Understanding by Design Unit Template
Title of Unit
Curriculum Area
Developed By
Symbols of America
Grade Level
Social Studies
Time Frame
Brandi Jackson, Amber Hall, Aimee VanMiddlesworth
1st
30 minutes/8-10 days
Summary of the Unit
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In this unit, students will learn what a symbol is. Furthermore, students will identify the flag of the United States as an
important symbol in our everyday lives. They also will learn about other symbols of our country, such as, the President,
White House, The Liberty Bell, The American Flag, American Bald Eagle, and The Statue of Liberty. Students will also
learn the meaning of The Pledge of Allegiance and The Star-Spangled Banner. They will be engaged in many individual
and cooperative group lessons. Students will be reflective and contribute to class discussions about the symbols of
America. Furthermore, they will investigate their symbolic contributions to the United States and the rest of the world
based on family, ethnic and cultural traditions and diversity.
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Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Content Standards
Indiana Academic Standards
Social Studies
1.1Historical Knowledge
1.1.3Identify American songs and symbols and discuss their origins.
1.1.4Identify local people from the past who have shown honesty, courage and responsibility. (Individuals,
Society and Culture)
Understandings
Essential Questions
Overarching Understanding
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Symbols are used to represent a country and its people.
Symbols have meaning in our everyday lives.
Overarching
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Related Misconceptions
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Symbols have no meaning.
Not all countries have flags.
The history of the flag and the meaning and purpose of the
Pledge of Allegiance.
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Knowledge
Students will know…
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Key terms and definitions related to symbols of the United
States of American
Symbol, United States, North America, 13 original colonies,
American, citizen, citizenship, map, city, state, locate,
President, White House, Washington D.C., Lincoln Memorial,
Washington Monument, Mount Rushmore, bald eagle, The
Pledge of Allegiance, The Star-Spangled Banner, The Liberty
Bell, monument, diversity, family, community, allegiance,
honesty, courage, responsibility, culture, Web Quest, Power
Point, leader, past, present, change, loyalty, purity, peace,
hope, freedom, justice, truth,
Factual information of symbols of the United States of
America
Recognize and become familiar with the symbols
Application of nonfiction information to transfer facts into
writing, reading, and speaking
How does a symbol
represent a
country’s people?
Why is it important
for a country to
have its own
symbols?
Why can a country’s
symbols evoke
emotions?
Explain how
symbols relate to
objects and actions.
Topical
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Why do flags look
different from one
another?
What is a symbol?
What do the colors
of the flag mean?
What do the 13
stripes on the flag
stand for?
Skills
Students will be able to…
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Reading skills
Writing skills
Analytical skills
Social Studies Research skills
Speaking and Listening skills
Gather historical data from a variety of sources
Use available technology to obtain historical
information
Organize their writing
Produce a variety of types of writing and make
reasonable judgments about what to include in his
or her work (RAN chart)
Generate a list of main ideas in resource materials
Know and use correct subject/verb agreement
Know and use correct capitalization, punctuation
Identify supporting details and main ideas
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It is helpful if students are familiar with 6 Traits of writing
Map skills (compass rose, cardinal directions, map key) and
how to locate city and states on a map of the United States of
America
Recite The Pledge of Allegiance
Recite The Star-Spangled Banner
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Read, respond to, and discuss a variety of work
such as content-area reading
Set purpose for reading
Respond to written and oral presentations as a
reader, listener, and an articulate speaker
Use organizational features of electronic
information
Technology skills—navigate a Web Quest
Generate questions about the symbol beyond facts
Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)
Performance Task Description
Goal The goal is teach a kindergarten class about American symbols.
You are the teacher. You will define and display pictures of the symbol on a visual display board and
Role give specific facts and information about the symbol’s history, how the symbol represents a country’s
people, why it is important, and how it relates to objects and actions.
Audience Teacher, kindergarten class
Students are going to work in groups to create a visual display of their assigned symbol connected to
Situation 5 facts about their symbol. Kindergarten groups will rotate around each symbol station to learn about
the symbols.
Students will design a visual display board to help teach 5 important facts about their symbol, such
as, the history of the symbol, the symbol’s location and/or origin, and what it means to the country
Product/Performance and its people. Kindergarten student’s understanding will be assessed through closure activity and
discussion. First grade student’s understanding will be assessed using a rubric along with a
culminating lesson by creating a flag that represents themselves.
