Entry #6 Pledge of Allegience

In third grade we learn U.S. history elements such as events and symbols.  The American flag and it's the Pledge of Allegiance are symbols of the United States. Students must recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning when they come to school. They are taught this in preschool/daycare/kindergarten. The words become an automatic response.  The question is, do students really know what the words mean?  Do they know the importance of this tradition?  Francis Bellamy wrote the Pledge of Allegiance in the early 1890's for the National Public Schools Celebration as part of a Columbus Day commemoration.  Francis Bellamy was an author and minister.  (Content)

Have students stand and face the flag.  Say the Pledge together very slowly with the students having their eyes closed.  Place the words (typed) on the smart board for the students to read and reference.  Read each line and ask students to interpret the meaning of the words.  Review all vocabulary words and definitions.(DOK1)  Guide students to realize the Pledge is about loyalty and being true to the united states. (Standard 5.1.3C)(DOK2) Show Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance video on You Tube about his meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance he learned from a teacher.  Ask students to name other things in their lives that are worthy of a pledge of loyalty and truth. (DOK3)  Ask the class how many years ago the Pledge was written.  Assist them in calculating the number of years.  Show students a picture of Bellamy.  Ask them to draw a picture of him writing the Pledge.  Under the picture students write a couple of sentences about the author and reason the Pledge was written.  (CC-W.3.2a) (DOK3)  Ask students to create a class list of the ideas students came up with to show a worth of loyalty.  Students will write a personal Pledge to the things in life (example: family, friends, teachers, ect...) that they feel are worthy of a promise of loyalty.  Place the words to the Pledge of Allegiance back onto the board to model the writing sample.  (CC-W.3.4) (DOK4) (Creative Idea) Explain to the students that the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag honors the United States and its flag. Each color and symbol has a meaning.  Explain that red stands for valor and zeal and so on.  Go over all the meanings with the class.  (Standard 5.1.3F)(DOK2) Ask students to read their personal pledge again and generate symbols and colors that are meaningful to them that might be appropriate on a flag.  Students create their own flag and write a descriptive paragraph about the meaning of the symbols, colors and design they used on their flags.  (CC-W.3.4)(DOK4)(Creative Idea)

Domains: 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 3c
Resources:  
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBTyTWOZCM