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Teacher’s Resource Book

America’sSymbols

Newbridge Early Social StudiesAmerica’s Symbols Teacher’s Resource BookISBN: 978-1-4007-3334-7

Contributors to front matter: Kathy Page Barabas, WritingSpecialist and Staff Developer, New York City Public Schools;and Caryl Hughan, Reading and ESL Specialist, Millbrae, CA

Editorial assistance by Pinnacle Education Associates

Newbridge Educational Publishing11 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010www.newbridgeonline.com

Copyright © 2003 Newbridge Educational Publishing, LLC, a Haights Cross Communications Company

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy,recording, or any information storage or retrieval system,without permission in writing from the publisher.Printed in the United States of America.

Permission is hereby granted to reproduce the blacklinemasters on pages 17–20 of this publication in completepages, with the copyright notice, for classroom use withthe Newbridge Early Social Studies program. Any other use requires written permission from the publisher.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

Teaching Nonfiction

Reading and Writing Nonfiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Nonfiction with English Language Learners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Teaching America’s Symbols

Instructional Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Introducing America’s Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Teaching Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Curriculum Extensions

Social Studies Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Writing Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Reproducibles

Guided Writing Minibook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Graphic Organizer: KWL Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Assessment Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Correlation to Social Studies Standards . . . . . . . . . . Inside back cover

America’s Symbols

Reading and Writing Nonfiction

2

Why Teach Nonfiction?

Nonfiction can be as appealing and interestingas fiction. It provides opportunities to modelgood reading behaviors, such as predicting,inferring, and summarizing, in a content-ladensetting. It also exposes students to new languagestructures such as explanation and proceduraltext. They learn to synthesize information frommultiple sources, such as headings, captions,and charts.

About Shared ReadingShared reading is a collaborative learningactivity that helps students enjoy books without the pressure of having to read fluentlyon their own. Knowing that others are readingalong with them adds to the enjoyment of theexperience. Shared reading also provides anopportunity to teach reading and writing skillsdirectly in a supportive environment.

Shared reading of Big Books is an excellent wayto introduce nonfiction. Move slowly through thebook as you read together. While you may wish toread the Big Book through once for pleasure,often with nonfiction you may prefer to dip in toread a section in a session of 20–30 minutes. Youmay reread the book, or any section of it, severaltimes for different purposes.

Read and reread sentences. Invite students tomake predictions, ask questions, and explore thespecial features of nonfiction, such as the table ofcontents, glossary, index, labels, maps, diagrams,and charts. Model the ways good readers readnonfiction texts successfully to engage studentsin effective reading strategies and behaviors.

Students may wish to read the text independently.After a few readings, place the small studentbooks in the literacy center. As students becomebetter readers, they will gather information thatadds to their understanding of the social studiesconcepts presented in the Big Book.

About Shared/Interactive WritingShared/interactive writing is a collaborativewriting experience in which teachers and students compose a text together. Typically,teachers act as scribes, eliciting ideas fromstudents and negotiating the text structure and word choice. Help students understandwhere to begin, what letters spell a word, andwhen to leave spaces or use punctuation. Invitestudents to help with spelling and other familiarconventions.

As students learn more about the writing process,invite them to “share the pen” and write a recentlylearned letter, letter cluster, word, or phrase. Sincethe resulting text is intended to be used for sharedreading by students, proofread with the studentsto check for standard spelling. Keep sessions brief,and make sure that everyone is actively involved.Some teachers give wipe boards to all students sothat everyone can try out new letters or words.

Informational texts provide many opportunitiesfor shared/interactive writing. After reading anonfiction Big Book, you may wish to work withstudents to create new captions for some of theillustrations. At another session, you can addadditional entries to the glossary or write newheadings. Use the basic structure of the bookto compose new pages based on students’ personal experiences with the topic. Recordstudents’ questions about the subject, and chartnew information.

Through shared/interactive writing, students learnhow informational texts work by becoming insid-ers who write nonfiction themselves. Having manyshort shared-writing opportunities throughoutthe day supports students as they move towardbecoming independent writers.

Nonfiction with English Language Learners

3

Teaching Nonfiction to English

Language Learners

Social studies Big Books present a unique context for developing both language skills and content knowledge for English LanguageLearners (ELLs). The Big Books present vocabulary within a context and provide shared learning experiences. Shared readingcreates a supportive environment in which allstudents can participate at their level. Use these opportunities to build confidence andenthusiasm, as well as knowledge and skills, by praising effort and minimizing structuralerror correction.

Before ReadingBest practices for teaching ELLs in the contentareas include pre-lesson activities that focuson content vocabulary and accessing priorknowledge.

◆ Capitalize on the photographs. Go through theBig Book several times using the photographsto build content comprehension and establishthe sequence of events.

◆ Preview and develop the content vocabularyusing the visuals. Speak simply, and providemultiple repetitions of the content vocabulary.Then you may wish to build a word wall.

◆ Access students’ prior knowledge by invitingthose who have some knowledge of English totell what they know about the subject of theBig Book.

Reading the Big BooksReading the Big Book with ELLs presentsopportunities for language development.

◆ Read the Big Book to the students to helpthem build their listening vocabulary and to model fluent reading. When Big Books are used as read-alouds, students hear English vocabulary, pronunciation, rhythm,and intonation.

◆ Use the read-aloud time to point out proper nouns, important content words, or words that start with the same initial letters and sounds.

◆ Point out sequences of action, and modelidentifying main ideas.

◆ Encourage students to read aloud with you,saying the words with which they are familiar,but allow sufficient “wait time” for students toprocess information.

Comprehending Social Studies ContentBig Books provide a special reading experience that you can return to with students to build comprehension.

◆ As you read, chunk the material. At the end of each short chunk, model summarizinginformation frequently.

◆ Use dramatic gestures and facial expressionsto help students comprehend the content.Allow students to respond in the same way.

◆ Practice the three Rs—revisit, review, andrepeat.

◆ Model recalling and retelling the selectionseveral times, and then help students do theretelling.

◆ Provide opportunities for ELLs to work withother students.

◆ After ELLs are familiar with the Big Bookcontent, they can use the smaller studentbooks in cooperative learning groups and as resources for ideas and vocabulary.

Young learners love the security of familiarrepetitions. As they become comfortable with thecontent, they can see and feel their own growthover time.

4

Instructional Overview

Summary

America’s Symbols introduces students to the con-cept of symbols and the history of six patriotic sym-bols. Students learn that people living in the UnitedStates share certain ideals and use symbols to repre-sent these ideals. Symbols featured in the bookinclude the American flag, the Liberty Bell, the baldeagle, the Seal of the President and the Great Seal ofthe United States, and the White House.

Standards

◆ Time, Continuity, and Change◆ Power, Authority, and Governance◆ Civic Ideals and Practices

Main Ideas

◆ The American flag and the Liberty Bellsymbolize the ideal of freedom and thecolonies’ fight for freedom from England.

◆ The bald eagle represents the Americanvalues of strength, bravery, and freedom.

◆ The presidency and the ideals of peace andstrength are symbolized by the seals of theUnited States.

◆ America’s symbols remind all people living inthis country that they are free.

Thinking Skills

This Teacher’s Resource Book includes activities to practice the following thinking skills:

◆ Comparing and Contrasting, page 8◆ Analyzing Primary Sources, page 9◆ Identifying Main Idea and Details, page 12◆ Recording Information/Summarizing, page 13

Vocabulary

The following words are highlighted in the BigBook. The root form of each word, along with its definition, can be found in the Glossary of theBig Book.

national anthemsymbolcoloniesfreedomminutemenDeclaration of Independenceseal

Nonfiction Features

The Teacher’s Resource Book offers ideas forteaching these features:

◆ Maps, page 8◆ Captions, page 9

5

Assessment Overview

This book provides many opportunities for both informal and formal assessment of student progress.

◆ Thinking Skills questions in the TeachingNotes allow you to observe students’ thoughtprocesses and assess comprehension.

◆ Ongoing Assessment features provide aquick, easy way to tell whether students havegrasped important concepts.

◆ A Rubric on page 14 of this book can helpyou evaluate each student’s grasp of the socialstudies concepts.

◆ An Assessment Activity reproducible onpage 20 of this book enables you to assessstudents’ comprehension of the social studiescontent of America’s Symbols.

Using the Assessment ActivityGive each student a copy of the AssessmentActivity reproducible America’s Symbols,on page 20. Read the directions aloud withstudents. Have them cut and paste the symbolsof our country below the main idea. Discuss thecompleted sheets with students, and havethem write about what these symbols mean toall Americans.

Social Studies Activities

Preview page 15 to identify which social studiesactivities you may wish to use for whole class,small group, or individual work.

Reaching OutSuggestions for visiting a school or com-

munity library to learn about otherAmerican symbols are given. You maywish to plan ahead by arranginga visit to a nearby library or your

school library.

Focus on EconomicsStudents draw state coin designs to teach otherstudents about different state symbols.

Class ProjectStudents design a flag for their state.

Writing Workshop

Preview page 16 for shared/interactive, guided, and independent writing activities.

Shared/Interactive WritingAfter learning about the national bird on pages10–11 of the Big Book, students suggest ideasfor another national animal.

Guided Writing MinibookThe Minibook for America’s

Symbols contains space for students to draw and write about U.S. symbols.

You will find complete notes on constructingand writing the Minibook in the WritingWorkshop on page 16. You may wish to havestudents write in their Minibooks at differenttimes during your reading of the Big Book, orhave them write the Minibooks as a separateactivity.

Independent WritingIndependent writing promptsare given at point of usethroughout the Teaching Notes under More to Do. Page 16 lists additional writing prompts for use in your writing center.

America’s

Symbols

6

Introducing America’s Symbols

ACCESSING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

To find out what students already know aboutAmerica’s symbols, begin with questions suchas these:

◆ What things in our classroom remind you ofour country?

◆ Why do you think we say the Pledge ofAllegiance and sing songs about America?

On chart paper, draw a KWL chart like the oneshown. In the first column, write main ideas anddetails that came up in your discussion of U.S.symbols. As you read the book with students,you can add information to this and the othertwo columns.

A reproducible of the KWL chart appears on page 19.

INTRODUCING THE BOOK

Display the cover of America’s Symbols, andread the title together. Point out the author’sname and the photo on the cover.

◆ What colors do you see on the cover?Do any of these colors have a special meaning?

◆ Describe what you see in the photo. Whereelse have you seen this kind of bird?

◆ Why do you think the author chose thisphoto for the cover of the book?

◆ Do you think the bird might be a symbol?Why do you think that?

Turn to the back cover, and read the blurbaloud, tracking the type. Then ask volunteers toname some of the things mentioned in the blurbthat remind them of America. Help students

understand the meaning of “being proud” bytelling them that when people feel proud ofAmerica, they are happy to live in our greatcountry. Then turn to the table of contents, anddirect students’ attention to the photograph.

◆ What do you notice in this photo that makesyou think of America? (eagle, flag)

◆ What do you think the dates in the photomean?

Explain to students that they will learn about theimportance of 1776 as they read the Big Book.Add that 1976 was the 200th birthday of theUnited States. Redirect students’ attention to thetable of contents. Together, read the chapter titles.

◆ What do you think we will read about onpage 2?

Turn to the page to confirm students’ responses.You may wish to repeat the procedure for pages10 and 14.

READING THE BOOK

You may spend one session just introducing thebook. When you return to read it, look again atthe cover and review students’ ideas about thecontent. Guide students to use their predictionsto set a purpose for reading. Later, after studentshave read the book, talk about whether the bookconfirmed their predictions or surprised them.

Read the book in segments, or even two pagesat a time, setting a purpose for reading eachtime. Gather information from photographs.When appropriate, spend time interpretinginformation from a nonfiction feature such asthe maps on page 5.

You may reread all or parts of the book severaltimes for different purposes. Students may enjoychoosing a topic from the table of contents orthe Index to read about. The Shared ReadingNotes provide support in developing key socialstudies ideas and teaching nonfiction features.

What We Know What We Wantto Know

What WeHave Learned

Teaching Notes

7

PAGES 2–3

What’s the Big Idea?

The American flag is an important symbol of ourcountry, the United States of America. “The Star-Spangled Banner” honors the flag.

SHARED READING NOTES

Read aloud the heading on page 2.

◆ What are some of the things we do with theAmerican flag? (pledge our allegiance to it, saluteit, fly it)

Then read aloud the first two sentences on page2 with students, and direct their attention to thephotographs on pages 2 and 3. Have studentscount the flags they see.

◆ Where have you waved a flag or seen othersdo so? (athletic events, holiday celebrations,parades)

Then focus on the photo on page 2.

◆ Where do you think this photo was taken?What clues tell you that?

◆ Why do you think the American flag isdisplayed at games and other events? (to showpride in America)

Have students observe the way the band mem-bers in the photograph are holding the flag. Pointout that one way we show respect for the flag isby keeping it from touching the ground. Thendirect students’ attention to the photo on page 3.

◆ Why do you think the children are wavingflags?

Read the rest of page 2 to confirm for studentsthat these photos were taken at a football gameand a parade. Then have students read the firstparagraph on page 3 with you.

◆ What do you notice about the words nationalanthem? Where else can we find these wordsin the book?

Turn to the Glossary, and have a volunteer readaloud the definition of national anthem. Explainthat an anthem is a song.

Redirect students’ attention to the text on page 3.Point out to students that “Star-Spangled” means“sprinkled with stars.” Have a volunteer point tothe distribution of stars on the American flag toillustrate the concept. You may wish to bring arecording of “The Star-Spangled Banner” to classto play for students.

◆ In what places do people sing the nationalanthem?

Read aloud the last line on page 3. Use theGlossary definition to help explain the meaningof symbol. Turn back to the front cover of theBig Book. Remind students that the eagle is alsoan important American symbol.

Help students conclude that we show off ournational symbols because we are proud of thecountry they stand for.

KWL Chart You may wish toadd information about theAmerican flag and the nationalanthem to the third column ofyour KWL chart.

MORE TO DO

Independent Writing

For pages 2–3, provide writingprompts on chart paper or onsentence strips in a center withthe Big Book or with a smallcopy of the book. Suggest thatstudents look at the photo-graphs and respond to theseprompts:

◆ Look at the photo on page 2. What are someof the things you see at a sports event? Whatsounds do you hear? What foods do yousmell?

◆ Look at the photo on page 3. Where are thechildren? Describe what they are seeing.

America’s

Symbols

pages 2–3

8

PAGES 4–5


Early America was made up of 13 colonies.


Have students read the first sentence on page 4as you track the words. Ask a volunteer to turnto the Glossary and read the entry for colonies tothe class. Tell students that they will learn moreabout the 13 colonies in America’s Symbols.

Direct students’ attention to the picture on page4, and read the remaining text with them. Thenhave students answer the question on the page.

Tell students that the flag on this page becamethe official flag of our country long ago. Ask avolunteer to count the stripes on the flag. Tellstudents that at one time in America’s history, astripe was added each time a new state wasadded to the United States. Eventually, Congressdecided to set the number of stripes at 13 toremind Americans of the 13 original colonies.

Read aloud the text at the top of page 5 with stu-dents. Then direct students’ attention to the maps.

▲ Teaching Nonfiction: Maps Locate the maptitle, and have students read it with you. Pointout that the map title explains what the mapshows and usually appears at the top or thebottom of a map in a special box. Have studentsexamine the maps.

◆ How are the two maps alike? How are theydifferent?

◆ What does the small map show us?

Explain that the small map is called an inset map.

◆ How does the inset map help us? (It shows uswhere the colonies fit into the outline of the UnitedStates today.) ▲

Teaching Notes

Thinking Skill: Compare and ContrastDisplay a current U.S. map that includes Alaskaand Hawaii next to the map of the colonies onpage 5. Tell students that the map on this pageshows what America looked like long ago. Havestudents talk about the ways in which the cur-rent map and the maps on page 5 are alike anddifferent.

◆ What does the map of the United States as itlooks today show us? What does the largemap on page 5 show us?

◆ What happened to the United States betweenthe time of the 13 colonies and now? How dothe maps show this?

◆ Why are the maps on page 5 important?What kinds of things can you learn fromthose maps?

KWL Chart You may wish to add information about the 13 colonies to the third column of your chart.

ONGOING ASSESSMENT

◆ What do the stars on the flag on page 4stand for?

◆ What do the maps on page 5 show?

MORE TO DO

Guided Writing Minibook You may wish tohave students complete page 1 of the Minibookafter reading pages 4–5 of the Big Book.

Teaching Notes

9

can gather simply by looking at it. Read the cap-tion under the top photograph with students.Ask a volunteer to read aloud the definition forDeclaration of Independence in the Glossary.

Thinking Skill: Analyze Primary SourcesRedirect students’ attention to the top photoon the page. Explain that the photo shows apainting of the signing of the Declaration ofIndependence. Point out the serious expressionsand poses of the men and the somber feeling ofthe room.

◆ Where do you think these men came from?(all 13 colonies)

◆ Why do you think this painting is important?

Ask students where else in the book they haveseen the numbers 1776. Turn to the contentspage, and point out the date on the barn.

◆ Why do you think the owners have painted1776 on the front of their barn?

Read aloud the caption next to the bottom photoas you track the words. Point out that independ-ence is another way to say freedom.

◆ How do you think the two photos are related?Which event happened first? Why do youthink so?

◆ How is July 4 celebrated each year in yourcommunity?

Independent Writing

For pages 6–7, provide writing prompts on chart paper or on sentence strips in a center with the Big Book or with a small copy of the book.

◆ Write about a Fourth of July parade you havewatched. What did you see in the parade?What kind of music did you hear?