Indiana Academic Standards
Social Studies
Standards
1.1 Historical Knowledge
1.1.3 Identify American songs and symbols and discuss their origins.
1.1.4 Identify local people from the past who have shown honesty, courage and
responsibility. (Individuals, Society and Culture)
Other Evidence
Type of Evidence
Description of the Assessment Activity
Primary Performance
Assessment (PBA)
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Written prompts/journals
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Small projects/skill
demonstrations/supporting
performances
Student self-assessments
Observing/conferencing
Quizzes/Tests
Other
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Your first grade class has been asked to help a
kindergarten class understand American
symbols. Design a visual display and plan for a
five minute oral presentation.
Non-fiction writing piece at the end of the unit
with the RAN chart
American Symbols Journal
Five fact sentences about symbols
Symbols product
Statue of Liberty Experiment
Web Quest
Personalized Flag
Recite The Star-Spangled Banner
Recite The Pledge of Allegiance
American Symbols Folder
Interactive bulletin board
Web Quest
Various Rubrics and Symbols product checklist
Informal assessment about students working
together and independently throughout the unit.
American flag quiz
Symbols fact and vocabulary quiz
Cumulative test
Oral explanations using age appropriate
speaking and listening skills to explain group
symbol activity.
Participation during culmination of facts from
the books
Which Facet of Understanding
is Emphasize ?
Explanation
Application
Self-Knowledge
Application
Explanation
Application
Self-Knowledge
Application
Application
Application
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Informal observation through anecdotal notes
Learning Plan (Stage 3)
Where are your students headed? Where
have they been? How will you make sure
the students know where they are going?
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How will you hook students at the
beginning of the unit?
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What events will help students experience
and explore the big idea and questions in
the unit? How will you equip them with
needed skills and knowledge?
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How will you cause students to reflect and
rethink? How will you guide them in
rehearsing, revising, and refining their
work?
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Students will learn the importance of a symbol. Students will use
their background knowledge about community, citizenship, and
families to understand their symbolic contributions to the United
States and the rest of the world.
Begin the unit with a RAN (Reading and Analyzing Non-fiction) chart.
Students will be shown important symbols of the United States on a
slideshow.
Each day, lessons will begin with an amazing fact about the symbol
for the day without naming the symbol. This will be followed by a
Word Splash for the symbol.
Students will participate and contribute to a cumulative interactive
bulletin board (large map of the United States with a timeline
illustrating the location and /or origin of each symbol in the unit)with
new learning and visual representations throughout posted
throughout the unit. The key terms, definitions, and unit concepts
will be displayed along with the unit EU and EQ’s. Students will
participate in daily non-fiction read alouds about each symbol, where
they will gather facts on chart paper. They will choose five facts
from this list to create five fact sentences to accompany their symbol
to be placed in their symbols folder. Throughout the unit, they will
also locate the symbols on the map on the interactive bulletin board
and place a picture of the symbol in the correct location. They will
have daily reflective writing open ended responses that correlate
with EQ’s in their American Symbols Journal. They will be engaged
in multiple learning experiences where student understanding of the
symbol will be evidenced by the creation of a symbol’s product.
Students will be engaged in think aloud activities along with picture
books and stories. Students will be engaged in multiple writing
experiences that encourage students to keep reflective journals.
How will you help students to exhibit and
self-evaluate their growing skills,
knowledge, and understanding throughout
the unit?
How will you tailor and otherwise
personalize the learning plan to optimize
the engagement and effectiveness of ALL
students, without compromising the goals
of the unit?
How will you organize and sequence the
learning activities to optimize the
engagement and achievement of ALL
students?
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Oral presentation rubric (PBA)
Symbols product checklist
American flag quiz
American Symbols Journal rubric
Symbols fact and vocabulary quiz
The Star-Spangled Banner rubric
Personalized flag rubric
Informal observation through anecdotal notes
Cumulative test
American symbols folder rubric
6+1 Writing Traits Rubric
Non-fiction writing piece
Students will be given multiple learning experiences that engage
them in different learning styles to meet the needs of all learners.
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The unit will be organized around the implementation of the
interactive bulletin board. The unit will follow the outlined scope and
sequence, making adjustments as needed as based on student need
(example: Working one on one or assigning a partner).
Resources
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Welcome Book Series on American Symbols—Nonfiction Texts
 Nystrom Social Studies Curriculum (Primary)
 Primary sources
 Internet resources
 Web Quest
 Recording of The Star-Spangled Banner
 Lyrics of The Star-Spangled Banner
 American Flag
 Large map of the United States
Materials Needed
 Paper, crayons, scissors, slideshow with symbols of the United States, chart paper, pictures of symbols,
interview outline, trade books, big books, map of the United States, globe, RAN chart, pictures of
presidents, rubrics, large mural paper
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)