Seeing Stars

flag day graphic

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Subjects

Arts & Humanities
Language Arts, Visual Arts
Mathematics

Social Studies
Civics, U.S. History

Grades
3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Brief Description

Students follow directions to make five-point stars like the ones on the American flag.

Objectives

Students

follow oral or written directions as they fold and cut a five-point star like the one that appears on the American flag.
perform one of the writing exercises in the Lesson Plan section below.

Keywords

flag, star, Betsy Ross, following directions, America

Materials Needed

white paper cut to 8 1/2 inches by 10 inches
scissors

Lesson Plan

According to some historical accounts, George Washington presented Betsy Ross with a sketch of a flag that he and others wanted to represent the United States. That sketch included 13 six-point stars, one for each of the original 13 colonies. When Betsy Ross saw the sketch, legend has it, she suggested a five-point star in place of the six-point star. Invite students to read, or read aloud to students, a brief description of that legend on the 5-Pointed Star in One Snip page of the Betsy Ross Homepage.

On that same page, you will find instructions for cutting a five-point star. Use those instructions to help students make five-point stars. (Be sure to practice ahead of time!) This will be a real test of your students' abilities to follow directions.

When students have successfully cut out their stars, instruct them to complete one of these language activities:

Think of as many adjectives as you can to describe the United States and explain what living here is like. Write those adjectives on your star.
Name some places of historic significance in the United States, such as the White House. Write the names of those places on your star.
Write on your star the names of ten people who have made this country great.
Write on your star a response to the question "What does it mean to be an American?"

Extension Activities

Instead of asking students to complete one of the language activities above, assign each student a state or states. Have students research their assigned states and write on their stars five facts about each state. Encourage students to include an illustration or two. Alternative: Ask all students to write on their stars the same basic facts about each state, such as the state's population, capital, motto, and flower).
The stars that students make can be placed on a giant flag of the United States. See another Education World lesson, This Is America! Flag Collage, for ideas about making a flag to welcome visitors to your school.

Assessment

Students write in their journals a brief response to the question "What did you learn about the United States from this activity?

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Gary Hopkins

National Standards

FINE ARTS: Visual Arts

GRADES K - 4
NA-VA.K-4.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.K-4.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines

GRADES 5 - 8
NA-VA.5-8.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.5-8.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines

GRADES 9 - 12
NA-VA.9-12.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.9-12.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines

LANGUAGE ARTS: English