Being an American affords certain rights and liberties.  Many American symbols represent the freedom that we continue to strive for.  However, in America's past there have been times when certain Americans were not granted these freedoms despite the symbols that represent what so many immigrants have strived for.

This project is designed to provide students with an understanding of:

Upon completion of this unit the students will:

Geography

     Session 1:  The students will learn a song composed by the teacher about the 7 continents.  Using a globe, Nystrom atlas, and the world map, we will discuss the purposes for using each one.  The students will point to each continent as they sing.  Using http://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/nation/index.html and the LCD projector and smart board, the teacher will show how we can find a single location on the map.  In groups of 2 or 3 the students will then use the atlas to help them find our continent, our country, and our state.

Symbols of America    

     Using the fascimile from the Teacher Created Primary Sources, show the students the pledge created by Francis Ballamy.  He was asked to plan a program for the public schools' celebration of Columbus Day.  He wrote the pledge and it appeared in the September 1892 issue of The Youth's Companion.  Read the book Pledge of Allegiance.  The photos and explanations of each line are a great way to bring in the vocabulary.  Show the then and now photographs of the flag from the Primary Sources.  Have the students compare and contrast why it has changed over time.  Create a class timeline of the changes that were made to the flag.  Also have students refer to the Scholastic, Inc. poster about the flag.  The students will color a flag from 1776 and a flag from the present to help make the visual comparisons.

     Session 2:  Read The Star-Spangled Banner, By the Dawn's Early Light.  Show the students the then and now photograph card from the Teacher Created primary sources of Francis Scott Key and the baseball game.  Then show the students the Facsimile of the Star-Spangled Banner taken from the Library of Congress.  The students will create a word web working in teams of 4 to list all that they have learned about the Star-Spangled Banner.

     Session 3:  Using the Star-Spangled Banner as a springboard, discuss how rhythm and movement can create a sense of patriotism.  Give several examples.  Individually or in groups of 2 or 3, the students will choose a patriotic song to sing or dance to for the class.  They may use the red, white, and blue scarves or crepe paper to enhance their movements in their performance.  Check the resources list for books for the students to utilize in their choices such as the Scott Forsmann patriotic songbook,  My Country Tis of Thee, Yankee Doodle or have students look at the following internet site http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/nametune2.htm

     Session 4:  The students will learn about symbols that depict freedom in America.  Draw a heart, a star, and a circle with a line through it on the white board.  Ask the students what each drawing represents.  Ask them what each symbol means.  Ask questions such as, "Could a symbol mean more than one thing?"  "Do symbols make you feel a certain way when you see them?"  Read In Search of Liberty The Story of the Statue of Liberty by James B. Bell and Richard I. Abrams.  Show students the then and now photograph card from the Primary Sources.  One is New York Harbor in 1887.  The other is present day New York Harbor.  Have a class discussion about immigration and what liberty represents.

     Introduce the students to http://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/symbols/index.html and http://enchantedlearning.com with the LCD projector and the smart board.  In groups of 2 students will research additional symbols such as the Liberty Bell, the bald eagle, the great seal, the White House, or ones we have already discussed like the flag, Statue of Liberty, or National Anthem.  Using the internet or available books, the students will create one power point slide to be put into a class power point presentation.  The slide must contain a title, one picture, and a short captian describing what they learned.  Students are encouraged to make more than one slide to assist in their understanding of the topic.

     Session 5:  Talk about why Lilli the Brave's family (a class read aloud) and the Pilgrims left their homeland to come to America.  Brainstorm other reasons why people leave their homeland.  Introduce the story The Bracelet by Y. Uchida.  Locate Japan on the map.  Find Hawaii, the Pacific Ocean, and the western coast of the United States on the map.  Talk about the bombing at Pearl Harbor.  Read the story; then lead a class discussion about why the Japanese were put in internment camps.  Turn to a partner in the circle and talk about what you would give to a friend who was leaving and what that gift symbolizes.

     Session 6:  Read Flowers From Mariko by R. & D. Jenks.  Point out the feelings that were taking place in the camp.  What did the flowers symbolize?  Relate it back to the American symbols.  Write in your journal about the internment.  Don't forget to include what it looked like, what it felt like, was there justice in being placed there, what you think might happen to your possessions while you were interned.

     Session 7:  Read So Far From the Sea by Eve Bunting.  Look at the surroundings and think about why they were placed in such a dry desolate area.  Why did the illustrator use black and white on some pages and color on other pages.   Draw a picture of what you might leave a loved one at a monument and be prepared to tell why you would leave that item. 

     Session 8:  Think about the patriotism that Americans have for the game of baseball. Even the National Anthem is played at the beginning of the game as well as other sporting events.  Read Babeball Saved Us by K. Mochizuki.  How did the father's decision to create a baseball field help them cope with their time of internment?  What are some distractions that help you cope when life seems rough?  How did the guard affect the outcome of the game?  Choose two of the last four books that were just read to compare and contrast using a Venn diagram.  Include at least 4 comparisons and contrasts.

     Session 9:  Play a cause-effect game where the teacher gives a cause and the students have to say what the effect could be.  Challenge students to come up with a cause and see if classmates can guess a possible effect.  Create a matching game with cause and effect cards that the students can play in pairs.  Use questions from the literature books.  Read Heroes by K. Mochizuki.  Talk about how the Japanese Americans including children were treated after the war.  Fill out a cause-effect diagram about the war and the Japenese Internment.

     Session 10:  Wrap up session.  View the class slideshow of American symbols.  Students discuss how even though our own country represents freedom, liberty, equality, and justice, we chose to mistreat the Japanese Americans who lived near the west coast.  Challenge students to think of other times in history that we may have mistreated various groups of minorities.  Talk about cultural differences and the importance of treating others with respect.  Turn to circle partners and and discuss ways that each of us can respect others even though they are not the same as us.

Upon conclusion of this unit, the student will be able to locate the 7 continents on a map or globe.  He/she will be able to locate the United States and its western coast.  The students will then be able to identify several symbols of the United States and use vocabulary that helps to define those symbols representative of America.  After hearing several stories from children's literature, the students will be able to synthesize that the Japanese Americans were not treated by American standards during the Internment during World War II.

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