For Which It Stands A DVD about the history of the fl ag of the United States, the signifi cance and meaning of our fl ag, and respecting and caring for our fl ag. Teacher’s Guide For the 20-minute linear video and Interactive enhancements associated with segments of the video The American Legion P. O. Box 1055 Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 www.legion.org FOR WHICH IT STANDS Credits For Content Consultant The American Legion John J. Patrick, Ph.D. Mike Buss Indiana University, Program Coordinator, Flag Bloomington Education, Americanism and Children & Youth Scriptwriter Division Doug Anderson This is a publication of Ronald Engel Director of The American Legion Deputy Director, Americanism and Photography P. O. Box 1055 Children & Youth Division Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 Rob DeVoe (317) 630-1249 Marty Justis www.legion.org Director, Production Crew Americanism and Brett Lodde Children & Youth Division Jason Morris Copyright 2005 by Joel Wanke Duane R. Mercier The American Legion Audiovisual Production All rights reserved. Manager, Music/Sound Mix Public Relations Division Patrick Hurley Director of Multimedia The text of this publication, or any part thereof, may Producer/Director/ Michael Freeman not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a Video Editor retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by Luke Hale DVD Programming any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the written permis- Instructional Designer/ Brandon Penticuff sion of the copyright owner. These materials are not Teacher’s Guide Writer Graphics for resale. However, classroom teachers can repro- Alan Backler, Ph.D. duce these materials for use in their own classrooms. Ha-Trang Parks Executive Producer All inquiries should be addressed to the Americanism Teacher’s Guide Larry Laswell and Children & Youth Division, The American Legion. Designer/Compositor David Strange Printed in the United States of America iii Contents Credits ............................................................ iii Introduction................................................... 1 Objectives....................................................... 2 Program Summary ........................................ 3 Before the Using the DVD............................. 8 Basic DVD Operating Instructions............... 9 Using the DVD ............................................... 9 After Using the Video Portion of the DVD ... 10 Enhancement Activities................................ 14 Enhancement Activity 1: George Learns the Pledge....................... 15 Enhancement Activity 2: Rally ’Round the Flag.............................. 19 Enhancement Activity 3: Flag Timeline ........................................... 24 Enrichment Activities.................................... 28 Further Resources ......................................... 29 Blackline Masters/Other Forms ................... 33 FOR WHICH IT STANDS Introduction The For Which It Stands DVD is a multimedia instructional resource for school fl ag educa- tion programs conducted by American Legion members and/or by professional educators throughout the United States. It is intended primarily for use with students in the upper elementary and middle/junior high school grades. A 20-minute linear video is a major ele- ment of the For Which It Stands DVD. The video uses a compelling story to provide in- struction on the history, the signifi cance and meaning, and the care of and respect for the United States fl ag. Periodically, users can stop the video and examine issues in more depth. After completing each of these enhancement activities, users can return to the video and continue viewing. In the enhancements, stu- dents can examine the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance, get answers to questions about appropriate care and respect for the fl ag, and create and analyze a fl ag timeline. There is also a glossary of fl ag terms on the DVD. Users will be able to view the video with- out stopping for the enhancements. They can view the video and choose enhancements to pursue. Or users can move directly to specifi c sections of the video and use the associated enhancement activities as desired. 