A SOCIAL STUDIES
LESSON
BY: TONYA FOSTER
ED 417 SUMMER ‘O1
OUR COUNTRY
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
GRADE 3
OBJECTIVES:
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO...
1. UNDERSTAND WHAT THE AMERICAN FLAG
MEANS.
2. EXPLAIN WHAT THE STARS AND STRIPES
STAND FOR.
3. RECITE “YOU’RE A GRAND OLD FLAG”
4. DESCRIBE THE FLAG’S COLORS, DESIGN, AND
SHAPE.
5. DEFINE WORDS THAT RELATE TO THE
AMERICAN FLAG.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
-GREETINGS FROM AMERICA
BY RAY NELSON JR. AND DOUGLAS KELLY
-AMERICAN FLAG
-LARGE WHITE CONSTRUCTION PAPER
-MAGAZINES
-SCISSORS
-GLUE
-CRAYONS
WEB SITES:
The Unofficial American Flag Homepage
www.azstarnet.com/~rgrogan/flag.htm
What Do the Colors of the Flag Mean?
www.usflag.org/colors.html
The U.S. Flag Page
www.usflag.org/
The Pledge of Alligence
www.usflag.org/the.ledg.of.allegiance.html
The American Legion
www.legion.org/flagfaqs.htm
Student
Activities
• Social Studies Vocabulary List
• Create a collage of the U.S. Flag
•Pick out the rhyming words from the story
Greeting From America
• “You’re a Grand Old Flag”
• Journal entry
Student Activity 1: Vocabulary
1. Have the students look at the sentences
and pick out the correct vocabulary word.
2. The students will correctly spell all the
vocabulary words.
Vocabulary words: country, history, state,
flag, proud, American, patriotism
Student Activity 2: Collage of the
American Flag
Using the construction paper, magazines,
scissors, glue and crayons, students will
construct their own American flags. Once
they finish, they will paste their flags onto a
large piece of construction paper for a class
bulletin board.
Student Activity 3: Rhyming Words
The teacher will read Greeting From
America to the class while the
students pick out all the rhyming
words in the story. They will write
the rhyming words in their journals
then discuss them as a class.
Student Activity 4: “You’re a
Grand Old Flag”
1. Have the children name one way in
which they can show loyalty to their
country.
2. Help the children sin “You’re a
Grand Old Flag” together. Ask them
why it’s important to sing songs
about our country’s flag.
Student Activity 5: Journal Entry
1. Have the student pretend they
are writing a letter to another 3rd
grader in another country.
2. They should describe our
country’s flag and what it means
to them.
Presentation
Slides
Pick out the correct vocabulary word
from each sentence. Write it correctly
in your social studies journal.
1. People who live in this country are Americans.
2. This is the flag of the United States.
3. Ohio is a state in America.
4. History is the story of what happened long
ago.
5. We are all proud to be Americans.
6. Are you an American?
7. It’s very important to show patriotism.
Using New Words
Read the words below. Use the words to complete
the sentences. Write the sentences in your S.S.
journal.
Country state history flag
American patriotism proud
1. Our_____ is red, white, and blue.
2. The United States of America is a ________.
3. What happened long ago is _____________.
4. When we feel _______, we feel happy.
5. Each star on the flag stands for a ________.
6. You are an ____________.
7. The flag is a symbol of _________ and respect.
Create a collage of the U.S. flag
Materials:
Construction paper, magazines, scissors, glue, crayons,
markers, popsicle sticks
Procedure:
1. Look through the magazines or draw your own U.S.
flag.
2. Write “Our Flag” on the top of the paper.
3. Arrange the flag on the white construction paper, then
glue it on.
4. Tape your completed flag on the large white
construction paper for the bulletin board.
Listen to the story Greeting
From America. Listen for
the rhyming words. When
you hear them, record the
words in your social studies
journal.
Rhyming Words
1.What is a rhyming word?
2.What words did you write down that
rhymed?
3.What sound do they have that sounds
the same?
4.Come up with a 3rd word that
rhymes with the words you already
have.
You’re a Grand Old Flag
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, under red, white, and blue,
Where there’s never a boast or brag,
But should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on that grand old flag.
In your S.S. journal…..
Pretend you have a pen pal
from a different country. Write
them a letter and tell them
what our flag stands for. Tell
them what our flag means to
you as well.
The End