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Patriotic Symbols and Practices
Session 5:
The Bald Eagle
Materials
- Illustrations of the bald eagle
- Books about the bald eagle
- Markers or crayons
Instructional Activities
- Review the session “The American Flag.”
- Present pictures of the bald eagle. Create a KWL chart about bald eagles.
KWL Chart for the Bald Eagle
What We Know |
What We Want to Know |
What We Learned |
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- Resources are available at these Web sites if the teacher prefers to use other graphic organizers:
<http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/>
<http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/torganiz.htm>
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Read books to students about the bald eagle. Use various resources to research bald eagles. For example, one Web site on bald eagles is <http://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/symbols/eagle.html>. Complete the KWL chart.
- Talk about the bald eagle as “America’s bird” and how many people recognize the bald eagle as a symbol of America. Tell students that Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be America’s bird. Discuss the kind of symbol this might have been. Talk about the reasons the bald eagle may have been chosen to be a symbol of courage and freedom.
- Talk about the bald eagle as a once endangered species that is now listed as a threatened species. Have a class discussion that relates being a good, patriotic citizen to protecting endangered and threatened species. The following Web site may be helpful: < http://www.fws.gov/endangered/i/B0H.html>
- Have students write about the reasons the bald eagle was chosen to be our nation’s bird, and have them draw pictures to go with their written work.
- Ask students to look for pictures of the bald eagle. Have them list places where they find the bald eagle displayed (dollar bills, quarters, historic documents). Talk about where live bald eagles might be found.
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