This booklet provides information about the symbols of the USA.
1. U.S. Symbols IN PARTNERSHIP WITH US_Symbols_FC.indd 1 3/1/17 4:13 PM
2. 2 I Pledge Allegiance Did you see the American flag today? A flag is a piece of cloth with colors and shapes that stand for things. The American flag is in many schools and classrooms in our country. Our flag is red, white, and blue. It has 50 stars. Each star stands for one of the states in our country. The 13 stripes stand for the first 13 states. Our flag changed as our country grew. Stamps often show important U.S. symbols and people. US_Symbols_2-3.indd 6 3/1/17 3:51 PM
3. 3 Saying the pledge is a way to honor our country. A pledge is a kind of promise. The Pledge of Allegiance is a promise to be loyal to our country. The Pledge of Allegiance* I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. *From the United States Code by United States Government Printing Office, 2005. Many people say the pledge every day. You can too. US_Symbols_2-3.indd 7 3/1/17 3:51 PM
4. 4 American Symbols Our country has many symbols. The flag is one of them. Our symbols stand for important people and ideas. The Liberty Bell is a symbol for our country. Liberty means being able to act and speak as you want to. The Liberty Bell stands for freedom. Freedom is being able to make choices. US_Symbols_4-5_v2.indd 6 3/1/17 3:53 PM
5. 5 The bald eagle is a symbol for our country. It was picked because it is a strong and powerful bird. The bald eagle stands for American strength and freedom. Can you find the bald eagle on these coins? The pictures on our money are symbols. They honor important leaders. George Washington fought for our freedom and was our first president. President Abraham Lincoln helped our country during a difficult time. Alexander Hamilton was an important leader soon after our country became free. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt protected our country during hard times. US_Symbols_4-5_v2.indd 7 3/1/17 3:53 PM
6. 6 American Songs Our country has an anthem. An anthem is a song that honors a country. Our anthem is “The Star Spangled Banner.” In 1814, Francis Scott Key saw a flag still flying after a long battle. He wrote a poem about it called “The Star Spangled Banner.” The poem is now our country’s song. US_Symbols_6-7.indd 6 3/1/17 3:54 PM
7. 7 “America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee),”* by Samuel Francis Smith My country, ‘tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died, Land of the pilgrims‘ pride, From ev‘ry mountainside Let freedom ring! *From Songs of Devotion by W. H. Doane. Biglow & Main, 1870. It’s fun to sing songs “America” is a song about about our country. our country. Singing songs about our country is a way to honor and show respect for it. How does singing this song honor our country? US_Symbols_6-7.indd 7 3/1/17 3:54 PM
8. 8 Landmarks and Monuments Some symbols are places to visit. These symbols are called landmarks. Landmarks help us remember places that are important to our country. The Capitol is where the leaders of our country meet to make our laws. The White House is where our president meets other leaders. It is also where the president lives. Many people say Independence Hall is where our country was born. The Liberty Bell is here. US_Symbols_8-9.indd 6 3/1/17 3:58 PM
9. 9 Some landmarks are monuments. A monument is a building or other place The Washington that honors a person, Monument an event, or an idea. honors George Washington. The Statue of Liberty honors an idea, freedom. Mount Rushmore is carved to honor four presidents. They are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. US_Symbols_8-9.indd 7 3/1/17 3:58 PM
10. 10 US_Symbols_10-11.indd 6 3/1/17 4:01 PM
11. 11 The Statue of Liberty Long ago, many families from other countries sailed across the ocean. They wanted to make new homes in the United States. Imagine how they felt! When they sailed into New York Harbor, the first thing they saw was a giant statue. One 14-year-old from Italy said, “When I saw the Statue of Liberty . . . it was something beautiful. I knew I was in America.”* *From The Imagined Immigrant by Ilaria Serra. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2009. US_Symbols_10-11.indd 7 3/1/17 4:00 PM
12. 12 Our Country Begins A long time ago, settlers came here from England. A settler is a person who makes a home in a new place. The settlers left England on a ship called the Mayflower. The trip was long and dangerous. After more than two months, the Mayflower reached land. US_Symbols_12-13.indd 6 3/1/17 4:02 PM
