Continued prayers go out for all those men and women who are still in Iraq (and other places),  as well as those who made it home, but have issues from what they lived through and saw.  And please don't forget about the families that were left by those soldiers who didn't make it home. 

Pledge of Allegiance   I pledge allegiance  To the flag, Of the United States of America. And to the republic For which it stands, One nation, Under God, Indivisible, With liberty, And justice for all.

 

Information provided for classroom use only; not for publication.

thevirtualvine.com 2001

In my classroom, I work each year on teaching my students the Pledge of Allegiance.  We discuss what it means, why we say it, and we practice the “attention, salute, pledge” part.  We practice not only saying the pledge, but how we’re supposed to stand, where we’re supposed to be looking (at the flag), etc.  We do these things because I can see when I’m out in public (sporting events, etc.) that somewhere along the line they are not being taught.  I see people talking and laughing during the pledge, not standing, and men not removing their hats.

Towards the end of the year last year, I’d purchased a book from Scholastic titled The Pledge of Allegiance.  So this year, I wanted to incorporate that book into my Back to School unit.  Then the song/poem below was shared on the Internet, and I added that to my unit as well.  It didn’t have a title, so I named it “Our Flag”.

OUR FLAG
(tune: The Farmer In the Dell)

Red, white, and blue
Red, white, and blue
My flag and your flag
Is red, white, and blue.
~ Author Unknown

I put the song/poem onto two sets of sentence strips.  One set went into the pocketchart and the other set I cut up into word cards.  The students match the word cards to the text.  I also made a set of color cards; 3 each of red, white, and blue.  The students match these cards to the color words in the song/poem.

We read the song/poem together as I track with a pointer.  This demonstrates one-to-one correspondence of words and also right-to-left progression.  Afterwards, I also pick out sight words and color words and have the students identify them.  Then we sing the song.

I also typed up the song/poem and added a simple flag for them to color at the bottom.  This went into their Poetry Journals. 

After the Sept. 11 attack, I decided to take the activities a step farther.  Each student created a flag from torn paper.  I drew off a simple flag on a sheet of white construction paper and copied it for each student on white construction paper.  They tore up pieces of red construction paper and glued it onto alternate stripes to make the red stripes.  Then they tore up blue construction paper to make the blue square.  We forgot to add the stars, but you can cut out mini-stars using the Ellison machine and glue them on top of the blue paper.  These were stapled onto a piece of blue bulletin board paper that we’d stamped their handprints around the edge using red and white paint for the border.  I titled it:  United We Stand (in black die-cut letters)

 

 

Making and coloring flags are excellent activities for teaching AB patterns as well.  We just happen to be working on that skill in Math, so making and coloring the flags gave us some extra practice using that skill.

To increase color word recognition, you could provide your students with a flag pattern labeled with the color words and have them color it according to the words.

Ms. Lewis, who is a very talented second grade teacher at our school, designed her own flag quilt for her students to make.  Below is a picture of it.  She's having her students make a quilt each month.  At the end of each month she's disassembling them and saving the squares.  At the end of the school year she's going to assemble each student's squares from throughout the year and bind them together into a keepsake book for each student.

 

 

"The Star-Spangled Banner"
Lyrics by Francis Scott Key 

First Verse 
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, 
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming? 
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight, 
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming? 
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air 
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there. 
Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave 
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? 

THE AMERICAN WAY
(Tune: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean)
Guitar/Autoharp Chords"D" "G" "A7" "G7" 

This flag that flies over our country,
Tells us that we are all free!
The flag that we look at so proudly ~
Was given to you and to me.

So, we're free, we're free,
To come here to school each and every day.
To learn and play here,
And live the American way!
~Mary Flynn

Visit Songs4Teachers if you would like the song in MS WORD format with the guitar/autoharp chords above the appropriate lyrics.  Permission to display here given by Mary. 

Flag of America,
Red, white and blue.
Flag of America,
A salute we give to you.
~ Author Unknown

SING A SONG ABOUT THE FLAG
(Tune: Revele)

*March and salute as you sing

Sing a song about the flag.
See it's colors waving by.
We salute, We salute, 
As the flag passes by.
~ Author Unknown

YOU'RE A GRAND OLD FLAG
(old, familiar song)

You're a grand old flag,
You're a high flying flag,
And forever in peace may you wave.
You're the emblem of,
The land I love,
The home of the free and the brave.
Every heart beats true 
For the red, white and blue,
And there's never a boast or brag.
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.
~ Author Unknown

(Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)
Our flag is red, white, & blue 
Red, white & blue 
Red, white & blue 
Our flag is red, white, & blue 
In the U.S.A. 

