Language Arts Kindergarten and First Grades
Olympic Flag
Description
Students learn about the flags of nations, the flag of the Olympic Games, and the symbolism of their designs. Students create their own flags.
Themes
Diversity, Respect, Loyalty, Peace, Hard Work
Core Curriculum
* The core curriculum standards listed here, parallel those listed for the first grade core curriculum.
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4000-01
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Students use prior knowledge to comprehend new Information and construct meaning.
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4000-02
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Students make predictions and confirm meaning.
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4000-05
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Students, teachers, and parents read together to create a shared meaning from print.
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4000-07
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Students use process strategies to create text.
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4000-08
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Students, teachers, and parents write and respond together.
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4000-09
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Students develop oral language through speaking.
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4000-10
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Students develop language and acquire information through listening.
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4000-11
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Students, teachers, and parents use speaking and listening to explore, clarify, and understand ideas in different settings.
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Learning Outcomes
Students Will:
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Create shared meaning from reading and discussing the book People
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Comprehend new information as the teacher reads about the Olympic
Games symbols or flag
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Understand how being different is all right and everyone has their own
traditions, cultures and beliefs
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Express what some of their core values or beliefs are as part of a team,
using a variety of speaking, listening, writing and citizenship skills
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Preparation
Gather materials
Class time, including discussion, reading and creating writing, at least 1 hour
Tools and Resources
Handout - Olympic Flag & Rings
People by Peter Spear, or one of the recommended books for reading aloud to the class
Art supplies to make a team flag: markers, paints, etc.
Paper or materials for flag background and a dowel to hook it to
Instruction
Read People to the class. Discuss how people are different. People are set apart from each other
by their own look, traditions, beliefs, and cultures.
Explain how flags are used by people to set them apart and show what their most important beliefs
and values are.
Colors, designs, patterns and pictures all mean something on the flag just the same as they do in
people's traditions, beliefs and cultures.
Ask students to list other things that make people different or what sets them apart from each other?
Show a picture of the Utah State Flag, the U.S. Flag, the Olympic Flag, and the flag from the school's
sister country. If you have an actual example of any of these it may be best to use them. Discuss
what the symbols might mean.
Looking at the Utah Flag:
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Blue = Loyalty
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Beehive = Industrious and hardworking
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Sego Lily = Peace, state flower
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Industry = State motto
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Flag-bearing staff = Loyalty of country
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Ask students about the colors and stars in the U.S. flag? What do you think the
symbols on the sister country's flag might mean?
Read to the students the following information about the Olympic Rings on the flag.
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The Olympic rings are the official symbol of the Olympic movement.
There are five interlacing rings of the colors blue, yellow, black,
green, and red. The rings are set upon a white background.
Baron Pierre de Coubertin designed the Olympic emblem in 1913. In
his words, "These five rings represent the five parts of the world
won over to Olympism. . . This is a real international emblem." The
Olympic rings represent the union of the five continents and the
meeting of athletes throughout the world at the Olympic Games.
They also symbolize the unity and peace that is shared among the
participating nations during the time the Olympic Games are played.
However, contrary to a popular misconception, the colors themselves
do not represent any single continent. The colors were chosen because
at least one of these colors is found in the flag of every nation.
The original Olympic flag was made at the "Bon Marché " store in Paris.
The flag is three meters long and two meters wide. It first flew over
an Olympic stadium at the 1920 Antwerp Games. The original flag also
carried the Olympic motto, "Citius, Altius, Fortius," meaning "Faster,
Higher, Stronger."
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In teams of 3 students, design a school, class or team flag that represents the values,
beliefs and diversity of it's members. Be able to explain what each symbol and color
represents.
Assessment
Students will create a team flag and explain the symbolism included in the color and design.
Extensions
Have students share some of their own family traditions that are done for the different holidays.
Bring in speakers that can show and talk about the diversity of places they have visited or lived.
Have students write or draw about their favorite speaker and why.
Have the students search for where their ancestors originated from. On a large wall map put pins
in the countries and stretch yarn from that country to Utah. This demonstrates how much variety and
diversity is in Utah.
Further Research
Recommended books for literature extensions:
The Sneetches, Suess, Dr. Random House, 1961.
The Trouble With Mom, Cole, Babette. Coward-McCann, 1984. ISBN 0-698-20597-9
William the Backward Skunk, Jones, Chuck. Crown, 1986. ISBN 0-517-56063-1
People, Spear, Peter.
Tico and the Golden Wings, Lionni, Leo. Knopf/Pantheon, 1975. ISBN 0-394-83078-4
Leo the Lop, Cosgrove, Stephen. Price tern Sloan, 1995. ISBN 0-843-13820-3
Ira Sleeps Over, Waber, Bernard. Houghton Mifflin, 1972. ISBN 0-395-13893-0
Squares Are Not Bad, Salazar, Violet. Golden Press, 1967.
Fanny, Cosgrove, Stephen. Rourke Enterprises, 1986. ISBN 0-865-92239-X
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