Today at Chamberlayne Elementary, first graders created animated Keynote presentations about the U.S. symbols (SOL 1.11). I created a template for them to use that you can download by clicking here. The students took photos of themselves using Photo Booth and added them to each slide. Then they recorded their narration describing each of the symbols: the flag, the Statue of Liberty, the bald eagle, and the Washington Monument. You can see a sample by clicking here. I want you to notice something about that example. There are some great facts but not all of them are accurate (30 stripes, George Washington died when we were alive). Oftentimes teachers ask how they can grade a project like this. They say that it’s not as clear cut as grading a worksheet or a test. However, in the example, you can tell which facts the child knows and which ones she doesn’t understand. So using a simple rubric or checklist of facts will help you generate a number grade. The advantage of doing a project as opposed to a worksheet or test is that the child can express facts that he or she knows that may not be assessed on paper. However, it’s important to allow children to go back and fix their mistakes in projects like this, so that when others watch them, the information is correct. Another idea for teaching patriotic symbols can be found on my blog here.