Unit Overview
Established Goals: Students as democratic citizens.
1. Students should be able to know what a symbol is and how important it is for a country and its people.
2. Students should be able to comprehend the significance of these national symbols to the United States of America.
3. Students should be able to apply their knowledge of symbols through a number of different examples specific to our nation.
4. Students should be able to analyze the similarities and differences between the given national symbols.
5. Students should be able to synthesize the information about our symbols through a group activity.
6. Students should be able to evaluate their peers’ understanding of the United States national symbols by assessing their composition of a newspaper article.
Understandings:
Students will understand that…
- The U.S. has symbols that represent the ideals of the country and it’s people. It is through our national symbols that citizens of our country and other countries understand our ideals as a nation.
Essential Questions:
- What is a symbol and how is it important for a country and its people?
- What is the significance of symbols to the United States of America?
Students will know:
- Six national symbols for the United States of America.
- Why those symbols are important for the country and it’s citizens.
- What do these symbols represent about our country and it’s ideals?
Students will be able to:
- Research symbols in “expert groups”.
- Understand and identify six national symbols and why there are significant to and symbolic of the United States of America.
Performance Tasks:
- Students will create a poster in their expert group to culminate the unit. They will have to research a national symbol, describe it’s significance, and what aspect of our country and it’s government does that symbol represent.
Other Evidence:
With each days lesson students will show evidence of learning before the culminating activity. Students will self-assess their learning through partner and group work and the use of rubrics throughout the unit.
Key Criteria:
Students will be assessed through performance-based assessments. Students will research and share findings with classmates. They will be assessed using a group rubric and an individual rubric.
Summary of Learning:
A symbol is something that stands for something else. All nations have symbols that are special to their people. One symbol that every nation has is a flag. Citizens display their flag to show pride in their country. This kind of pride is called patriotism. The Statue of Liberty is another national symbol. She is a symbol of freedom. She stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor to welcome people to the country. The White House is where the President of the United States and his family lives. The White House is the best known house in the country. The Capitol Building is located in Washington D.C., our nation’s capitol. This is the building where Congress meets. They are the people who make the laws of our country. The Supreme Court is also in Washington D.C. The Supreme Court makes sure that the laws made by the President and Congress do not go against the United States Constitution. Students will be taught about 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 these symbols. They will be able to distinguish between the national symbols through the reading of books and historical documents and apply this knowledge to group projects and, at the end of the unit, a newspaper article for the classes book “Our National Symbols”.
Lesson 1: Literacy/ Inquiry Skills
The first lesson of this unit on National Symbols is a literacy lesson where the teacher models inquiry skills while reading a book about national symbols. The book, Our National Symbols by Linda Carlson Johnson states what a symbol is and why it is important to our country. It also gives examples of symbols that are important to our country; flag, liberty bell, bald eagle, Uncle Sam, Statue of Liberty, etc. After reading selected parts of the book the class will discuss together what makes something a symbol of our nation. The teacher will list the main points discussed on a poster to hang in the classroom.
Lesson 2: Visual Aids
The second lesson of this unit is a visual aids lesson. The teacher will begin the lesson by reading a short book about the Lincoln Memorial called Lincoln Memorial by Ellen Garin. The students will discuss the book as a class. After the discussion is complete, the students will play a matching game. The students will match a picture of the national symbol and the name of the symbol. They will work in groups of three. The teacher will walk around the room while the students are playing and observe who knows the symbols and who needs more practice.
Lesson 3: Cooperative Learning
The third lesson begins with the reading of a book about the Liberty Bell called, The Liberty Bell by Mary Firestone. The students will discuss the book together and create a poster with a picture of the Liberty Bell and facts about the bell (this will give the students an example for lesson 4’s project). After the poster is completed the class will review the pictures from the matching game that was played the day before. Based on the symbols that have been learned so far, the class will compare and contrast the symbols. This will allow them to see differences and similarities between what symbols are important to the United States and why.
Lesson 4: Group Project
The fourth lesson will be a two day lesson. The students will be placed in groups of four. There will be five groups each will be given a symbol for their topic (Flag, Statue of Liberty, White House, Capitol Building, and Supreme Court). They will be presented with books (at their level) about the symbol they have been given and lots of pictures of their symbol. They will be asked to use what the class had completed with the Liberty Bell and Lincoln Memorial posters, as examples, to create their posters to share with the class. The students will be asked to read the information, create a poster, and present the information about the symbols they researched to the citizens in their class. The research and most of the poster will be created on the first day, leaving the completion of the poster and classroom presentations for the second day.
Lesson 5: Writing Skills
The fifth lesson will start to bring everything together. The teacher will model an example about the Liberty Bell. Using the poster from Lesson 3, the teacher will take the information that was gathered and create an article about the Liberty Bell. The students will then work independently and take the information from their “expert” area and create an article informing citizens about that national symbol and how important it is to know about it. They will write this article and create a picture to go along with their article. They will be given a brainstorming sheet and rubric, then they will create a rough draft of their article, they will then type their article on the computer, with assistance from their teacher.
Lesson 6: Assessment
The sixth lesson will be a peer review session. The students will have their article reviewed by at least four people. They will be given a rubric to check off. This will be short and specific. The teacher will read through the rubric with the students so it is understood and they know what is expected and what they should be looking for. After four of their peers review their article, they will be given time to revise their article and retype if necessary. They will then create their final article and picture. The teacher will monitor the peer-review session and be sure that process is being carried out and everyone is being helped by their peers. The teacher will collect all the articles and place them in the classes “Our National Symbols” book. This book will be placed in the classroom library for the students to read during
free reading time.
1. Students should be able to know what a symbol is and how important it is for a country and its people.
2. Students should be able to comprehend the significance of these national symbols to the United States of America.
3. Students should be able to apply their knowledge of symbols through a number of different examples specific to our nation.
4. Students should be able to analyze the similarities and differences between the given national symbols.
5. Students should be able to synthesize the information about our symbols through a group activity.
6. Students should be able to evaluate their peers’ understanding of the United States national symbols by assessing their composition of a newspaper article.
Understandings:
Students will understand that…
- The U.S. has symbols that represent the ideals of the country and it’s people. It is through our national symbols that citizens of our country and other countries understand our ideals as a nation.
Essential Questions:
- What is a symbol and how is it important for a country and its people?
- What is the significance of symbols to the United States of America?
Students will know:
- Six national symbols for the United States of America.
- Why those symbols are important for the country and it’s citizens.
- What do these symbols represent about our country and it’s ideals?
Students will be able to:
- Research symbols in “expert groups”.
- Understand and identify six national symbols and why there are significant to and symbolic of the United States of America.
Performance Tasks:
- Students will create a poster in their expert group to culminate the unit. They will have to research a national symbol, describe it’s significance, and what aspect of our country and it’s government does that symbol represent.
Other Evidence:
With each days lesson students will show evidence of learning before the culminating activity. Students will self-assess their learning through partner and group work and the use of rubrics throughout the unit.
Key Criteria:
Students will be assessed through performance-based assessments. Students will research and share findings with classmates. They will be assessed using a group rubric and an individual rubric.
Summary of Learning:
A symbol is something that stands for something else. All nations have symbols that are special to their people. One symbol that every nation has is a flag. Citizens display their flag to show pride in their country. This kind of pride is called patriotism. The Statue of Liberty is another national symbol. She is a symbol of freedom. She stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor to welcome people to the country. The White House is where the President of the United States and his family lives. The White House is the best known house in the country. The Capitol Building is located in Washington D.C., our nation’s capitol. This is the building where Congress meets. They are the people who make the laws of our country. The Supreme Court is also in Washington D.C. The Supreme Court makes sure that the laws made by the President and Congress do not go against the United States Constitution. Students will be taught about 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 these symbols. They will be able to distinguish between the national symbols through the reading of books and historical documents and apply this knowledge to group projects and, at the end of the unit, a newspaper article for the classes book “Our National Symbols”.
Lesson 1: Literacy/ Inquiry Skills
The first lesson of this unit on National Symbols is a literacy lesson where the teacher models inquiry skills while reading a book about national symbols. The book, Our National Symbols by Linda Carlson Johnson states what a symbol is and why it is important to our country. It also gives examples of symbols that are important to our country; flag, liberty bell, bald eagle, Uncle Sam, Statue of Liberty, etc. After reading selected parts of the book the class will discuss together what makes something a symbol of our nation. The teacher will list the main points discussed on a poster to hang in the classroom.
Lesson 2: Visual Aids
The second lesson of this unit is a visual aids lesson. The teacher will begin the lesson by reading a short book about the Lincoln Memorial called Lincoln Memorial by Ellen Garin. The students will discuss the book as a class. After the discussion is complete, the students will play a matching game. The students will match a picture of the national symbol and the name of the symbol. They will work in groups of three. The teacher will walk around the room while the students are playing and observe who knows the symbols and who needs more practice.
Lesson 3: Cooperative Learning
The third lesson begins with the reading of a book about the Liberty Bell called, The Liberty Bell by Mary Firestone. The students will discuss the book together and create a poster with a picture of the Liberty Bell and facts about the bell (this will give the students an example for lesson 4’s project). After the poster is completed the class will review the pictures from the matching game that was played the day before. Based on the symbols that have been learned so far, the class will compare and contrast the symbols. This will allow them to see differences and similarities between what symbols are important to the United States and why.
Lesson 4: Group Project
The fourth lesson will be a two day lesson. The students will be placed in groups of four. There will be five groups each will be given a symbol for their topic (Flag, Statue of Liberty, White House, Capitol Building, and Supreme Court). They will be presented with books (at their level) about the symbol they have been given and lots of pictures of their symbol. They will be asked to use what the class had completed with the Liberty Bell and Lincoln Memorial posters, as examples, to create their posters to share with the class. The students will be asked to read the information, create a poster, and present the information about the symbols they researched to the citizens in their class. The research and most of the poster will be created on the first day, leaving the completion of the poster and classroom presentations for the second day.
Lesson 5: Writing Skills
The fifth lesson will start to bring everything together. The teacher will model an example about the Liberty Bell. Using the poster from Lesson 3, the teacher will take the information that was gathered and create an article about the Liberty Bell. The students will then work independently and take the information from their “expert” area and create an article informing citizens about that national symbol and how important it is to know about it. They will write this article and create a picture to go along with their article. They will be given a brainstorming sheet and rubric, then they will create a rough draft of their article, they will then type their article on the computer, with assistance from their teacher.
Lesson 6: Assessment
The sixth lesson will be a peer review session. The students will have their article reviewed by at least four people. They will be given a rubric to check off. This will be short and specific. The teacher will read through the rubric with the students so it is understood and they know what is expected and what they should be looking for. After four of their peers review their article, they will be given time to revise their article and retype if necessary. They will then create their final article and picture. The teacher will monitor the peer-review session and be sure that process is being carried out and everyone is being helped by their peers. The teacher will collect all the articles and place them in the classes “Our National Symbols” book. This book will be placed in the classroom library for the students to read during
free reading time.