◆ Think of an important American who servedhis or her country. Should a statue be madeof this person? Why do you think that?

PAGES 6–7


The 13 colonies won their freedom fromEngland and became the United States ofAmerica.


Have a student read the heading on page 6.

◆ What do you think the word freedom means?

Read the text on the page and the Glossary defi-nition to confirm students’ ideas.

◆ Why was freedom important to the colonists?(They wanted to choose their own leaders.)

Tell students that the colonists also wanted thefreedom to worship, to belong to whatevergroups they wanted, and to speak out and givetheir opinions. Then have students describewhat they see in the photo on page 6.

◆ Do you think the statue is of a soldier? Whydo you think that?

◆ How can we find out more about the statue?

▲ Teaching Nonfiction: Captions Point out thecaption under the photograph on page 6, andask students to read it with you. Then drawstudents’ attention to the word minutemen.

◆ What two smaller words do you notice in theword minutemen? How can we find out whatthis word means?

Confirm students’ ideas by locating the defini-tion in the Glossary and reading it aloud. Pointout that the minutemen helped the 13 colonies intheir fight for freedom from England. Then askstudents how the caption helped them under-stand the photo. ▲

Direct students’ attention to the top of page 7.Have them read aloud the text as you track thewords. Then have students examine the photo-graphs. Remind them that a caption providesmore information about a photograph than you

America’s

Symbols

pages 6–7

10

Have students read the text at the top of page 9with you. Ask a volunteer to define the wordliberty. Point out to students that the words liberty,freedom, and independence have a similarmeaning. Then redirect students’ attention to thephotograph on page 9. Trace the crack in the bell.Explain to students that no one knows for surewhen the Liberty Bell cracked.

KWL Chart Review your KWLchart and add information aboutthe Liberty Bell to the third col-umn. You may also wish to addstudents’ questions about thebell to the second column.

ONGOING ASSESSMENT

Have students write captions that tell moreabout the photo on page 9. Select severalcaptions to read aloud as a review of thematerial on pages 8–9.

PAGES 8–9


The Liberty Bell is a symbol of freedom for allpeople living in the United States of America.


Direct students’ attention to the photograph onpage 8.

◆ What do you notice in this photo? Why doyou think the people are there?

◆ How can we find out more about the photo?

Read the caption aloud.

◆ Why do you think people wanted to show offthe Liberty Bell at a big fair?

Explain that when objects like the Liberty Bellbecome symbols, often people feel very proudwhen they see these symbols. Direct students’attention to the text at the top of page 8, andread it aloud together. Explain that Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, was once the capital of the UnitedStates. Invite a volunteer to locate Pennsylvaniaand then Philadelphia on a classroom map. Thenreturn to the photograph.

◆ What other American symbol do you noticein the photo?

Direct attention to the photograph on page 9,and invite a volunteer to locate the worker.

◆ What do you think the worker in this photois doing? What are the children doing?

◆ What would you like to ask the worker aboutthe Liberty Bell?

◆ Why do you think it’s important for people tovisit the Liberty Bell? (to learn more aboutimportant American symbols, to learn about thepast)

Teaching Notes

Teaching Notes

11

ONGOING ASSESSMENT

◆ What bird is an important symbol of theUnited States?

◆ Why was the bald eagle chosen as a symbolfor our country?

MORE TO DO

Word Work: Word Endings Write “leader” and“flier” on chart paper. Ask students how thewords are alike. (They both end in -er.) Ask stu-dents to discuss what they think the ending -ermight mean in these words. (a doer) Challengethe class to look back through the book andname the kinds of doers they see on the pages.(wavers, signers, fighters)

Guided Writing Minibook You may wish tohave students write and illustrate page 2 of theMinibook after reading pages 10–11 of theBig Book.

Shared/Interactive WritingSee the Writing Workshop on page 16 for aninteractive writing experience about Americansymbols.

PAGES 10–11


The bald eagle is an important American sym-bol. It represents the American values ofstrength, bravery, and freedom.



◆ What kind of bird do you think this is?

Have students read aloud the heading on page10 to confirm their thoughts.

◆ Where else in this book have we seen thiskind of bird? (on the cover)

You may wish to flip through the Big Book andlook for other places where the eagle appears.Then have students read the text on page 10 asyou track the words.

◆ Why do you think our leaders chose theeagle instead of another bird?

◆ If you had to choose a different bird to be asymbol for our country, what bird would youchoose? Why?

