Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

Lesson 2

Origin of the United States Flag Part 2

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Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

Lesson 2

Origin of the United States Flag (Part 2)

Enduring Understandings:

To understand the origin of the United States flag (part 2)

Essential Questions:

What is the origin of the United States flag?

How did the design of the United States flag evolve?

Vocabulary/Targeted Skills:

alteration, reflecting, union, succession, enacted, admission

compare/contrast; corroboration; reading closely; understanding non-fiction reading

Unit Assessment/Culminating Unit Activity:

Create an action plan sponsored by students and teachers for the school to develop and maintain

proper flag etiquette and education for the school and community.

Lesson: Origin of the flag Time: 45 minutes

NGSS Standard(s):

SS5C24 Evaluate the importance of civic responsibilities in American Democracy.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical,

scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in

the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text

says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says

explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific

words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.

Content Purpose:

Students will learn about the origin of the American flag through primary and secondary sources.

Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

Language Purpose:

Student will write to explain the answer to the essential questions.

Assessment/Evaluation (for this lesson):

Students will write 1-2 paragraphs answering the essential questions, using evidence starters

provided, as well as specific evidence from any of the documents in Lesson’s 1 and 2.

Reading Materials/Primary Source links:

http://tinyurl.com/k8tpw68 (Betsy Ross flag photograph)

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=003/llsl003.db&recNum=0456

http://blogs.archives.gov/todaysdocument/2011/01/13/january-13-making-an-alteration-in-the-

flag-of-the-united-states/

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=lljc&fileName=008/lljc008.db&recNum=89

Suggested Procedures:

1. Read through the Background Essay with the students to build context.

Read it through once, modeling fluency

Read it through a second time think aloud style; encourage students to write notes in the

margins, circle things they do not understand, etc.

Have students share a few notes or ask about things they do not understand (class

discussion)

Have students read it through a third time for meaning

2. Allow students to work in pairs or teams of four to complete the Primary Source Rewrite

Activity.

5 minutes of document analysis/reading, with NO TALKING; again, encourage students

to write notes, circle things that they notice or have questions about

After the 5 minutes, allow the pair or team to share and discuss what they read

Have the pairs or teams to complete the rewrite activity, each writing on their own paper

3. Allow students to continue working with their partner or team to complete the triple Venn

activity.

4. Independently, have the students write the answer to the question “What is the origin of

the United States flag?” or “How did the design of the United States flag evolve?” It is

suggested to have them write at least 1-2 paragraphs, providing specific evidence to

support their answer/opinion. As long as they have provided specific evidence, there are

no wrong answers.

Paragraph/Prompt starters: The origin of the United States flag…. or The design of the

United States flag…

Evidence starters: Based on the photograph; According to the author of; because; For

instance; For example; The author stated; According to the text; On Document

__________, it said; From the reading, I know that; Based on what I read

Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

References:

Congress. (1818, April 4). Fifteenth congress, session 1. Retrieved from

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-

bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=003/llsl003.db&recNum=0456

Continental Congress. (1777, June 13). Journals of congress. Retrieved from

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-

bin/ampage?collId=lljc&fileName=008/lljc008.db&recNum=89

Ross, B. (1783-1795). Betsy ross flag. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/k8tpw68

Washington, G. (1794, January 13). Third congress of the u.s. at the first session. Retrieved from

http://blogs.archives.gov/todaysdocument/2011/01/13/january-13-making-an-alteration-

in-the-flag-of-the-united-states/

Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

Historical Context

Origin of the United States Flag (Part 2)

As previously noted in Lesson 1 Historical Context, the origin of the

United States flag has been contested (argued) for approximately 140 years.

Did Betsy Ross sew the first flag or is that just a well-loved story passed on

through the centuries? Did Francis Hopkinson design the first United States

flag or was it the United States Navy flag that he designed? This flag being

referred to was known as the 13 Star Flag and is the most commonly known

colonial flag. The Flag Resolution (act/law) did not state how the 13 stars

should be organized, so there are several versions of the 13 Star Flag.

The above painting located on the Library of Congress website and titled “The Stars and

Stripes,” is depicting George Washington describing the flag to Lafayette and other French and

American officers. However, this painting was published or created in 1918. We have to

wonder, “How did the author know this is what it looked like?” From our previous lesson, we

Interesting

Facts:

-As we continue

our study, let it be

known that this

study of the

history and

symbolism of

flags is known as

vexillology.

