American Symbols Unit with Slideshow – Reading, Writing, Crafts, Science

This American Symbols unit is packed full of learning and fun! Complete with an informational PowerPoint about eight American symbols, a Statue of Liberty crown, a science experiment, and lots of printable materials, this set will turn your students into little historians. With eye-catching display materials including headers for an anchor chart along with colorful vocabulary word wall and vocabulary cards, children will have what they need to read, talk, and write about American symbols.

This American Symbols unit is also included in my Thematic Units BIG Bundle.

What’s included in this unit?

This American Symbols unit includes materials to help your students understand the history and meaning behind eight symbols of the United States of America. This unit covers the American flag, the White House, the Liberty Bell, Mount Rushmore, the bald eagle, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Statue of Liberty.

Here’s what’s included:

✔ Informational PowerPoint Slideshow “All About American Symbols”

This slideshow is packed full of information about American symbols. Filled with photographs and illustrations, this presentation includes nonfiction text about the eight included symbols, plus the Star-Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance. The slides include information on the backgrounds of and meanings behind the symbols. This PowerPoint slideshow is 18 slides long and is copied at the end of the PDF in addition to the PPT file (for those without access to PowerPoint).

✔ American Symbols Vocabulary Posters and Word Wall Cards

The included American symbols vocabulary word posters, each with a photo and a simple definition are: American Flag, White House, Liberty Bell, Mount Rushmore, Bald Eagle, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and Statue of Liberty. There is also a simple illustrated word wall card for each of these symbols.

✔ Anchor Chart Materials

Use the included headers to make anchor charts to organize information about the eight included American symbols. Begin with the KWL chart to access background knowledge and set the stage for learning. Use the organizing chart headers to record new information as you read through the PowerPoint and other literature. Two pages of themed writing paper are included for informational writing.

✔ Printable American Symbols Activities

▶ Statue of Liberty Poem: Have students learn this original poem to practice oral language and memorize information about the Statue of Liberty.

▶ American Symbols Little Books: Students read, write, and interact with these small printable books. Included: informational writing book with lined pages, cut & fold easy reader (two difficulty levels), cut & glue interactive book, foldable Pledge of Allegiance booklet for students to read and illustrate

▶ American Symbols Puzzle Pages: Great for independent work, students assemble a cut-and-glue (4-piece) puzzle and write a sentence for each of the eight symbols.

▶ American Symbols in Washington, D.C. Interactive Poster: Students cut and glue to label this poster that includes the White House, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial. They also draw a president and follow simple instructions to make a “lift-the-flap” White House feature on the poster.

▶ American Symbols Art Activities: Instructions and templates are included for three simple art activities: American Flag Wax Resist (with watercolors), Mount Rushmore Texture Coloring (with sandpaper or pavement and crayon), and Liberty Bell Torn Paper Collage (great for fine motor strengthening!)

▶ Bald Eagle Paper Bag Puppet: Have students use a simple color, cut, and glue template to make a bald eagle puppet out of a lunch bag. Students can use this puppet to practice oral language skills while delivering information about the bald eagle.

▶ Statue of Liberty Crown: Print this simple template on green paper. Add a sentence strip and fold the spikes forward to make a crown.

▶ Statue of Liberty Science Experiment: Use pennies to replicate the oxidation of copper evident in the Statue of Liberty’s green color. This experiment includes instructions, a vocabulary display printout, and several choices of recording templates.

How do I use this Presidents’ Day unit?

Begin by accessing students’ background knowledge about American symbols by having a class discussion. Follow up with the PowerPoint slideshow, which can be read aloud in one sitting or can be used across several days. Young children will need time to discuss the information as it is presented, so be sure to build in time for conversations and questions! As you read, work on creating the anchor chart to organize the information the students are learning.

The anchor chart and the PowerPoint can guide students toward informational writing about American symbols. Have students assemble their “My Book of American Symbols” so they can use it to take notes as you teach about each symbol.

The puzzle pages are a great way for students to work independently and practice recording simple facts they’ve learned. The art activities help students synthesize the information they’ve learned. While students work on the torn-paper Liberty Bell or the textured Mount Rushmore, the teacher can work with individual students on their informational writing.

The Statue of Liberty science experiment can be completed by individual or small groups of students or you can do it as a demonstration using a document camera.

Have students make a Statue of Liberty crown and a bald eagle puppet to culminate their studies and encourage them to share facts with others using their new props. This is great oral language practice!

This informational American Symbols unit is also included in my Thematic Units BIG Bundle.

What Teachers Are Saying about this American Symbols unit:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I have a very diverse class this year. I even had English language learning parents that commented that they learned something about US Symbols. These resources are my favorite in the classroom and virtually!” –Sarah B.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The visuals are super student friendly. The book was a great way to practice notetaking skills. They loved the mini quizzes.” –Melanie M.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This is such an awesome resource! I used it last year with my students and they gained so much from it! They were so excited when it was social studies time! I can't wait to use it again this year!” –Brandi M.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Great resource to support my teaching. Very easy to prepare and use. Fun way to engage students and solidify their learning!” –Carrie T.

You may also like:
▶ Map Skills Unit
▶ Presidents’ Day Unit
▶ Election Day E-Book and Printables

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Susan Jennings (My Happy Place)

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