◆ Why do you think this bird is called a baldeagle? (Students may notice that from a distancethe white feathers make the eagle look bald.)

Direct attention to the text on page 11, and readit aloud with students. Invite a volunteer to iden-tify the coin pictured on this page. Then havestudents examine the top photograph and readthe caption aloud.

◆ What kind of worker is this? What cluesfrom the photo make you think so?

◆ Why do you think the bald eagle is used oncoins and at the post office? (The eagle is animportant American symbol.)

◆ In what other places have you seen thisimportant American symbol?

PAGES 12–13

12

Thinking Skill: Identify Main Idea and DetailsOn chart paper, draw the following chart,including the main idea statement. Read thestatement to students. Invite volunteers to nameplaces they have learned about in which thesymbol of the eagle appears. Encourage them touse complete sentences. You might want to skimthrough the book to review where else the eagleappears. Continue to add more details to thechart as you complete the Big Book.


The Seal of the President and the Great Seal ofthe United States are symbols of the power ofour country and its leaders.


Have students read aloud the heading, and askthem what they think a seal might be. Have avolunteer find the entry for seal in the Glossaryand read it aloud to the class. Then ask studentsto identify seals on pages 12–13. Make sure theynote the seal on the airplane. Then read aloudthe text on page 12 with students, and havethem examine the photo. Have students readaloud the caption with you as you track thewords.

◆ What do you think the word past means?

Help students understand that a “past president”led our country before the person who is nowthe president.

◆ Describe the Seal of the President. Whatsymbols are part of this seal? (eagle; colors red,white, and blue)

Then read aloud the first paragraph on page 13as you track the words.

◆ What is a signature?◆ Where have you seen signatures?◆ Why do you think our country needs a

Great Seal?

You may point out that the Great Seal is put onthousands of documents and governmentpapers every year. For example, letters to lead-ers of other countries are marked with the seal.Have students examine the Seal of the Presidentand the Great Seal of the United States on page13. Read the labels together.

◆ How are the seals alike? In what ways arethey different?

Read aloud the second paragraph on page 13with students. Then read the caption under thephotograph of the dollar bill, and have studentsanswer the question.

Teaching Notes

MORE TO DO


Independent Writing

For pages 12–13, provide writ-ing prompts on chart paper oron sentence strips in a centerwith the Big Book or with asmall copy of the book. Suggestthat students look at the photo-graphs on page 13 and respondto the prompts:

◆ Would you like to be the president? Whatkinds of things do you think a presidentdoes? Write about a day you might have asthe president.

◆ Choose another animal to appear on theGreat Seal of the United States. Why do youthink that animal is a good choice?

Main Idea: The eagle is an

important American symbol.

The quarter

has an eagle.

The eagle is on the

president’s plane.

america’s

Symbols

pages 12–13

Teaching Notes

PAGES 14–15

13


The White House is another symbol of theUnited States of America.


Have students read aloud the heading, “TheWhite House.” Direct their attention to the largephoto on page 14.

◆ Who lives in the White House? ◆ Do you think the White House is an important

American symbol? Why do you think that? ◆ What other American symbol do you notice

in the photo? ◆ Why do you think the American flag flies

over the White House?

Have students read the text on page 14 as youtrack the words. Point out the smaller photo atthe top of the page. Read aloud with studentsthe address printed on the street sign. Tell themthat this is the address of the White House.

◆ Do you think that it is important for thepresident to have a special house? Why orwhy not?

Have students examine the photos on page 15.

◆ Where do you think these rooms are? Whatclues make you think this?

◆ How can we find out more about the placesshown in the photos?

Have a volunteer read aloud the caption belowthe left-hand photograph, and have studentsanswer the question.

◆ Why might this room be called the Oval Office?◆ Why do you think the Seal of the President

appears in the Oval Office? (It shows that the president does United States business there.)

Next, have students read the caption above theright-hand photograph as you track the words,and have them answer the question.

◆ How many symbols can you find on thispage? (Note that some symbols appear within

symbols, such as the eagles, arrows, and olivebranches within the Seal of the President.)

You may wish to point out to students that theWhite House also has a pool, a bowling alley,and a theater. Direct students’ attention to thetext on page 15. Have them follow along as youread the text aloud. Explain that citizens of theUnited States vote every four years to decidewho will live in the White House as president.

Thinking Skill: Record Information/SummarizeMake a two-column chart on chart paper withthe headings “Symbol” and “Stands For.” Askstudents to identify the symbols they have readabout in the book as you write each in theappropriate column of the chart. Then havestudents summarize what each symbol standsfor. Add this information to the chart.

