A Flag Divided

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students learn about the flags of the Union and Confederacy, explore the symbolism of those flags, and create flags of their own.

Subjects: Language Arts, Social Sciences

Grade Levels: K-2, 3-5

Objectives
Students will:

• demonstrate an understanding of symbolism,
• identify the symbolism in flags, and
• use a variety of art materials safely and appropriately.

Keywords
Civil War, flag, Confederacy, Union, art, symbolism

Materials Needed

• computers with Internet access or print resources about flags
• red, white, and blue felt
• self-adhesive gold stars
• double-sided adhesive tape
• craft sticks

Procedure
Discuss with students the concept of symbolism. Ask them to name symbols they see every day, such as arrows, yellow school buses, traffic signs and signals, restroom signs, and so on. Then have students explore Web sites such as The Flag of the United States of America or locate print resources about the history of the flag. Ask students to pay particular attention to information about the evolution of the flag, what the colors of the flag mean, and the flags of the Confederate states (in the Historic and Current Flags section of the above Web site). Then ask students these questions about both the Union and Confederate flags:

• What do the stars represent?
• What do the stripes represent?
• What does each of the colors represent?

Provide students with directions on how to make a flag (see Make a Civil War Flag). Ask each student to re-create either a Confederate or a Union flag. When the flags are complete, encourage students to present their flags to their classmates and explain the flags' symbolism.

Assessment
Evaluate students on their flags and on their explanations of the flags' symbolism.

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