Vexillology comes

from the Latin

word vexillum,

which means

banner or square

flag.

- The flag has been

and continues to

be referred to as

“Old Glory” and

“Stars and

Stripes.”

- As of June 14,

1777, which we

now celebrate as

Flag Day, this was

the official flag of

the United States.

“The Stars and Stripes,” copyright 1918, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006679982/

Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

know that George Washington goes back to the late 1700’s. How do we know that the 1918

painter did his research and portrayed this event properly or how do we know that this event ever

happened? We would like to think that it happened just the way it does in paintings and pictures,

or even in writing, but we have to think like historians and question everything. It is necessary to

find corroborating evidence, meaning that we need other pieces of evidence that support this

piece. What do other pieces of evidence claim? Are there other versions of the story? Which

piece of evidence is more believable? We can establish this by comparing documents to each

other and finding things that they have in common; or possible disparities (differences) between

the documents. What do you think about this painting? Why do you think that? (Have a class

discussion or debate.)

Use the following words and definitions to help you with these documents: Document A: Third

Congress of the U.S. at the First Session, 1794 and Document B: Fifteenth Congress, Session 1,

1818.

alteration: the act of changing something

reflecting: showing

union: a group

succession: following in a sequence

enacted: to make into an act

admission: allowing to enter

Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

Our flag - "The grand union" excerpt from a book written by Barlow Cumberland ...

Brookline, Mass. 1926.

Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

Let’s rewrite this in our own words. STEP 1: Cross out words that make it hard to understand

and replace them with words from the definitions or your own words. The first line is done for

you.

Statute I

Approved, April 3, 1818

Chap. XXXIV.—An act to establish the flag of the United States. Be it enacted by the

Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled,

That from and after the fourth day of July next, the flag of the United States be thirteen

horizontal stripes, alternate red and white: that the union be twenty stars, white in a blue field.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That on the admission of every new state into the

Union, one star be added to the union of the flag; and that such addition shall take effect on the

fourth day of July then next succeeding such admission.

Approved, April 4, 1818

STEP 2: Rewrite the statute above in your own words, using two or three sentences.

Please write in complete sentences.

build Because it is made into an act

**Notice the sidebar notes.

Primary Source Rewrite Activity

Document: Fifteenth Congress, Session 1, 1818

Name___________________

__

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=003/llsl003.db&recNum=0456

Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

Document A: Third Congress of the U.S. at the First Session, 1794

"An act making an alteration in the Flag of the United States" 01/13/1794 (ARC ID 1501721);

3rd Congress, 1st Session; General Records of the United States Government; Record Group 11;

National Archives and Records Administration Persistent

http://blogs.archives.gov/todaysdocument/2011/01/13/january-13-making-an-alteration-in-the-

flag-of-the-united-states/

According to the National Archives website, “Approved by President George Washington on

January 13, 1794, this act called for the Flag of the United States to have fifteen stripes and

fifteen stars, reflecting the admission of Vermont and Kentucky to the Union. Faced with the

admission of five more states in 1818, the flag design would return to the original thirteen

stripes.”

Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

Document B: Fifteenth Congress, Session 1, 1818

Document C:

Oldest United

States Flag in

Existence

Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

“We don't have proof that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag, but this flag made by her

(ca. 1783–1795) may be the earliest known U.S. flag in existence. (Courtesy of Claude and Inez

Harkins)”

http://www.archives.gov/global-pages/larger-

image.html?i=/publications/prologue/2007/summer/images/mysteries-flag-

l.jpg&c=/publications/prologue/2007/summer/images/mysteries-flag.caption.html

Use the following words and definitions to help you with these documents: Document:

Fifteenth Congress, Session 1, 1818 and Document: Third Congress of the U.S. at the First

Session, 1794.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=003/llsl003.db&recNum=0456

alteration: the act of changing something

reflecting: showing

union: a group

succession: following in a sequence

enacted: to make into an act

admission: allowing to enter

Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)

Document A: First Session, 1794 Document B: Fifteenth Congress,

Session 1, 1818

Document C: Oldest United States Flag in Existence, 1783–1795

Using the primary source

documents First Session,

1794; Fifteenth Congress,

Session 1, 1818; and

Oldest United States Flag

in Existence, 1783-1795

photo, to compare and

contrast by completing

the triple Venn diagram.

Name______________________________________

Lesson 2 Origin of the Flag, Part 2