3 6 1 signs, songs, and symbols of america

Symbols of America In the United States, we have many symbols that stand for things our nation holds dear.. Some of these popular symbols are the Statue of Liberty, our national anthem,

Suggested levels for Guided Reading, DRA, ™

Lexile, ® and Reading Recovery ™ are provided

in the Pearson Scott Foresman Leveling Guide.

ISBN 0-328-13398-1

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Genre Comprehension

Skills and Strategy Text Features

Expository

nonfi ction

• Main Idea and Details

• Fact and Opinion

• Text Structure

• Captions

• Headings

Scott Foresman Reading Street 3.6.1

by Alma Ransford

Suggested levels for Guided Reading, DRA, ™

Lexile, ® and Reading Recovery ™ are provided

in the Pearson Scott Foresman Leveling Guide.

ISBN 0-328-13398-1

ì<(sk$m)=bddjih< +^-Ä-U-Ä-U

Genre Comprehension

Skills and Strategy Text Features

Expository

nonfi ction

• Main Idea and Details

• Fact and Opinion

• Text Structure

• Captions

• Headings

Scott Foresman Reading Street 3.6.1

by Alma Ransford

Reader Response

1 What is the main idea of the section called

Our Nation’s Songs? Tell two details that support the main idea Use a graphic organizer like this one.

2 How do the headings prepare you for

what is coming next in the selection? Give

an example.

3 Two of the glossary words begin with the

same prefix Name the words and identify the prefix What other words do you know that begin with that prefix? Name two and use each in a sentence.

4 Why do you think the scene described on

page 6 inspired Francis Scott Key? Would

it have inspired you? Why or why not?

Main Idea:

Detail:

Detail:

by Alma Ransford

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Symbols can be signs, flags and pennants, animals, or just colors.

3

A symbol is something that stands for

something else For example, if you see a sign with an “H” on it, you know a hospital

is nearby Symbols are all around us There are many different types of symbols Your school may have a mascot or special school colors Symbols give us information, but they can also stand for ideas and ideals

3

An

important

symbol of

our country

is our flag.

Symbols of America

In the United States, we have many symbols that stand for things our nation

holds dear Some of them are official

symbols of our country The flag and the

bald eagle are two examples Others are

popular symbols that we use, see,

or sing all the time Some of these

popular symbols are the Statue

of Liberty, our national anthem,

and the White House

What symbols of the

United States can you

think of?

4

Betsy Ross shows the first American flag to General Washington.

Our Nation’s Flag

One of our country’s official symbols

is the American flag Legend says that Betsy Ross of Pennsylvania sewed the first flag for our new nation The Continental Congress adopted the national flag on June 14, 1777

Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress, said the flag was

to be red (for hardiness and valor), white (for innocence), and blue (for vigilance, perseverance, and justice)

As new states enter the Union, stars are added The thirteen stripes remain to remind us of the original thirteen colonies

5

Francis Scott Key

Our Nation’s Songs

The American flag inspired Francis Scott Key to write the song that became

our national anthem Key watched the

British attack Fort McHenry during the

War of 1812 The attack went on all night

It seemed impossible that the fort could

survive the bombardment by the British

army and navy

Yet early the next morning, Key looked

at the fort through the dim light of dawn

The American flag was still waving over

the fort Thrilled by the sight, Key wrote a

poem about it

6

Battle at Fort McHenry

7

The poem began:

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?

The poem was set to music “The Star-Spangled Banner” became our official national anthem in 1931

Over the years, other songs have come

to symbolize the United States “America the Beautiful” by Katharine Lee Bates is nearly as popular as the national anthem

Patriotic songs and music symbolize

pride in our country.

Composer George M Cohan met a Civil War veteran who inspired him to write

one of his most popular songs The man

was carrying a very carefully folded flag

Cohan wrote “You’re a Grand Old Flag” as

a tribute to the flag and to the man who

so proudly carried it

Another important song that symbolizes our country is “Hail to the

Chief.” It is the official anthem of the

President and has been since 1954 It

accompanies the President at most every

public event

8

The Great Seal

of the United States

is used on all official documents.

Our Nation’s Official Seal

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress authorized design of a “device for a seal of the United States of America.”

William Barton and Charles Thomson created the design

The design was approved by Congress

in 1782 The seal includes the American bald eagle with a ribbon in its mouth On

the ribbon are the Latin words E Pluribus

Unum, which means “out of many, one.” In

the eagle’s left talon, or claw, are thirteen arrows, representing war In the right talon

is an olive branch, representing peace

9

The bald eagle is our national bird.

It stands for freedom.

