Lesson 2 Origin of the U.S. Flag (Part 2)
Lesson 2
Origin of the United States Flag Part 2
Inspiring Patriotism in all citizens regardless of age,
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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