Uncle Sam Wants You: National Symbols


Social Studies American History American Identity Uncle Sam Wants You: National Symbols
Students brainstorm symbols that represent the United States. Then they explore the significance of three symbols: Uncle Sam, the Liberty Bell, and the bald eagle. Next they restate the Pledge of Allegiance in their own words. Finally they choose one of two tasks: to design a new American symbol or to create a poster explaining a recognized symbol to younger children.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

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Here are the teacher pack items for Uncle Sam Wants You: National Symbols:

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Overview

In this experience, students brainstorm symbols that represent the United States. Then they explore the significance of three symbols: Uncle Sam, the Liberty Bell, and the bald eagle. Next they restate the Pledge of Allegiance in their own words. Finally they choose one of two tasks: to design a new American symbol or to create a poster explaining a recognized symbol to younger children.

Estimated duration: 40-75 minutes, depending on how much time you want to give students for the creative task in scene 4

Vocabulary words:

  • logo
  • personification
  • initials
  • cast (metal)
  • inscription
  • session
  • adopt
  • emblem

Objectives

  • Describe the national symbols of the United States.
  • Analyze the Pledge of Allegiance.


Engage


We use symbols for many things in life. Every nation has a flag to represent it. Many businesses are recognized by their symbols, called logos, such as McDonald’s golden arches or Nike’s swoosh. Symbols can also represent ideas, like a heart shape to represent love or a red Stop sign to represent a warning not to take a dangerous action. In this lesson, you will learn about some of the symbols that represent the United States.

Objectives

  • Describe the national symbols of the United States.
  • Analyze the Pledge of Allegiance.


map of the United States with American flag pattern

The United States has many symbols that represent the country. Name at least one. If you want to post multiple symbols, separate them with a comma, like this: Cleveland, Austin.

Post your answer

The Library of Congress web site lists six symbols: the Liberty Bell, the U.S. flag, the bald eagle, the national anthem, Uncle Sam, and the Statue of Liberty. Other sources add items such as the White House, the Washington Memorial, or the Great Seal.

Students may include items from popular culture that are identified with the United States, such as baseball or apple pie.


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