Personal Patriots

Summary

Students will review the Pledge of Allegiance and symbols of America.

Materials

• Pledge of Allegiance song
• Chart with "First, Next, Then, Last"
• Create-A-Log
• Symbols of America (pdf)
• Pledge of Allegiance

Additional Resources

Book

• The Pledge of Allegiance, (Scholastic, Big Book Collection, Item# NTS932205, includes teacher guide); ISBN 0-439-21672-9

Background for Teachers

Our country was founded on citizen input toward the making of our rules and the responsibility to follow them. The first thing we do in a classroom each year is establish rules. Citizens who uphold the rules of our country are called patriots. Each student should become knowledgeable enough to understand and follow the rules personally, in our classroom and our country.

Teachers should have knowledge of the symbols used to represent our country and how they came to be.

Intended Learning Outcomes

2. Develop social skills and ethical responsibility.
6. Communicate clearly in oral, artistic, written, and nonverbal form.

Instructional Procedures

Invitation to Learn
Play the song Pledge of Allegiance or say the pledge together.

Instructional Procedures

Part I

1. Discuss the sequence used to say the Pledge of Allegiance using the words; first, next, then, and last.
2. Discuss the proper way to say the pledge.
3. Tell students what should happen; first, next, then, and last. Make a chart displaying the steps for saying the pledge.
4. Classroom procedures should be written in this same process, either as a shared activity or interactively.
5. Practice saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
6. Have students record in their Create-A-Log their understanding of the procedure to say the Pledge of Allegiance.

Part II

1. Show symbols of things the children already know (e.g., a STOP sign, pedestrian crossing sign, etc.).
2. Discuss why we have symbols.
3. Create a K-W-L chart to see what knowledge children have of the Symbols of America.
4. Read the story, The Pledge of Allegiance and discuss the flag as a symbol. Also discuss the symbols on the flag.
5. Using sign language as a type of symbol, teach the pledge using sign language.
6. Have each student draw a picture of themselves. Assign some to color the background blue, some white, and some red. These pictures can be glued on a chart paper to make a flag with pictures of all your class "patriots."

Extensions

• Sing the Pledge of Allegiance song and include sign language.
• Students record in their Create-A-Log how they feel about the pledge and learning it.
• Find someone with a hearing disability and share the pledge by signing.
• Use the same process to retell stories you have read in class or reading groups. What happened first, next, then, and last?

Family Connections

• Share with parents the “first, next, then, last” process. Ask them to help the student write one of their home rules in the same process.
• Students will share the pledge in sign language with parents.

Assessment Plan

• Check students’ written responses to see if they understand the proper procedure for saying the pledge.
• Have students recite the pledge to a partner in another class to see if they know it all.
• Watch daily recitations during pledge.