1 FOR WHICH IT STANDS FOR WHICH IT STANDS The video, enhancements, and activities • identify specifi c ways to care for and contained in this guide are designed to respect the fl ag support state fl ag instruction laws* and are • describe the evolution of the fl ag of the consistent with state education standards in United States civic education for upper elementary and middle/junior high schools. Program Summary Objectives Opening The purpose of these materials is to increase The program begins with Joe, who is reading students’ understanding of the history, the the introduction of his paper to his teacher. signifi cance and meaning, and the care of She interrupts him to say that what he is out- and respect for the fl ag of the United States. lining does not seem to have anything to do After viewing the DVD, using the enhance- with the assigned theme, the American fl ag. ments, and participating in the activities in She says, “I don’t see what snakes or an all- this guide, students will be able to: star team have to do with the American fl ag.” That’s when Joe begins his story. • articulate the fundamental American ideals symbolized by the fl ag of the Respect the Flag United States We see that last summer, Joe’s older brother • explain the meaning of the Pledge of Matt, an Army veteran, took him to a baseball Allegiance game. When the playing of the National Anthem is announced, everyone stands. As * According to a study published by the National Flag Foun- the anthem plays, Matt looks over at Joe and dation in 1992 and revised in 1999, most states have fl ag tells him to remove his hat. This later leads to instruction laws. The laws are in three groups: an argument in which Matt insists that Joe • Etiquette: Instruction in fl ag etiquette/Conduct of patriotic exercises should respect the fl ag by removing his hat. Joe retorts, “Who cares? It’s just a crummy • Pledge: Pledge of Allegiance salute piece of material.” • Citizenship: Instruction in the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, patriotism, free enterprise system, good Matt explains that when the fl ag passes citizenship. you, or when the National Anthem is played, 2 3 FOR WHICH IT STANDS FOR WHICH IT STANDS you remove your hat with your right hand American fl ag. You respect it. You treat it with and hold it at your left shoulder so that your honor.” He lowers the old fl ag. right hand is over your heart. He goes on to Next, in a documentary-like segment, say that if he had been in uniform, he would Uncle Roy describes various ways in which have saluted the fl ag. Joe responds that those the fl ag should be cared for and respected. behaviors are for old people and, besides, He describes how the American fl ag should taking off your hat and putting your hand be positioned when fl own with other fl ags, he over your heart is “lame.” Matt comes back dispels the myth that fl ags must be destroyed with, “Was it lame for me to be in the army? when they touch the ground, and he tells how Was it lame when Grandpa defended our to dispose of faded or torn fl ags. country? Is it lame to be an American?” They At the end of the segment we return to Joe’s near home angry with each other. story. We see Uncle Roy hoisting his new fl ag. Pledge of Allegiance Flag History As they approach home, Matt quizzes Joe The boys see Uncle Roy place his hand over about the Pledge of Allegiance. Joe is able to his heart as he looks up at the new fl ag. For say it, mechanically, but it is clear that he Joe, something is beginning to sink in about does not really know what the Pledge means. the signifi cance of the fl ag. Suddenly, Juan Their feud continues. notices a snake. Joe indicates that Uncle Roy knows a lot about snakes. Before he can go on Care for the Flag to explain, the scene moves back to school, Days later, Joe is playing catch in the back where the teacher is concerned that, with his yard with his friend Juan. Joe tells Juan, for discussion of snakes, Joe is getting off the the 174th time, that he made the all-star base- topic of fl ags. ball team. Just then, Joe’s next door neighbor, Joe then goes on to explain that some of Uncle Roy, comes out of his house and is the fi rst American fl ags had snakes on them. standing near his fl ag pole. He describes the “Don’t Tread on Me” fl ag Uncle Roy explains that he needs to re- that had a snake on it. He describes several place his torn fl ag. He will take the old one to other fl ags that are part of our nation’s his- the local American Legion post for disposal. tory: the Grand Union fl ag, that featured He points out that “You never throw away an stripes, but had a Union Jack in the upper left 4 5 FOR WHICH IT STANDS FOR WHICH IT STANDS corner, the Betsy Ross fl ag that showed the The next day, Joe learns that Uncle Roy stars in a circle, the fi fteen stars and fi fteen had a heart attack and died. He also discovers stripes fl ag that inspired the writing of “The that Uncle Roy was a veteran. We then see a Star-Spangled Banner,” and today’s fl ag. funeral ceremony for Uncle Roy. Joe describes With that said, Joe’s teacher admits that the scene: An American fl ag is draped over the snake fi ts right into a paper about the the coffi n. Any honorably discharged veteran American fl ag. She invites him to continue. is entitled to a burial fl ag. While anyone can have a fl ag draped over their coffi n, it is an Meaning of the Flag honor usually reserved for veterans and other Back to his story, Joe tells about his visit to notables, such as presidents.