Our flag has 50 stars, 
50 stars, 
50 stars, 
Our flag has 50 stars, 
In the U.S.A. 

Our flag has 13 stripes, 
13 stripes, 
13 stripes, 
Our flag has 13 stripes, 
In the U.S.A. 
~ Author Unknown

AMERICAN FLAG
(Tune: Frere Jacque) 

What is red? 
What is white? 
What is blue? 
What is striped? 

What has many stars? 
What has many stars? 
Can you guess, 
How many there are? 

Then the kids shout 50. 
~ Author Unknown

DOWN AT THE FLAGPOLE
(Tune: Down By the Station)

Down at the flagpole, 
Early in the morning, 
We will raise our flag, 
The red, white, and blue. 
We stand at attention, 
It's something that we do. 
We salute the colors, 
The red, white, and blue. 
~ Author Unknown

THE RED WHITE AND BLUE
(Tune: When the Saints Come Marching In)

Oh, when the flag comes marching in, 
Oh, when the flag comes marching in, 
How I love to see its three colors, 
The red, white, and blue. 
~ Author Unknown

A FLAG FOR ME AND YOU
(Tune: Three Blind Mice)

Red, white and blue, 
Red, white and blue, 
A flag for me, 
A flag for you. 
It is the flag of our great nation, 
It's honored by each generation. 
Join me now in a celebration, 
Red, white and blue. 
~ Author Unknown

TOGETHERNESS FLAG
Materials Needed 
Red, white and blue paint 
Paintbrush Paint Trays 
Sheet of paper 2'x3' 

What to do
1. On the large sheet of paper, draw lines for stripes and paint a blue 
square in the upper left corner. 
2. Have the children fill in the bottom stripe by dipping their hands in the red paint and pressing them end to end within the lines of the stripe. Using the white paint, have them make a white stripe just above it the same way. 
3. Continue until you have all 13 stripes filled with hand prints. 
4. Have the children dip their fingertips in paint and make the "stars" in the blue square. 

OUR COUNTRY'S FLAG
Please sit down, everyone, 
I'm going to tell a story (point to mouth.) 
About our country's famous flag- 
Its nickname is Old Glory. (point to flag) 
Stars and stripes are on our flag, 
They're red and white and blue. (point to flag colors.) 
It tells the world that we are free 
And proud to be here too! (Nod Head) 
~ Author Unknown

STARS AND STRIPES
Wave the flag, wave the flag, (wave arm like a flag) 
As we march around. 
Hold it high to show our pride, 
Don't let it touch the ground. 
Wave the flag, wave the flag, 
Dear red, white, and blue. 
Stars and stripes forever bright, 
America-here's to you! 
~ Author Unknown

OUR FLAG
Stripes and strips and little stars, (wave arm like a flag) 
Oh, how beautiful you are! 
Red and white and blue, it's true, 
Proudly waving for me and you. 
~ Author Unknown

WE HONOR YOU
Oh, red, white, and blue, 
We honor you. (salute flag) 
You have red and white stripes 
And fifty stars too. (point to flag's stripes, then stars)
~ Author Unknown 

STAR COOKIE CUTTERS:  Gather a few star-shaped cookie cutters and shallow bowls of red and blue tempera paint. Allow each child to have a turn pressing the cookie cutters into the paint, then onto a piece of construction paper to make star shaped prints. 

PATRIOTIC BEAD PATTERNING: Gather several packages of red, white, and blue beads and white pipe cleaners. Make a few example patterns with the beads on the pipe cleaners. Set the remaining beads and pipe cleaners on a table and allow the children to copy any of the patterns on their own pipe cleaners. 

STARS AND STRIPES SANDWICH BAG STARS: Gather several star shapes from red, white or blue construction paper. Also gather ribbons, glitter, sequins, aluminum foil or stickers in the same colors, along with one plastic sandwich bag for each child in the class. Allow the children to place items in the bags sparingly and evenly. (the bag should be flat on a table) Place the bag between two pieces of foil with a towel between the foil and the table and iron with a warm iron. Peel away the foil, and when the bags are cool, allow children to trim to star shapes. 

GRAHAM CRACKER FLAGS: Gather a few packages of graham crackers, white frosting, ice cream sticks, small paper cups, and red white and blue food coloring. Give each child 3 paper cups with a tablespoon of frosting inside each cup. Drop food coloring in each cup 1 red 1 blue 1 white. Give each child a ice cream stick and instruct them to mix the food coloring into each cup. Then allow to design flag using the frosting on the cracker. 

COOKIE CUTTER STARS: Make Jell-O stars by cutting them out with cookie cutters. Use red for the stars and add blueberries and vanilla flavored yogurt. 