ONGOING ASSESSMENT

◆ Why is the White House an importantAmerican symbol?

◆ Who lives in the White House? ◆ What does the president do in the White

House?

MORE TO DO

Word Work: Proper Nouns Tell students thatproper nouns refer to specific people, places, orthings, and begin with a capital letter. Forexample, house is not a proper noun, but WhiteHouse is. Have students find other proper nounson pages 14 and 15. You might point out thatAmerican, on page 15, is a describing wordmade from the proper noun America. Invitestudents to find other proper nouns in the book.


Symbol

Liberty Bell

bald eagle

freedom for all Americans

strength, bravery, and freedom

Stands For

14

Assessment ActivityA reproducible to help you assess students’ com-prehension of the social studies content ofAmerica’s Symbols appears on page 20.

Teaching Notes

PAGE 16


America’s symbols remind us that we live in afree country.


Have students read the heading and the text onpage 16 as you track the words. Point out to stu-dents that the phrase “the land of the free . . . andthe home of the brave” comes from America’snational anthem, which they may know.


◆ What symbols of America do you see in thisphoto?

◆ What do all of the people in the photo have incommon? (They are all Americans; they all live in afree country; they all respect America’s symbols.)

BOOK WRAP-UP

KWL Chart Invite students tomake final additions to the KWLchart to summarize what theyhave learned. Leaf through theBig Book, inviting students toidentify additional informationabout symbols to add to the chart.

Use the completed KWL chart to support adiscussion.

◆ Which national symbol means the most toyou? Why?

◆ Why do you think it is important to learnabout America’s symbols?

RubricEvaluate each student’s grasp of the social studiesconcepts. Students are dependent if they arebeing introduced to the topic and cannot recallinformation. They are developing if they canrecall information and communicate that theyunderstand the concept. They are independent ifthey can explain the concept and apply it.

Student understands that America

has many symbols and that the

American flag stands for our country.

Student understands that the Liberty

Bell is now a symbol of American

freedom.

Student understands that the bald

eagle was chosen as a national symbol

because it is strong, brave, and free.

Student understands that the Seal of

the President and the Great Seal stand

for the power of the president and

our country.

Student understands that the White

House is where the president lives

and works and that it belongs to

all Americans.

Goal Depe

nden

t

Deve

loping

Inde

pend

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Emergent Fourth of JulyMy FlagOur Heroes

Early Colonial WilliamsburgFlags FlyingHolidays Through the YearRemember George

Washington

Fluent Our CapitalThe PilgrimsThe Statue of LibertyWe VoteLooking at Money

Related guided reading BooksNewbridge Discovery Links® Social Studies

FOCUS ON ECONOMICS

DRAW STATE COIN DESIGNS

Remind students that an American symbol, the eagle, appears on the back of many quarters. Tell stu-dents that other quarters have designs representing the 50 states.Collect some of these quarters, and pass them around in class.Have students examine the coins. Explain that many of the pic-tures on the quarters are state symbols—that is, the picturesmake people think of certain states. Have each student choose asymbol shown on a state quarter and draw and label it on con-struction paper. Collect the finished drawings, and review thesymbols and the states they represent.

Tenness

�

Social Studies Activities

15

REACHING OUT

CONDUCT A SYMBOL SEARCH AT THE LIBRARY

Tell students that America has many other impor-tant symbols, such as buildings, statues, and land-marks (Mount Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge,the Lincoln Memorial). Ask students to name anysymbols of our country that they know of or havevisited. Record their responses on chart paper.Visit your school or community library with stu-dents to learn more about these and otherAmerican symbols. Guide students in using theInternet or age-appropriate reference books tolearn more about these symbols. Have each student draw and label a picture of one of thesymbols they learned about in the library.

WRITE CAPTIONS

Collect students’ drawings and mounteach one on chart paper. Display themounted drawings in class. Take turnspointing to each picture as you readthe label aloud with students. Thenwork with the class to write captionsfor each of the pictures. Invite volun-teers to suggest different captions foreach picture. Write students’ ideas onthe chart paper. Then work with stu-dents to rewrite and revise their ideas.Invite students to share the pen as youwrite each final caption.

Florida

CLASS PROJECT

MAKE STATE FLAGS

Point out to students that each of the 50states has its own flag. Ask students to make

a new flag for their state. Provide studentswith paper, colored pencils or crayons, and

note cards. Instruct students to choose or createa state symbol to put on the flag. Then have each

student draw his or her flag with that symbol on asheet of paper. Have students label their flags withthe name of their state and write a sentence aboutthe flag’s symbol on a note card. Display the flagsand note cards in the hall or your classroom.

