national symbol in the box where the stars usually go, they fill in the background with the side of a blue crayon.  This makes the writing page look like flags from afar.
I mount the pages on red, white, and blue construction paper for a dynamic bulletin board.

Here are some samples we displayed at the So CA Kindergarten Conference in Pasadena last week.
You can find our flag template here.

Check out our Abe Lincoln portraits next to our flags.  The children drew these with Kid Pix.  Their favorite fact about Lincoln was that he had big ears.  Can you tell by looking at these drawings?  :oD