UNCLE SAM HATS: Cut top hat shape out of white, glue two red strips to the front, put small blue band of construction paper where a hat band would be, and decorate hat band with white stars. Attach hat to sentence strip and staple shut. 

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE SNACK: Blueberries, strawberries, and whipped cream over short cakes or pound cake. 

CRAFT STICK AMERICAN FLAG: Have the children paint about 8 tongue depressors red. Cut a blue paper square about 1/4 the size of a sheet of white paper. Glue it in the left hand corner.  When sticks are dry, glue them on the page making a red stripe, then the white paper, another red and continue on. Have the children glue cotton balls on the blue part to be stars. 

STARS AND STRIPES COLLAGE:
Blue construction paper
Red and white construction paper cut into 1" strips 
Silver star stickers
glue 
Set out all of the materials and let the children create! 

STARS AND STRIPES SPONGE PAINTING:
Red and blue tempera paint 
Sponges cut into stars and long strips 
White construction paper 

Let the children make sponge prints on the white paper with the red and blue paint. 

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE PUFFY PAINT PICTURES:
Flour
Salt
Water
Red and blue food color
Empty mustard squeeze bottles
Cardboard 
Mix equal parts of flour, salt, and water to make the puffy paint. Divide mixture into three different bowls and color one bowl of mixture blue, one bowl red, and leave the last one white. Fill the mustard squeeze bottles with the mixture (one color per squeeze bottle). Let the children squeeze the different colors onto the cardboard. Allow the children's art work to dry. When it is dry, the design will be raised and will sparkle! 

STARS AND STRIPES
(Tune: Row, Row, Row, Your Boat) 

Wave, wave, wave the flag, 
As we march around. 
Hold it high to show our pride, 
It must not touch the ground. 

Wave, wave, wave the flag, 
Dear red, white and blue. 
Stars and stripes forever bright, 
America to you! 

OUR FLAG
(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star) 

Stripes and stripes and little stars, 
Oh, how beautiful you are. 
Red and white and blue, that's true, 
Waving proud for me and you. 
Stripes and stripes and little stars, 
Oh, how beautiful you are! 

WE HONOR YOU
(Tune: Happy Birthday) 
Oh, red, white and blue, 
We honor you. 
You have red and white stripes, 
And fifty stars, too. 

(Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb) 
See our flag, it's waving high, waving high, waving high, 
See our flag, it's waving high. 
It's red and white and blue. 

 

I'M PROUD OF OUR FLAG
(Tune: Hickory, Dickory, Dock)

 
Our flag is red, white and blue,
There are stars and stripes on it, too. 
I'm proud of our flag, the United States flag, 
And you can be proud of it, too!

STAR HATS: Cut out lots of red, white and blue stars (big and little) on the Ellison machine.  The students glue them to sentence strips to make “hats”.  You can turn this into a Math activity by having them glue the stars on to form patterns such as ABC, AABC, AABBC, AABBCC, etc.

Allow the students to use red, white, and blue playdough with star and U, S, and A cookie cutters.

FLAG SNACK: Graham crackers, blue frosting, white frosting , red licorice and white chocolate chips.  Created and generously shared by Susi.

AB/ABC Patterns: Laminate sheets of red, white and blue paper.  Use an Ellison die-cut and cut out red, white, and blue stars.  Your students can practice making patterns with them in the pocketchart.  If needed, you could glue some of the stars to sentence strips and then the students could either extend the patterns or copy them in the row below. 

Flag of America
Flag of America,
Red, white and blue.
Flag of America,
A salute we give to you.

Red, White & Blue Strawberries:  This snack may be a little fancy for everyday, but would be just right for an End-Of-The-Year program.  Dip strawberries into white chocolate leaving a section of the red showing at the top.  While the chocolate is still warm, dip the bottom part of the strawberry into blue sugar. 

You can probably purchase blue sugar, but you can also make it.  Put sugar into a small bowl and drop one or two drops of food coloring onto the sugar.  Mix well.  Keep adding food coloring until you've created the desired shade of blue.

If you didn't want to use the sugar, you could probably tint some of the white chocolate with the blue food coloring, then dip the strawberries into it rather than the sugar.

September 12th - We Knew Everything Would Be All Right
This is a book written by first grade students from Kennett, Missouri

 

History
(Tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star") 

I read of patriots long ago
Who fought to buy the peace I know.
They gave all that they had
So that I could be glad,
Living in a country free
Enjoy peace and prosperity.

Men and women once like me,
Wanted their country to be free.
They fought hard, they fought long,
Some gave their lives to conquer wrong.
That we might live in liberty,
Enjoying peace and prosperity.

