Flag Day Lessons and Teacher Resources

Introduction:

Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. Flag Day is not an official federal holiday… The week of June 14 is designated as “National Flag Week.” During National Flag Week, the president will issue a proclamation urging U.S. citizens to fly the American flag for the duration of that week. The flag should also be displayed on all Government buildings. Some organizations hold parades and events in celebration of America’s national flag and everything it represents. Wikipedia

Lessons Plans:

• Here is a tremendous flag footprint idea for the patriotic holidays (Art P)
• This patriotic collage and stained glass window idea can be used for holidays throughout the year (Art P-K)
• Toddlers and preschoolers press their hands and feet into service for this patriotic flag activity (Art/Math P-K)
• Students use crumpling skills to create a flag decoration in this adaptable Memorial Day lesson (Art K)
• Here student art illustrates a patriotic song in a holiday slide show program (Art/Music K-8)
• If your school hasn’t made a flag on the fence with paper cups yet, you really should try this idea! (Art K-12)
• This handprint American flag is created on a sheet (Art 1-5)
• In this idea for coping with terrorism, students make a flag from Sept. 11th newspaper clippings (Art/SS 4-8)
• Here’s a great lesson plan on “The Star-Spangled Banner” and some history behind it and our flag (LA 2-10)
• This lesson idea focuses on what it means to be an American (or Canadian, etc.) (LA 7-12)

• This is simply a song to use in your class for Flag Day, 4th of July, or other patriotic times (Music P-2)
• Here is a brief lesson idea on folk music and songs involving early American history and our flag (Music 2-5)
• Use this flag cake idea to celebrate patriotic holidays (Science P)
• This is a lesson on the American flag and its symbols (SS/Art K-2)
• This is an excellent lesson on national symbols that are unique to the United States (SS/Art 1-2)
• Students learn state names and flags here while creating their own (SS/Art 2)
• This lesson is on the fifty U.S. states and their flags (SS 2-3)
• “Peace Pledge” is a coping with terrorism idea that is also useful for Flag Day (Other 3-6)
• This lesson examines the words in “The Pledge of Allegiance” (SS 5)
• This lesson on the U.S. Civil War looks at the Confederate and Union flags (SS 5)
  
• “Experiment With Colonization” looks at colonial flags and the development of the American flag (SS 8-12)
• If you have any Flag Day lesson plans to share, please add them to our site!

Video and Media Resources:

• The American Flag Foundation offers many videos and slideshows including:
  • How to Treat the American Flag
  • Red Skeleton’s Meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance
• This is a popular Johnny Cash narration about the history of “That Ragged Old Flag“
• Here is a quick Flag Day video from Wikihow
• Here’s another Flag Day history slideshow
• Learn fascinating Flag Day facts in this author Doug Wead interview
• This is an interactive flag – zoom in to the original Star-Spangled Banner for incredible detail and incredible details.

Additional Resources:

• These websites are dedicated to Flag Day and the Flag of the United States:
  • http://www.usflag.org/history/flagday.html (Flag Day)
  • http://www.usa-flag-site.org/history.shtml (history)
  • http://www.usa-flag-site.org/kids-resources.shtml (books)
• The Smithsonian promotes a Star-Spangled Banner interactive website with lessons and activities linked to National History Standards.
• PBS posted elementary lesson plans titled America Responds: The American Flag in response to 9/11. View Old Glory – the History and Etiquette of the American Flag on their Capitol Fourth site.
• Our Flag Throughout History is a lesson idea posted by the NEA along with Flag Day curriculum resources for all subjects.
• Crayola.com provides coloring pages, craft ideas, e-cards and art-related lesson plans for Flag Day.
• This is a lesson from USFlag.org on why the U.S. flag is called Old Glory.
• Here is a Flag Day Quiz from The Holiday Spot.
• This is a Flag Trivia page at USHistory.org.