I have my students practice reading the map filled with their words. Then we build it in a pocket chart which provides them with important practice with the language of the map. You can put all your academic vocabulary here and the children will have an opportunity to use it, in context. From here they are making their own map and drawing the American flag. We had several guided drawing lessons so they can do this with ease. However, those stars can be rough road for some... just sayin'. So I give them other options because the goal is not to make amazing stars!
We do a huge unit on the symbols of our country and our students love learning about the American flag,
the bald eagle, the president, etc. Here is a very simple tree map on the American flag. I love to fill it with color using scrapbooking chalk. It is simple and fills in large areas quickly. Here is an easy way to help ELL's see the difference between is and has and it is crucial to have them practice reading the map. The more proficient student can use "and" which allows them to create much more complex sentences. From here we go to a simple reader about the flag and then we move on to writing. I love teaching this unit.