Oh Veterans
(Tune:  "Oh Christmas Tree") 

Oh veterans, oh veterans,
We honor you today.
Oh veterans, oh veterans,
We honor you today.
We give you thanks for all you've done,
For standing guard o'er our nation. 
Oh veterans, oh veterans,
We honor you today.

Oh veterans, oh veterans,
We honor you today.
Oh veterans, oh veterans,
We honor you today.
Remembering those who heard the call,
Fighting for us, they gave their all. 
Oh veterans, oh veterans,
We honor you today.

Veterans Day
(Tune:  "Jingle Bells")

Veterans Day, Veterans Day
Comes but once a year.
Let's take time to honor those 
Who guard our freedom dear!
Veterans Day, Veterans Day
Comes but once a year.
Let's take time to honor those
Who guard our freedom dear!

 

 

The Wall

http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/parents_and_teachers/activity_082.html

 

 

God Bless the USA

by Lee Greenwood

If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can't take that away.

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota
to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston
and New York to L.A.,
There's pride in every American heart
and it's time we stand and say:

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

The Pledge (printable)

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/class/pdfs/2004S/040430BP4.pdf

Proud to be an American Kid
http://www.katu.com/images/kidflag.gif

American Flag Games & Goodies
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/American_Games/

A Chronology of US Historical Documents
http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/#ind

The Star Spangled Banner
http://ad.doubleclick.net/646906/scholarship20022.html

The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House
http://www.flaghouse.org/HOME.HTM

Flags: USA
http://abcteach.com/flags/usa.htm

Small printable flag
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/misc/us-s.gif

Larger printable flag
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/misc/us-m.gif 

 

Printable flag
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/misc/us-l.gif

 

American Flag
http://www.moodypublishing.com/coloring-page/pages/american-flag. html

 

American Flag and Eagle
http://www.moodypublishing.com/coloring-page/pages/eagle-flag.html

 

God Bless America
http://www.moodypublishing.com/coloring-page/pages/bless-america.html

Making Friends and Other Crafts for Kids
http://makingfriends.com

 

Coloring Inserts
http://www.1800partyshop.com/tips/designparty/colorinserts.html

God Bless the USA
(by Lee Greenwood)
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/blessusa.htm

Large American Flag picture to print off and color 
http://www.geocities.com/pixiegrins/images/clrflag2.html

Patriotic Songs and Hymns of the United States of America
http://www.sonserver.com/america/songs-usa.htm

the Flag of the United States
http://www.icss.com/usflag/skeltons.pledge.html

 

July 4th Activity Book
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/books/julyfourth/Flag.shtml

Veterans Day
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/veteransday1.html

The American Flag Page - Veterans Day
http://userpages.aug.com/haywire/vetday.html

Veterans Day
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/vetsday/

 

Veterans Day a time to remember US Military People
http://www.computingcorner.com/holidays/vets/veterans.html

Eagle graphic
http://teachers.net/mary/nine11.jpg

 

The Pledge of Allegiance

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/the_pledge_of_allegiance.html

Crayola Creativity Central
http://www.crayola.com/credirect.cfm?id=1743

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation: Memberships 
http://www.ndsdf.org/membership.cfm

American Red Cross 
http://www.helping.org/wtc/redcross_special.adp

September 11th Fund 
http://www.helping.org/wtc/11th.adp

The New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund 
http://www.helping.org/wtc/iaff.adp

New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund
1750 New York Ave NW
Washington,DC 20006 

New York State Fraternal Order
of Police WTC Fund 
http://www.helping.org/wtc/nyfopwtc.adp

New York State Fraternal Order of Police Fund
911 Police Plz
WTC Fund
Hicksville, NY 11801 

Salvation Army 
http://www.helping.org/wtc/sa.adp 

100% of your donation will go directly to these relief organizations.  Donating through Helping.org is safe and secure.

 

 

I Got Your Back.... I am a small and precious child, my dads been sent to fight. The only place I'll see his face, is in my dreams at night. He will be gone too many days for my young mind to keep track. I may be sad, but I am proud. My daddy's got your back. I am a caring mother. My son has gone to war. My mind is filled with worries that I have never known before. Everyday I try to keep my thoughts from turning black. I may be scared, but I am proud. My son has got your back. I am a strong and loving wife, with a husband soon to go. There are times I'm terrified in a way most never know. I bite my lip, and force a smile as I watch my husband pack. My heart may break, but I am proud. My husbands got your back. I am in the ARMY, Serving Proudly, standing tall. I fight for freedom, yours and mine by answering this call. I do my job while knowing the thanks it sometimes lacks. Say a prayer that I'll come home. It's me who's got your back. (Author Unknown)

 

 

 

 

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