LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Oh Say Can You See What the Star Spangled Banner Means?

http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=298

A lesson plan for Grades 4–5 English Language Arts and Social Studies

Provider: National Endowment for the Humanities

About this resource

Appropriate grades
4–5
Provider
National Endowment for the Humanities

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Creative Commons License

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This is a set of 8 lesson plans designed to explore the symbolic, historical and literary background of the American flag, beginning with Francis Scott Key's poetic account of the bombardment of Fort McHenry. Using archival documents and images, students will associate Key's words with historic events and recognize the sentiment those words inspired. In the second part of the unit, students will review the symbols within the flag and look at some historic images of the flag that have become part of American national consciousness.

The purpose of EDSITEment is to offer a gateway for teachers, students, and parents searching for high-quality material on the Internet in the subject areas of literature and language arts, foreign languages, art and culture, and history and social studies.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 4

  • Goal 3: The learner will trace the history of colonization in North Carolina and evaluate its significance for diverse people's ideas.
    • Objective 3.02: Identify people, symbols, events, and documents associated with North Carolina's history.

Grade 5

  • Goal 1: The learner will apply key geographic concepts to the United States and other countries of North America.
    • Objective 1.01: Describe the absolute and relative location of major landforms, bodies of water,and natural resources in the United States and other countries of North America.
  • Goal 2: The learner will analyze political and social institutions in North America and examine how these institutions respond to human needs, structure society, and influence behavior.
    • Objective 2.01: Analyze major documents that formed the foundations of the American idea of constitutional government.
    • Objective 2.03: Recognize how the United States government has changed over time.
  • Goal 4: The learner will trace key developments in United States history and describe their impact on the land and people of the nation and its neighboring countries.
    • Objective 4.01: Define the role of an historian and explain the importance of studying history.

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 4

  • Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
    • Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
      • setting a purpose using prior knowledge and text information.
      • making predictions.
      • formulating questions.
      • locating relevant information.
      • making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
    • Objective 2.05: Make inferences, draw conclusions, make generalizations, and support by referencing the text.
  • Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
    • Objective 4.03: Make oral and written presentations using visual aids with an awareness of purpose and audience.

Grade 5

  • Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
    • Objective 1.02: Select key vocabulary critical to the text and apply appropriate meanings as necessary for comprehension.
  • Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
    • Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
      • making predictions.
      • formulating questions.
      • supporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or other sources.
      • drawing on personal, literary, and cultural understandings.
      • seeking additional information.
      • making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
  • Goal 3: The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
    • Objective 3.01: Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:
      • analyzing word choice and content.
      • examining reasons for a character's actions, taking into account the situation and basic motivation of the character.
      • creating and presenting a product that effectively demonstrates a personal response to a selection or experience.
      • examining alternative perspectives.
      • evaluating the differences among genres.
      • examining relationships among characters.
      • making and evaluating inferences and conclusions about characters, events and themes.
    • Objective 3.06: Conduct research (with assistance) from a variety of sources for assigned or self-selected projects (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).
  • Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
    • Objective 4.03: Make oral and written presentations to inform or persuade selecting vocabulary for impact.
    • Objective 4.04: Select a self-evaluated composition for publication and justify rationale for selection.