Materials Needed
“Grand Old Flag” from the recording, Red Grammer's Favorite Sing Along Songs
To make one flag banner you will need:
Wire edged ribbon with a flag design on it that is at least 2 ½” wide and 20” long
Blue cord for handle, 17” long
White tassel
How to make a Flag Banner
(Picture at bottom of lesson.)
Lay out the 20” wire edged ribbon so the backside is facing up. At the half way mark of the ribbon, place the ends of the blue cord so that they overlap. Glue the ends of the cord together and glue it to the back of the ribbon. Now fold the ribbon in half so that the glued part of the cord is no longer visible and you see the design side of the ribbon. Lay the white tassel near the end of the ribbon (the opposite end of where the blue cord is). Glue the tassel down to the ribbon. Now fold the corners of the ribbon over the tassel and glue down. This becomes the back of your flag banner.
Students can do the following movements to the song “Grand Old Flag” holding the banner by the blue cord:
(Children are standing in a straight line. They are holding the flag banners in their right hand, down by their waist.)
“It's a grand old flag”
On the word “grand” the kids move the banner forward and away from their body.
“It's a high flying flag”
On the word “high” the kids move the banner up into the air, over their heads, with their arms straight up.
“And forever in peace may she wave”
While the banner is still up in the air, the kids move the banner left to right, back and forth.
“She's the emblem of the land I love” The kids march (and will continue to march in place till the end of the verse) in place while still waving the banner over their heads.
“The home of the free and the brave”
The kids cross arms in front of chest, and then extend hands outward and then to the sides.
“Every heart beats true for the red, white and blue”
The left hand goes back down to the side. The right hand brings the banner up to the chest and beats the heart.
“Where there’s never a boast or brag”
As hand continues to beat chest, shake heads no to show never a boast or brag.
“Should old acquaintance be forgot”
The children turn themselves in a circle.
“Keep your eye on the grand old flag”
The children raise the flag back up into the air and hold it there.
Repeat. At the end of the song, push the banner up as Red repeats “keep you're eye on the…” On the third time the kids leave the banner up in the air.
Variations
1. Instead of in a straight line, the children can be in a circle facing the outside of the circle. When it's time to march, the circle can move. When they get to “every heart beats true” the circle can stop and the students can march in place.
2. Older students would be able to do it in a circle facing the outside of the circle. Instead of moving the circle when the marching begins, have the students pass the banners around the circle. They can continue to do that until they get to “every heart beats true.”
There are many more things you can do with this lesson. For example, you can add a star to the flag banner that holds a picture of the student. They could take it home to use it as a doorknob decoration. You could display them on a bulletin board with the American flag included. Please keep in mind that there is a lot of flag etiquette for our national symbol. I thought of putting the banners or stars right on an American flag but that is not proper flag etiquette. (You should go to www.usflag.org/flag.etiquette.html to find all the standards of respect for our country's flag.)
While at the NAEYC in NYC, some wonderful teachers at our workshop displayed a flag made by student’s hand prints. They used red hand prints for the stripes and blue hand prints for the star area.
