Student Activities, Teacher Reference Materials, Other Education Materials
- Grade Level:
- Lower Elementary: Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade
- Subject:
- Social Studies
- State Standards:
- K-12.H.2; 1.C.1.1; 2.C.1.1; 3.C.1.1
Background
This lesson is designed to help teachers show students how and why symbols are used on a mass scale. Specifically, this lesson discusses symbols of America, and the state of South Dakota. What is the significance behind these symbols? That’s what this lesson aims to find out.
Students will discuss symbols they know in their own lives, and how those symbols can be literal symbols, or abstract ones.The American symbols discussed will be the U.S. flag, Statue of Liberty, the Bald Eagle, the Liberty Bell, Mount Rushmore, and the Pledge of Allegiance.
The attached activity “Design Your Own Flag,” students will create a flag with symbols they think are representative of themselves.
Vocabulary
Symbol: a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.
Literal: Taking something in exact words or translation. Using words in the most basic sense.
Abstract: Existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical/concrete existence.
Materials
Last updated: March 6, 2023