13. 13 The first settlers started a community. Other settlers came and started more communities. The king of England called their land a colony. A colony is a place that belongs to a country that is far away. This meant that the land was ruled by England. In all, the settlers started 13 colonies. US_Symbols_12-13.indd 7 3/1/17 4:02 PM
14. 14 Freedom and Liberty Britain, which includes England, was far away. Even so, people in the colonies had to follow Britain’s laws. Many people thought some laws were not fair. The leaders of the colonies wanted freedom. The Declaration of Independence told the British king why Americans wanted to be free. On July 4, 1776, many colonial leaders signed the Declaration of Independence. Some were Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. US_Symbols_14-15.indd 6 3/1/17 4:11 PM
15. 15 Americans had to fight for their freedom. They fought a long war with Britain. And they won. The colonies became states. The states joined together as one country, the United States of America. The leaders knew they needed rules for the country. Everyone agreed that liberty was important. But they didn’t agree on everything else. The leaders talked for four months. At last, the leaders agreed. James Madison wrote a draft of the Constitution. The Constitution is a set of rules for our country. It includes the ideas of many people. US_Symbols_14-15.indd 7 3/1/17 4:03 PM
16. 16 Patriots Many patriots helped our country win the war with Britain. Patriots are people who love their country. George Washington was the leader of all those who fought in the war with Britain. He was also the first president of the United States. One night, Sybil Ludington’s family got word that fighters from Britain were coming. Sybil Ludington rode through the night to warn others. By morning, Americans were ready to fight. US_Symbols_16-17_v3.indd 6 3/1/17 4:08 PM
17. 17 James Armistead was a spy. That means he found out about Britain’s plans and told the American leaders. The information helped Americans win an important battle. Margaret Corbin and her husband fought in the war. She was the first woman to fight. US_Symbols_16-17_v3.indd 7 3/1/17 4:08 PM
18. 18 Activities CLASS BIG BOOK Work with two classmates to create a page in a class “big book” of American symbols. First, pick a symbol for your page. Talk about the symbol. What does it stand for? Why is it important? Then make a page for your class book. One person can draw the symbol. Another can write a paragraph about it. The third person can write an opinion about it. Put your page with the ones other students created to make the “big book.” Ask permission to read the book to children in another class. PATRIOTIC SONGFEST Get together with three or four classmates. Pick a patriotic song you like. It could be “America,” “The Star Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful,” or another song. Learn the words to the song. Practice it. Then plan a patriotic song festival. Work with your classmates to pick a time and day. Make invitations for your friends and family. Have fun performing! US_Symbols_18-19.indd 18 3/1/17 4:09 PM
19. 19 MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH THESE RELATED TITLES The American Yesterday and Rules and Laws People Today Who makes the rules? Our grandparents and There was a time before Who makes the laws? Who great-grandparents may computers, cell phones, and makes sure people follow have come from many planes. Imagine what life them? What happens if different parts of the world, was like in those days. How they’re not followed? Find but we are all alike in so was it different from today? out for yourself. many ways. How was it the same? CALIFORNIA STANDARDS HSS 1.3 Students know and under- stand the symbols, icons, and traditions of the United States that provide continuity and a sense of community across time. 1.3.1 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing songs that express American ideals (e.g., “My Country ’Tis of Thee”). 1.3.3 Identify American symbols, landmarks, and essential documents, such as the flag, bald eagle, Statue LEARN of Liberty, U.S. Constitution, and MORE Declaration of Independence, and know the people and events associated with ONLINE! them. • Francis Bellamy America, like “You’re a worked for a children’s Grand Old Flag” and magazine called The “America the Beautiful.” Youth’s Companion. • Britain had 13 colonies. When Bellamy wrote the These colonies became Pledge of Allegiance, the the first 13 states of the magazine published it. United States. • Access the lyrics of some other songs about US_Symbols_18-19.indd 19 3/1/17 4:09 PM
+1-315-636-4485
+91 98151-74050 
