All About the Flag!

1. Shapes > Identify that the flag is a rectangle- Two long sides and two short sides. Have children trace with their finger the long sides and short sides in the template.

2. Colors and counting > Discuss that red, white and blue are the national colors. Have children count the thirteen stripes. Identify that seven are red and six are white.

3. The blue rectangle houses 50 white stars for each state. Show a map with the states, locate the state where you live.

4. Tell the children they will decorate and add the stars > choose painted fingerprints or star stickers (silver stars are easy to locate). Add only 13 fingerprints for the first colonies or add up to 20 to fill up the blue space.

Pretzel Log Cabin

Supplies:

• Small empty milk carton
• Pretzel sticks
• Chocolate frosting or peanut butter
• 1 Rolo or other tubular shaped candy
• 1 square cracker
• Scissors
• Hot glue or tape

Directions:

1. Cut the top flap of the milk carton off and tape or hot glue it closed to form the roof.
2. Spread chocolate frosting or peanut butter on one side of milk carton then cover with pretzels. Repeat this step all over the milk carton until log cabin is complete. You may need to break the tips off of some of the pretzels to make then fit up the sides.
3. Break a square cracker in half, then break one of the halves in half. Spread some frosting or peanut butter on the back of the first half. “Glue” it to the front of the cabin as the door. Repeat this step with a smaller broken piece for the window.

Spread some frosting or peanut butter to the bottom of Rolo and stick to the roof.

Unlce Sam

Make this easier for little ones by having the paper plate and all the stars and stripes pre-cut.

Supplies:

• Paper plate (8”or 9”)
• Construction paper: Red, white and blue
• Cotton Balls
• Yarn
• Glue
• Scissors
• Hole punch (scissors will work)

Directions:

1. Cut the center out of the paper plate. If you want, measure it to fit the child's face first. With a hole punch or scissors, punch 2 holes on either side of the paper plate and tie on a piece of yarn into each hole (this will secure the mask around the child's face)

2. The entire sheet of red paper will make the base of the hat (a standard 81/2" X 11" paper). Using the white construction paper cut out four 1" strips and glue evenly onto the red paper. Turning your blue paper length wise, cut out a 2" wide strip which will make the brim of your hat.

3. Glue the base of your hat onto your paper plate, and then glue the blue brim on top (feel free to staple this on if you want it to go faster, or if you don't have any glue). Decorate the brim of your hat with stars. You can either cut them out of the white paper or you can use stickers if you have some.

4. Glue cotton balls all around the paper plate to make "Uncle Sam's" beard. Once the glue is dry you can tie the mask around your face and have some good ol' American fun!

Lincoln Penny Pendant

Supplies:

-Glue
-Scissors
-Red and blue crayons or markers
-Hole punch
-String
-Penny

Directions:

Cut out 3 stars, one big, one medium, and one small. Have your child color one star blue and one star red. You can leave the other one white. :-) Then glue or tape the stars on top of eachother. And finish with the penny on top! (Lincoln side up, of course). Punch a hole at the top and put the string through. Tie it together like a necklace!

Week 7

Week 7: U.S. Presidents

*Suggested Reading*

Don't Know Much About the Presidents by Kenneth C. Davis, Pedro Martin (Illustrator)

If the Walls Could Talk : Family Life at the White House by Jane O'Connor

My Teacher for President by Kay Winters, Denise Brunkus (Illustrator)

What Presidents Are Made Of by Hanoch Piven

George Washington's Teeth Deborah Chandra, Madeleine Comora

Items needed this week:

• Paper plate (8”or 9”)
• Construction paper: Red, white and blue
• Cotton Balls
• Yarn
• Glue
• Scissors
• Hole punch (scissors will work)

• A penny
• Small empty milk carton
• Pretzel sticks
• Chocolate frosting or peanut butter
• 1 Rolo or other tubular shaped candy
• 1 square cracker

Snack Suggestion: All American Ham and Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:

One English Muffin cut in half

American Cheese

Ham

Directions:

Top each muffin half with a slice of ham followed by a sprinkle (or slice) of cheese. Bake on a cookie sheet at 450 degrees for 5-8 minutes.