Perfect for Teaching American National Symbols or...

... Memorial Day, Flag Day, or Veteran's Day! `

These were done by my TK students, so they wrote only one sentence. 

This is the time of year we like to teach about our national symbols.


For a culminating activity for my National Symbols unit (and a way to incorporate opinion writing), I ask the children to tell me their favorite nation symbol and why they like it. This is done in a small group setting with about 5 students at a time. I give each student a flag template page. 

 As they illustrate their favorite national symbol in the small rectangle portion of the flag template (where the stars would go), I help one of the students to  write the sentence: I like the _________.

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They write on the the lines that have the dash line down the middle. I continue to help each student and then return to the first student and ask, "Why do you like that symbol." 

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Again, I help each child to compose their sentence while the others continue to illustrate their favorite symbol and fill in the background of the small rectangle by using the sides of peeled and broken blue crayons. 

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They also color the empty lines between their writing with the side of a broken red crayon. (I have been known to do this part for them after school.) 

This one was done by a kindergarten student.A 2nd sentence was added to explain why they liked this symbol.This was part of our opinion writing experience. 

This helps to make the writing page look like a flag from afar.
  

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I mount the pages on red, white, and blue construction paper for a dynamic bulletin board.

Click the image to grab your flag template which comes with two different sizes of lines. 

You can find the American Flag Template by CLICKING HERE.

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Here are some samples we displayed at a local conference. 

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We also crated the portraits of Abraham Lincoln. The children drew these with Kid Pix on the computer.  Then, they dictated their favorite fact about Lincoln. The most popular fact was that he had big ears!  Can you tell by looking at these drawings?  :oD

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American Symbols Made Easy!

Which Is Your Favorite American Symbol?

I asked my kindergarten and transitional kindergarten students that question after we finished our unit on American symbols.  CLICK HERE or on any image to grab this flag writing template.

Everyone expressed their opinion about which national symbol was their favorite. 

Opinion Writing:

We reviewed photographs of American symbols.

Illustrating where the stars would normally go.

Kindergarten students had to tell me which symbol was their favorite and why.  This was one of the opinion pieces we wrote.   They wrote the words "I like" and they copied the name of their favorite national symbol.

Copying from their dictation and my printing.

The bald eagle was a favorite for many of the boys.

Then, they dictated to me why they liked that symbol, I wrote it on lined paper, and they copied it on our special flag writing template and illustrated it where the stars would normally go on the flag template.  We were sure to add blue background to the illustrations and red stripes between the lines on writing so the pages look like American flags.

These are the T.K. papers before we mounted them on construction paper.
Kindergarten students added an additional sentence telling why they liked that symbol.

Opinion Discussion:

My Transitional Kindergarten kids also told me which American symbol was their favorite, they also wrote "I like" and copied the name of their favorite symbol.  Then, we discussed why each student liked the symbol they chose, but we didn't write why.  

The Statue of Liberty

Mount Rushmore

The Liberty Bell

They illustrated their favorite symbol the same way that the kindergarten students did.

The Capitol

The White House

The Lincoln Memorial

The Statue of Liberty

The bald eagle

The Washington Monument

Time to Display Our Work:

After we mounted each flag template to a piece of 9"X12" red, white, and blue construction paper, we put them up on our magnetic board with magnets.  They look so cute!  My favorite illustration is Mount Rushmore.

We have to use magnets to hold the work up on the magnetic white board.

Click the image to get this template.

Perfect For Memorial Day:

I usually do my National Symbol unit during February, but this is also a great project to do for Memorial Day.

You can find our American Flag Writing Template by clicking Here. 

Let me know how your kids liked it.  :)

See you all tomorrow.

Palma :)

My Best Writing/Bulletin Board Activity EVER!

A Timeless Throwback Thursday Project:

Back each one with a Red, White, or Blue piece of construction paper.

The blue background behind the illustration makes these look like little flags on your bulletin board!

Click Here, or on any of the images, to see the original post and the directions.

You can find the template by CLICKING HERE.

American Symbols Never Looked So Cute!

Which Is Your Favorite American Symbol?

I asked my kindergarten and transitional kindergarten students that question after we finished our unit on American symbols.  CLICK HERE or on any image to grab this flag writing template.

Everyone expressed their opinion about which national symbol was their favorite. 

Opinion Writing:

We reviewed photographs of American symbols.

Illustrating where the stars would normally go.

Kindergarten students had to tell me which symbol was their favorite and why.  This was one of the opinion pieces we wrote.   They wrote the words "I like" and they copied the name of their favorite national symbol.

Copying from their dictation and my printing.

The bald eagle was a favorite for many of the boys.

Then, they dictated to me why they liked that symbol, I wrote it on lined paper, and they copied it on our special flag writing template and illustrated it where the stars would normally go on the flag template.  We were sure to add blue background to the illustrations and red stripes between the lines on writing so the pages look like American flags.

These are the T.K. papers before we mounted them on construction paper.
Kindergarten students added an additional sentence telling why they liked that symbol.

Opinion Discussion:

My Transitional Kindergarten kids also told me which American symbol was their favorite, they also wrote "I like" and copied the name of their favorite symbol.  Then, we discussed why each student liked the symbol they chose, but we didn't write why.  

The Statue of Liberty

Mount Rushmore

The Liberty Bell

They illustrated their favorite symbol the same way that the kindergarten students did.

The Capitol

The White House

The Lincoln Memorial

The Statue of Liberty

The bald eagle

The Washington Monument

Time to Display Our Work:

After we mounted each flag template to a piece of 9"X12" red, white, and blue construction paper, we put them up on our magnetic board with magnets.  They look so cute!  My favorite illustration is Mount Rushmore.

We have to use magnets to hold the work up on the magnetic white board.

Click the image to get this template.

Perfect For Memorial Day:

I usually do my National Symbol unit during February, but this is also a great project to do for Memorial Day.

You can find our American Flag Writing Template by clicking Here. 

Let me know how your kids liked it.  :)

See you all tomorrow.

Palma :)