The bald eagle has been the national bird since 1782 It is a symbol of our

nation’s freedom It appears in many

places You’ll find it on the President’s flag,

on the Great Seal, and on the one-dollar

bill

If Benjamin Franklin had had his way, our national bird would be the wild turkey

Franklin argued that the wild turkey was

native to America and a very intelligent

bird He lost the argument

10

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This cartoon of Uncle Sam was used during World War II to persuade men to join the armed forces.

Our Nation’s Uncle Sam

Another unforgettable symbol that uses

the colors red, white, and blue is Uncle Sam He is usually pictured as a tall man with white hair, a small white beard, and dressed in a star-spangled suit

Samuel Wilson, a beef supplier in Troy, New York, probably inspired the idea for Uncle Sam During the War of 1812, he supplied barrels of beef to the U.S Army

He stamped them “U.S.” to show that they were government property People think this led to the use of the

nickname “Uncle Sam”

to symbolize the United States

11

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For more than one hundred years, the Statue of Liberty has

welcomed immigrants to the United States.

Our Nation’s Statue of Freedom

The Statue of Liberty is one of the United States’ most famous

symbols The people of France

gave the statue to the people

of the United States in 1886 to

celebrate the friendship between

the two nations

The statue was designed by Frederic

Bartholdi He made several models for

each of its major parts In Lady Liberty’s

crown are seven rays representing the

seven seas and continents of the world In

her right hand is a torch lighting the way

to America The tablet in her left hand has

the date July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals

That is the date of the Declaration of

Independence

12

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13

Poet Emma Lazarus wrote a poem,

“The New Colossus,” in 1883, before the

statue was unveiled The poem was

placed on a bronze plaque at the base of the statue The statue

symbolizes the poem’s message of hope, freedom, and democracy

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Senators and members of the

House of Representatives make

our laws in the U.S Capitol.

Our Nation’s Government Buildings

Three important symbols of our national government are the White

House, the U.S Supreme Court building,

and the U.S Capitol building The U.S

Supreme Court hears the most important

cases in the nation in the Supreme Court

building The White House is home to

the President of the United States The

Capitol building is the meeting place of

the U.S Congress

14

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The United States Supreme Court Building

Thomas Jefferson was the first President

to be inaugurated, or sworn into office,

at the Capitol This is a tradition that continues to this day The original Capitol building burned during the War of 1812, but later it was rebuilt

15

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The White House

The White House is the official home of the President Although much about it has

changed, it actually looks much as it did

when it was first built in 1800

James Hoban won the competition for the building’s design in 1792 He

envisioned a first or “state” floor where

public business would take place The

President’s family would live on the second

floor Over time, the White House has had

several additions

16

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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial The Korean War Memorial

Many monuments throughout the

country symbolize accomplishments of past leaders The Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial are all located in Washington, D.C Each of them honors the President for whom it’s named

We also recognize the brave sacrifices our soldiers have made during times of war We have memorials to those who fought in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War These memorials are also in Washington, D.C

17

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Our Nation’s Liberty Bell

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is home to the Liberty Bell It was hung in the state

house in Philadelphia in 1753 The bell

was rung on

July 8, 1776, to

celebrate the first

public reading of

the Declaration

of Independence

It was rung for

the last time

on George

Washington’s

birthday in

1846, when its famous

crack became so large

that it could not

be fixed

18

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The Liberty Bell first rang out in 1776 to announce the Declaration of Independence.

Our Nation’s Creed and Mottos

Our nation has an official creed and motto The Creed reads in part, “I believe

in the United States of America as a

government of the people, by the people, for the people ”

Since 1956, the motto of the United States has been “In God

We Trust.” The government also recognized the phrase

E Pluribus Unum, which

appears on the Great Seal

Since 1963, Congress has used both as our national mottos

19

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crown n head

covering of precious

metals worn by a

king or queen.

liberty n freedom.

models n small scale

copies of objects.

symbol n something

that stands for

something else.

tablet n a flat

surface with an inscription, or message, carved into

it or placed upon it.

torch n portable

light produced by lighting material fastened to the end

of a stick.

unforgettable adj

not able to be forgotten.

unveiled v removed

a covering from.

20

Glossary

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Reader Response

1 What is the main idea of the section called

Our Nation’s Songs? Tell two details that support the main idea Use a graphic organizer like this one.

2 How do the headings prepare you for

what is coming next in the selection? Give

an example.

3 Two of the glossary words begin with the

same prefix Name the words and identify the prefix What other words do you know that begin with that prefix? Name two and use each in a sentence.

4 Why do you think the scene described on

page 6 inspired Francis Scott Key? Would

it have inspired you? Why or why not?

Main Idea:

Detail:

Detail: