1st Grade

Social Studies Unit

Patriotic Symbols

Table of Contents

Unit Rational and Objectives..3

Vocabulary for the Unit 3
Lesson 1- Introduction to symbols......4
Lesson 2- School and Community Symbols...6
Lesson 3- Utah Symbols and Landmarks....8
Lesson 4- National and World Symbols and Landmarks..10
Lesson 5- Assessment...12
Unit Closure .13
Assessment13
Bibliography..13

Unit Rationale and Objectives

Rationale: Its important for students to understand how symbols are used and what is
considered a symbol. Students will be able to understand that there are pictures, hand
signs and sounds that represent symbols. Students will also be able to understand that
there are different symbols that are community, state, national, and world symbols.
Students will understand that symbols are used as a way to communicate.

Social Studies:
Standard 2- Students will recognize the roles and responsibilities in the school and the
neighborhood.
Objective 3- Name school, neighborhood, Utah State, and national symbols, landmarks,
and documents.
a. Identify the school symbols and landmarks.
b. Identify neighbor and community symbols and landmarks.
c. Identify Utah state symbols, documents, and landmarks.
d. Identify national symbol, documents, and landmarks.
e. Demonstrate respect for patriotic practices and customs.

Writing Standard 2
Write informative/ explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about
the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

Speaking and Listening Standard 3

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented
orally or through other media.

Language Standard 1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.

Language Standard 2
Demonstrate command of conventions of standards English capitalization, punctuation,
and spelling when writing.

Language Standard 6
Use words and phrases acquired through conversation, reading and being read to, and
responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunction to signal simple.

Vocabulary:

responsible, vandalism, private property, litter, service, landmark, custom, etiquette,

cooperation, peer, consequence, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Pledge
of Allegiance, school, choice, citizen, sign, firehouse, city hall, church, festival

Lessons
Lesson 1
Materials: pictures of different symbols, white paper, and crayons

Time

2 min.

2 min.

3 min.

Lesson

Management

Introduction: We will gather

on the carpet. Class today we
are going to talk about different
signs. I will show them
different hand signs (love,
peace, listen, quiet, counting,
etc). Students will have to
guess wheat each of this signs
mean.

Class expectations for

when we work on the
carpet will be reviewed.

I will then make some sounds

the class can hear and they
have to guess the sounds as
well (clapping, animal noises,
sighing, etc.).
These signs are symbols and
symbols are all around us.
Symbols can be pictures as
well as hand signs or sounds.
Can you name some picture
symbols they know?

Students will be
expected to raise their
hands if they want to
guess what they think
they sign means.
Students have to listen
carefully and raise their
hand before they share.

They still have to raise

their hands.

Show students some pictures of

different symbols.

13 min.

Content/Activity:
Students will be sent to work at Students will quietly
their tables. Students will draw transition from the
as many symbols as they know. carpet to their tables.
Students, now what I want
you to do is to quietly go back
to your tables and draw as
many symbols as you know on
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the paper we provided you

10 min.

Closure:
Students will share their
drawings with the class.

Students are expected to

be a polite audience.

Assessment:
Drawings will show their
understanding about symbols.

Adaptations: gifted students will be expected to add labels to their pictures.

Integration: art and social studies

Lesson 2
Materials: school song lyrics

Time

5 min.

Lesson
Introduction:
Yesterday we began
talking about symbols. We
said symbols can be
pictures as well as hand
signs and sounds.
Today we will talk about
some symbols in our
school.
What is our school
mascot?

Management

This will be done on the

carpet.

Students need to raise their

hands.

Did you guys know we

have a school song?
Do we have symbols in our
school?

10 min.

Content/activity:
We will take a walk around
our school and look for
symbols we can find.

If students are not quiet in

the halls we will go back to
our classroom.

We are going to walk

around our school and look
for symbols within our
school. When we are in the
hall we have to be really
quiet. I want us to be so
quiet that other classes
dont even notice us.
Closure:

5 min.

When we come back from

our school tour we will talk
about all the symbols that
we found.
What symbols did you see
around our school? Why do
think we have this symbols
in our school?

We will have this

discussion on the carpet.

Think-pair-share

Assessment:
Students can provide one or
two examples of the
symbols we saw in our
school.
Adaptations: Students will think-pair-share before they share with the rest of the class.
Integrations: If we have time we might chorally read our school song. This will integrate
reading to social studies.

Lesson 3
Materials: book, crayons, watercolors, and white paper

Time

Lesson

Management

Introduction:

10 min.

