Early Childhood Education SuperSite -- Classroom Activities: Raise Your Flag

Modifications to the Baseline
On display: state and local community flags, coats of arms, logos
Teacher's personal flag or coat of arms.

Background for Teachers
Older primary-age children often are self-conscious and/or highly critical of themselves. Their peers' opinions matter greatly, to the point of inhibiting their curiosity and independence of thought. By providing various, multiple opportunities to reflect on self and personal goals, teachers develop children's self-awareness and self-confidence. By encouraging children to share their reflections, teachers foster a classroom spirit of individual understanding of peers. This also helps build tolerance for individual differences.

Set-up		Age Range: 7 - 8
Tables, work areas		40 minutes plus homework time
Whole group
Materials		Papers, writing & drawing implements, software Board/chart paper, markers for recording student suggestions

Description of Activity
Children analyze flags, coats of arms, or other symbols to determine their message about self, ability, and/or values. They then brainstorm the personal qualities and beliefs they wish to represent and choose symbols for them. Finally, they create personal flags, coats of arms, or logos and explain orally, in writing, and/or drawing why they chose their characteristics and symbols.

Suggested Questions and Procedures
Share two or three flags, coats of arms, or logos of popular teams, stores, etc. For each one, ask children to describe the symbols used and how they interpret them. As children do so, record on board the quality or characteristic identified next to the name of the symbol used to portray it. Draw children's attention to how the symbols, together, present an impression or make a statement about what the team, company, etc. wants people to know about it.

Share your prepared personal flag/coat of arms. Ask students to figure out the symbols and name the qualities or values represented. Also share the thinking processes used to create the piece, especially how you chose which characteristics were most important to include.

Shift children's attention to themselves. Ask them to spend three minutes brainstorming aloud or through notes, the personal characteristics they think are most important for others to know about them. Recall a variety of traits taught previously, including kindness, courtesy, fairness, conviction, courage, respect for all, honesty, and helpfulness. Upon completion of the brainstorming, ask a few children to share their lists. Write a few traits on the board in list form. Then, for each, ask all to suggest symbols that would best express it. Emphasize the need for symbols to be understood by all not just children their age, etc. For each symbol suggested, explain why it works'- or not.

Instruct students to choose a format - flag, coat of arms, logo- and select materials for creating it. If possible, suggest that students work in pairs to generate ideas and check accuracy of symbols. Ask children to share pieces with the class. For each quality, ask why it was chosen- what made it significant? Draw attention to similarities in qualities chosen. Ask why so many feel these to be 'critical'. Point out differences in symbols used to represent the same quality. Discuss how certain symbols "say more" than others.

Child Products
Contributions to the discussions, finished pieces, written explanations

Assessment Procedure
Listen for students' use of accurate vocabulary to describe traits and values. Note children's ability to choose key qualities, symbolize them, and explain why they are personally relevant.

Extensions of Activity
Suggest children display their flags, etc. on their desks or mailboxes. Solicit volunteers to create a bulletin board using the flags, etc. Place the child's name- hidden under a flap- beneath the piece. Include directions to visitors to guess whose representation is whose.

Parent Collaboration
Ask parents to share family coats of arms or flags from ancestral countries.

	Early Childhood Education Supersite Classroom Activities: Raise Your Flag

Who am I? - Honor