Patriotic Education
Patriotic Education
The Legislature of the state of Utah recently passed
Senate Bill 21 which requires schools to instruct students on the history of the United States flag, flag etiquette, flag customs and other patriotic exercises. Below are Internet links and activities to help support this legislation.
History of the Flag | The Star-Spangled Banner | Flag Etiquette | Pledge of Allegiance
| Student Activities | Ask the Experts
History of the Flag
- Flag History
How much do you know about the United State's flag? Can you answer these questions without looking at the Flag History site above?
- What does the United State's flag symbolize?
- Which president declared June 14th as Flag Day?
- What do the stars on the flag represent?
- Evolution of the United States Flag
According to this site the United State's flag did not always have 13 stripes.
- Discover how many stripes it had in 1794.
- How many states were part of the United States in 1912?
and in 1959?
- What was unique about the flag of 1795-1818?
- Interactive Flag
Explore features of the flag and discover something new each time you click. Zoom in for incredible detail.
- What fabric is this flag made out of?
- How large is each star on this flag?
- What is the red upside-down "v" shape on the flag?
- The Story of Old Glory
Discover how the U.S. flag got the nickname of Old Glory.
- Who named the U.S. flag "Old Glory"?
- Who wanted to destroy this flag during the Civil War? Why do you think they wanted to destroy it?
- Where did the captain successfully hide the flag?
- Francis Hopkinson
Here is a brief history of the man who designed the first United States flag.
- Betsy Ross and the American Flag
Spend some time with Betsy Ross and find out if she really sewed the first U.S. flag. Be sure to read The Story of Betsy Ross's Life for more information. And don't miss the Virtual Tour of The Betsy Ross House
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The Star-Spangled Banner
- Star-Spangled
Banner
Read the lyrics of the Star-Spangled Banner
- About
Francis Scott Key
This man was not a professional poet or songwriter. Find out what his "real"
job was.
- National Anthem
- Since 1890s how has the military used this song?
- When did the Star-Spangled Banner become the United State's national anthem?
- Mary
Pickersgill
Here is the flagmaker who sewed the banner that inspired Francis Scott Key
to write his famous poem.
- Where did Mary sew this large flag?
- How large was the Star-Spangled Banner that Mary Pickersgill created?
- Who helped Mary make these flags?
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Flag Etiquette
- U. S. Flag Code (36
USC 10)
Here is the official Flag Code from Title 36 (Patriotic Societies and Observances)
of the United States Code Chapter 10 (Patriotic Customs).
- Flag
Etiquette
This page contains general information about the flag, as well as specific
information about displaying and respecting the flag.
- Displaying
the Flag
This illustrated site explains the correct ways to display the U.S. flag.
- Flag
Questions
Is it true that you are supposed to destroy the flag if it touches the ground?
What is the proper way to dispose of a flag? Learn the answers to these and
other questions about the U.S. flag.
- Flag Day History
- A teacher was the first person to celebrate flag day. True or false?
- How many years later did Congress make Flag Day an official holiday?
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Pledge of Allegiance
A solemn promise of loyalty to the United States.
- The
Pledge of Allegiance
You have probably recited the Pledge of Allegiance many times, but do you
know what the words actually mean? This American Legion webpage helps us understand
what the pledge is all about.
- The
Pledge of Allegiance: A Short History
Read the history of the pledge and answer the following questions:
- According to this website, who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance?
- In 1892 the pledge was published in which magazine?
- On which national holiday did public-school children first recite the
pledge?
- What changes were made to the pledge at the 1923 and 1924 National Flag
Conference?
- Red
Skelton's Commentary on the Pledge of Allegiance
Have you heard of Red Skelton? (He was a radio and TV comedian of the 1950s
and 60s.) Read his commentary on the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Student Activities
- Challenge yourself to answer these ten questions about the history of the American flag and in particular about the Star-Spangled Banner.
- Now that you know a bit about the past United States flags, test your knowledge by identifying the fake American flag.
- Take this online quiz about Flag Etiquette.
- Coloring Pages: Print and color these patriotic images.
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Ask the Experts
You may want to invite an "expert" to speak to your class or school about flag etiquette and patriotism in general. Below are some resources to help you find a guest speaker.
- Military Recruiters
The list of recruiters for the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy across Utah is too long to list here. I suggest that you look for "Recruiters" in your white pages under the "Government" section to find the office nearest you.
- Boy Scouts of America
I found 3 council headquarters in Utah:
Great Salt Lake Council
525 Foothill Blvd.
Salt Lake City, UT 84113-1199
Phone: 801-582-3663
Utah National Parks Council
250 West 500 North
Provo, UT 84603-0106
Phone: 801-373-4185
Trapper Trails Council
1200 East 5400 South
Ogden, UT 84403-4599
Phone: 801-479-5460
- The American Legion
There are several American Legion Posts in Utah, so it is probably best to use the phone book to find the one closest to you.
- The Joe Foss Institute
The institute's objective is to bring a message to school-aged children about the importance of integrity, the meaning and history of patriotism and the value of the freedoms we enjoy in the United States.
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Please email me if you find dead links on this page or if you have a link suggestion.
Author: Karen Krier - Email karen@uen.org