American Symbols

American

Symbols

American Flag

Bald Eagle

Liberty Bell

Statue of Liberty

Uncle Sam

White House

Resources
Clipart
Standards

American Flag

The first U.S. flag was designed in 1777. The flag has been changed many times since then. Today the United States flag has 13 stripes. Seven are red and six are white. It also has 50 white stars on a blue background. The 50 stars represent the 50 states in the U.S. New stars are added each time new states join the Union.

Bald Eagle
The bald eagle is a large, powerful, brown bird with a white head and tail. Bald eagles have a wing span of 6 to 8 feet .This special bird has always been known for its courage. The Founding Fathers chose the bald eagle to be the national bird of the United States in 1782. The bald eagle can only be found in North America. It is not really bald – it just looks that way because its head is covered with white feathers.

Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is a very large bell. It is made of copper, tin, silver, gold and other metals. The bell is kept in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1776, the Liberty Bell rang to tell everyone that the Declaration of Independence had been signed. In 1846, the Liberty Bell rang to celebrate George Washington’s birthday. A big zigzag crack spread up the bell. Now the bell is rung only on very special occasions by striking the rim.

Statue of Liberty
On July 4,1884, France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States, as a gift of friendship. It was sent by ship to New York City. The Statue of Liberty was too big to send in one piece. Workers took it apart and shipped it in 214 crates. Today it stands 151 feet tall. Millions of people visit the Statue of Liberty each year. Her torch is a symbol of welcome. The broken chain at her feet is a symbol of freedom.

Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam is a symbol of the U.S. government. Uncle Sam is based on a man named Samuel Wilson. Wilson sold food to the U.S. Army during the War of 1812. In the 1830’s, newspapers created cartoons of Uncle Sam. Over the years, Uncle Sam’s look changed. In 1917, James Montgomery Flag painted the most famous picture of Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam is usually shown with a long white beard, a top hat, and bright red, white and blue clothes. Today pictures of Uncle Sam can be found all over the world.

White House
The White House is the best known house in our country. It is in Washington D.C. The President and his family live in the White House. The President also works in the White House. The President’s office is called the Oval Office. It took eight years to build the White House. It was built of bricks and stone that were painted white. There are 132 rooms in the White House. Important people from all over the world come to meet the President at the White House.

Resources

Binns, Tristan B. The White House. Chicago, Illinois: Heinemann, 2001.

Nobleman, Marc T. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone, 2003.

“Symbols of the U.S. Government.” Ben’s Guide to

U.S. Government for Kids

. 13 Dec. 2001. U.S. Government Printing Office. 25 Jan. 2007 < http://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/index.html >.

Yanuck, Debbie L. The American Flag. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone, 2003.

Yanuck, Debbie L. The

Liberty

Bell

. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone, 2003.

Yanuck, Debbie L. Uncle Sam. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone, 2004.

Yanuck, Debbie L. The Bald Eagle. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone P, 2003.

Clipart
http://www.teacherfiles.com/clip_art.htm
http://www.school-clip-art.com/
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/index.html

Standards

SS.1.18

Identifies and describes familiar symbols of our country including Uncle Sam, the bald eagle, flag, and the Statue of Liberty.

ELA1R6 The student uses a variety of strategies to understand and gain
meaning from grade-level text.

ELA1W1 The student begins to demonstrate competency in the writing
process.

created by Eden Clark, ITS, and Kris Cable, LMS (January 2007)