Students will investigate, “What are our national symbols, and how do they represent our country?” and “How do national symbols show what a country values and remembers?” They will research using grade-level informational texts, maps, photographs, and related stories or myths from diverse cultures, then sort brief notes from print and digital sources into provided categories. After completing their research, teams will make shared design decisions to create accurate, engaging pamphlets for a school audience. Students will present their pamphlets, listen and respond to peers with empathy, and reflect on how effectively they communicated their learning.

Students will investigate “What are our national symbols, and how do they represent our country?” and “How do national symbols show what a country values and remembers?” They will gather and sort brief notes from grade-appropriate print and digital sources, using words, maps, photographs, and illustrations to explain each symbol’s history and meaning. Students will recount a related folktale, myth, or historical story, identify its central message, and cite supporting details. In teams, students will make shared decisions to create an accurate, engaging pamphlet, present it to an audience, listen to feedback, and reflect on their learning.

Students will gather brief research notes from grade-level print and digital sources, sorting facts and evidence from maps, photographs, illustrations, and text. Each student will use this research to create a polished pamphlet explaining what selected national symbols represent and how they show what the country values and remembers. The pamphlet will also recount a related folktale, myth, or story and explain its central message using key details. Students will share their pamphlets, listen and respond to audience feedback, and complete a brief reflection.

Begin with a “Mystery Symbol Museum” featuring photographs, maps, short informational texts, and brief stories about national symbols such as the bald eagle, American flag, Statue of Liberty, and Liberty Bell. In teams, students rotate through stations, record what they notice and wonder, and sort clues into values, history, and national identity. Teams share one claim supported by an image and words, then listen and respond to classmates’ interpretations. Introduce the guiding questions and challenge students to use their upcoming research to create an informative pamphlet explaining how national symbols represent what the country values and remembers.

After completing their research, students create pamphlets that combine brief source notes, facts, photographs or maps, and a related story or legend about a national symbol. Host a National Symbols Museum Walk where teams display their pamphlets and explain how the symbols represent the country and show what it values and remembers. Classmates, families, or another third-grade class ask questions and leave specific feedback, and students conclude by reflecting on their research, collaboration, and presentation.