Start talking about state

symbols. Just like we have
school and community, we
also have state symbols and
landmarks that distinguish
our state from other states.
Today we will learn about
some of these landmarks
and symbols from a book
we will read today.
Read A is for Arches: An
Utah Alphabet Book by:
Becky Hall.

5 min.

We will pick one of the

landmarks in the book and
write down some adjectives
that describe it.
Content/Activity:

15 min.

2 min.

Students will draw a picture

of a landmark of their
choice. We will use crayons
and watercolors to create
contrast.

This will be done on the

carpet. Students are
expected to be quiet while I
read the book. They need to
raise their hands if they
have questions to ask.

Students will need to raise

their hand. We will have
this list on the board and
write it together as a whole
class.

I will model how to use the

crayons and watercolors.
Students will share crayons
but be provided with their
individual brush and box of
watercolors. Go over
watercolors expectations.

Closure:
Explain to students that we
will be writing a paragraph
to describe our drawings
next time.
Students next time we will
be writing about your

drawing. You will be using

words that describe your
landmark. This first
Paragraph is going to be
your rough draft. We will
revise it during writing.
When we are ready to
publish we will glue it
together with your drawing
and display it in our
classroom.
Assessment:
Students being able to apply
their descriptions to their
drawings/paintings

Adaptations: Have a map of Utah available to point out some of the landmarks. For this
lesson I will have to think how I can be more cultural relevant for my students who are
not familiar with any of the landmarks mentioned in the book.
Integrations: art into social studies.

Lesson 4
Materials: PowerPoint, book, and graphic organizer

Time

Lesson

Management

2 min.

Introduction:
We also have national and
world symbols. This
symbols represent or even
serve as a way of
communication.

This will be done on the

carpet.

5 min.

Show PowerPoint. We
will be watching a
PowerPoint with examples
of symbols.

10 min.

10 min.

5min.

Read book Americana

Adventure by: Micheal
Garland
Content/Activity:
Talk about some of the
symbols we found in the
story. What were some
symbols you saw in the
book? Why are they
important? How are they
used? Can they represent
something different?
Closure:
We will have a brief
discussion about how this
new symbols are similar
and different from the ones
in our state and our
community.
Assessment:
Individual graphic
organizer.

PowerPoint will be at the

tables.
Students are expected to
listen during the book. They
will need to raise their hand
if they need to ask a
question or share any
thoughts.

Students will begin by

think-pair- share they will
then raise their hands if they
want to answer any of the
questions. I will only call on
students who are raising
their hands and wait to be
called on.

We will use a graphic

organizer and do this as a
whole class on the tables.
They will also be filling out
an individual graphic
organizer.

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Adaptation: I will write in the graphic organizer in order for students to keep up with all
the information.
Integration: writing and speaking into social studies.

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Lesson 5
Materials: book, worksheet, and crayons

Time
10 min.

Lesson
Introduction:
Read Uncle Sam and Old
Glory: Symbols of
America, by: Delno C.
West.
We have been talking
about symbols and
landmarks. We now know
that we can find symbols
everywhere. We also wrote
about landmarks we have in
our state. Today we will
have a matching activity in
which we will be testing our
knowledge of symbols.

15 min.

5 min.

Content/ Activity:
Students will go back to
their tables and get out a
red, blue and yellow crayon.
Quietly go back to your
tables and get out a read,
blue and yellow crayon.
You will complete this
worksheet individually.
Closure:
We will go over the whole
sheet as a whole class.

Management
Students are expected to
listen during the book. They
will need to raise their hand
if they need to ask a
question or share any
thoughts.

Students will quietly

transition from the carpet to
their tables. Students will be
spread out and only sit 3 at
a table. Students will use a
file folder divider.

Students will turn in their

worksheet prior to
correcting it.

Assessment:
The works sheet will assess
if they can categorize
symbols in their different
categories.
Adaptations: Explicit direction before they individually start.
Integration: Listening into social studies

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Unit Closure
During the unit we talked about school, state, national, and world symbol, but we didnt
talk much about community symbols. A good way to close the unit would be for them to
see some symbols in their neighborhood. For the closing activity if the weather allows it
we will walk around the neighborhood. For this activity we might need some parent
volunteers. It will be a great way to connect the concept of symbols to their every day
lives.

Assessment
Lesson 5 is the summative assessment for the unit, but every lesson has formative
assessment. Formative assessments for all my lessons include observations and the
activities. We will be displaying some of the projects in our classroom and others will be
added to their portfolio.

Bibliography

A is for Arches: A Utah Alphabet by Becky Hall

Americana Adventures by Micheal Garland
UEN common Core Standards
UEN- Symbols and Landmarks
Uncle Sam and Old Glory: Symbols of America by Delno C. West

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