Texas

Writing Workshop

16

SHARED/INTERACTIVE WRITING

SUGGEST ANOTHER NATIONAL ANIMAL

After students read about the bald eagle, our country’s national bird, ask them to suggest ideasfor an additional national animal. Encourage students to explain why the animals they suggestwould be good symbols of the United States. Record students’ ideas on chart paper. Then havethe class choose one animal and write a letter to the president explaining why we should havean additional national animal and why the animal chosen is the best symbol for the UnitedStates of America.

Work with students to turn their ideas for the letter into complete sentences. When they havefinished, read and track the sentences with your finger or a pointer. Allow students to changethe wording and sentence order. Then invite students to share the pen as you write thesentences in the form of a letter. Read it over with the class for final approval. Some studentsmay want to use the class letter as a model and write one of their own.

GUIDED WRITING MINIBOOK

Constructing the Minibook Make a double-sided copy of pages 17 and 18.Show students how to fold the Minibook down the center so the title isfacing them. Model opening the book to pages 2 and 3, and then closingthe book to see the back cover.

Using the Minibook After you read the entire Big Book together,encourage students to write their own books about America’s sym-bols. Review the Minibook with the class. Read the title on page 1.

Have students write their names below the title. Then help studentscomplete the sentence and the picture of the flag. On page 2, havestudents complete the sentence with words that describe the bald

eagle and then draw a picture of a bald eagle. On page 3, have studentsdraw and write about the three symbols in America’s seals. On page 4, have stu-dents draw and write about the White House.

You may prefer to use the Minibook as you read the Big Book, following the cuesin More to Do in the Teaching Notes.

New

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Copyright © Newbridge Educational Publishing

Gu

ide

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Min

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Am

erica

’s Sy

mb

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2

3

Our Country’s Seals

Our seals have these symbols:

Our National Bird

The bald eagle is

,

, and

.

The olive branch stands for

The arrows stand for

eagle

olive

branch

arrows

.

.

18

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Soc

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Copyright © Newbridge Educational Publishing

Am

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ca’s

Sy

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Gu

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Min

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4

1

The White House

America’s Symbols

by

The

lives in the White House.

Long ago, our flag had

stars.

INDEPENDENT WRITING

Invite students to write about images from the book in response to thewriting prompts listed below. Display the Big Book on an easel in yourwriting center, or provide a small copy of the book.

Page 8: Imagine that you are at the world’s fair in 1904. Write a short speech

about the Liberty Bell to give to the crowd.

Page 11: What does a mail carrier do for our country? Write about the workday of

a mail carrier.

Page 12: Suppose that you have been invited to ride aboard the plane in this photo.

Where would you go? What would you do when you arrived?

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Our

Cou

ntry

’s S

eals

Our

se

als

have

the

se s

ymb

ols

:

Our

Nat

iona

l Bird

The

bal

d e

agle

is

,

, and

.

The

oliv

e b

ranc

h st

and

s fo

r

The

arr

ow

s st

and

fo

r

eag

le

oliv

eb

ranc

h

arro

ws

..

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Guided Writing Minibook

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The White H

ouseA

MERICA

’S SYMBO

LS

by

The

lives in the

White

Ho

use.

Long

ago

, our flag

had stars.

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Graphic Organizer: KWL Chart

America’s Symbols

Name Date

What We KnowWhat We Want

to KnowWhat We

Have Learned

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Assessment Activity: Identify Main Idea and Details

America’s Symbols

Look at the pictures below. Cut and paste America’s symbols below the main idea.Then write about what these symbols mean to all Americans.

Main Idea:America’s symbols

remind us of our great country.

820795

Families andCommunities

At Play in the Community

Passing It On

Teamwork

Then and Now

At Work in America

At the Market

Things Have Changed!

What Do We Pay For?

Work Around the Clock

How Things Are Made

All About Wood

From the Factory

Made by Hand

Pickles and Preserves

Our Land andResources

Caring for Our Land

Homes Across America

Map It!

The Rockies

Our United States

America’s Symbols

Fifty States, One Country

Leading the Way

We Remember Our Past

On the Move

Building Roads

From Here to There

Signals for Safety

Tugboats

A Haights Cross Communications Company

Documents

America’s Symbols - Standards-Based Nonfiction€¦ · Reading and Writing Nonfiction 2 ... America’s Symbols introduces students to the con- ... Give each student a copy of the