The Pledge of Allegiance as a Front Load to American History

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Brent Knight
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1 The Pledge of as a Front Load to American History a) Each student gets a card with one of the non-bracketed phrases on it below To my [the] flag [of the United States of America] [Under God,], 6. b) Hand out notes cards (truly random) to each student. Students must seek out and create a group with the same number (and phrase) on the card (all 1's will be together, all 2's, etc.). Cycle around to each group, asking: a. What is a synonym for the significant word(s) in the phrase b. From what you know about history that you have learned so far, what examples in history can you relate to with the phrase? c) Combine groups with Cards by letter and odds or evens. (Cards A1 + A3 + A5, Cards D2 + D4 + D6, etc.). Explain to all that these phrases are from a document in history. Have groups put their phrases together, determining which order sounds better and what document this might be. Cycle through groups. Students will mostly predict the Pledge of. Challenge them to be sure. d) Create final groups by having all with same Card letters in the same group, assembling in the order they think all six cards sequence. Ask each group which document they have assembled. What is different about it as they know it? e) Have students return to their seats, picking up Handout: More to the Pledge of than meets the eye. Choose one of the following options: a. Have students read at their seat the brief history of the Pledge. b. Individually assign sections A through E to be read aloud by a volunteer. c. Ask how the chart led to adding "to the flag of the United States"? Ask what events in the 1940s might lead to Congress' official adoption of the document (World War II)? Why would the salute be changed in the same timeframe (the fear of the salute looking like a Nazi salute)? Why would "under God" be added in the 1950s? Students may not be able to understand how the fear of Communism would lead to this change. f) As a final discussion, or as a homework assignment, have students respond to this prompt: Since the Pledge of has been changed over the past century, should it be changed again by having word(s) added or removed. Students should defend and support their answer. Correlates to Ohio NLS Grade 8 Content Statement #1 Expectation for Learning.

2 A 1 A 3 A 5 A 2 A 4 A 6 B 1 B 3 B 5 B 2 B 4 B 6 C 1 C 3 C 5 C 2 C 4 C 6

3 D 1 D 3 D 5 D 2 D 4 D 6 E 1 E 3 E 5 E 2 E 4 E 6

4 More to the Pledge of than meets the eye! a) The Pledge was created in 1892 by Francis Bellamy to mark the 400 th Anniversary of Christopher Columbus arriving in the New World. Bellamy's original words were: allegiance to my Flag and the Republic, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. b) Originally, students were to salute the flag during while reciting the lines. The original Bellamy salute, began with a military salute, and after reciting the words "to the flag," the arm was extended toward the flag. The official guide stated: At a signal from the Principal the pupils, in ordered ranks, hands to the side, face the Flag. Another signal is given; every pupil gives the flag the military salute right hand lifted, palm downward, to a line with the forehead and close to it. Standing thus, all repeat together, slowly, " allegiance to my Flag and the Republic ; one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and." At the words, "to my Flag," the right hand is extended gracefully, palm upward, toward the Flag, and remains in this gesture till the end of the affirmation; whereupon all hands immediately drop to the side. The Youth's Companion, 1892 c) In 1923, the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added. The chart below is the reason why. Look at the chart and try to explain why the change was made. Region of Birth of the Foreign-Born Population: 1850 to 1930 Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census (internet release: March 9, 1999) Region of birth reported Year Total Latin Total Europe Africa America ,204,149 14,197,553 11,784,010 18, , ,920,692 13,911,767 11,916,048 16, , ,515,886 13,506,272 11,810,115 3, , ,341,276 10,330,534 8,881,548 2, , ,249,547 9,243,535 8,030,347 2, , ,679,943 6,675,875 5,751,823 2,204 90, ,567,229 5,563,637 4,941,049 2,657 57, ,138,697 4,134,809 3,807,062 36, ,244,602 2,202,625 2,031,867 1, Shortly thereafter, the movement to the pledge was changed to begin with the right hand over the heart, and after reciting "to the Flag," the arm was extended toward the Flag, palm-down. The United States Congress officially recognized the Pledge for the first time on June 22, d) In 1954 President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God," creating the 31-word pledge we say today. Some say that adding under God was in tribute to Abraham Lincoln s Gettysburg Address, where he ends that the nation shall, under God, have a new birth of freedom. Others claim under God was a response to growing concerns of worldwide Communist movement that rejects religion in its core principles. Bellamy's daughter objected to this alteration. DEFEND & SUPPORT: Since the Pledge of has been changed over the past century, should it be changed again by having word(s) added or removed? State your position and defend it in several sentences.

5 More to the Pledge of than meets the eye! [Teacher Version] a) The Pledge was created in 1892 by Francis Bellamy to mark the 400 th Anniversary of Christopher Columbus arriving in the New World. Bellamy's original words were: allegiance to my Flag and the Republic, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. BACKGROUND: Francis Bellamy ( ), a Baptist minister, wrote the original Pledge in August He was a Christian Socialist. In 1892 Francis Bellamy was also a chairman of a committee of state superintendents of education in the National Education Association. As its chairman, he prepared the program for the public schools' quadricentennial celebration for Columbus Day in He structured this public school program around a flag raising ceremony and a flag salute - his 'Pledge of.' In his Pledge, he is expressing the ideas of his first cousin, Edward Bellamy, author of the American socialist utopian novels, Looking Backward (1888) and Equality (1897). [ b) Originally, students were to salute the flag during while reciting the lines. The original Bellamy salute, began with a military salute, and after reciting the words "to the flag," the arm was extended toward the flag. The official guide stated: At a signal from the Principal the pupils, in ordered ranks, hands to the side, face the Flag. Another signal is given; every pupil gives the flag the military salute right hand lifted, palm downward, to a line with the forehead and close to it. Standing thus, all repeat together, slowly, " allegiance to my Flag and the Republic ; one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and." At the words, "to my Flag," the right hand is extended gracefully, palm upward, toward the Flag, and remains in this gesture till the end of the affirmation; whereupon all hands immediately drop to the side. The Youth's Companion, 1892 e) In 1923, the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added. The chart below is the reason why. Look at the chart and try to explain why the change was made. Region of Birth of the Foreign-Born Population: 1850 to 1930 Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census (internet release: March 9, 1999) Region of birth reported Year Total Latin Total Europe Africa America ,204,149 14,197,553 11,784,010 18, , ,920,692 13,911,767 11,916,048 16, , ,515,886 13,506,272 11,810,115 3, , ,341,276 10,330,534 8,881,548 2, , ,249,547 9,243,535 8,030,347 2, , ,679,943 6,675,875 5,751,823 2,204 90, ,567,229 5,563,637 4,941,049 2,657 57, ,138,697 4,134,809 3,807,062 36, ,244,602 2,202,625 2,031,867 1, BACKGROUND: In response to growing immigration in the 1920 s, The National Flag Conference, run by the American Legion and Daughters of the American Revolution, added the words of the United States so that immigrants and their children would think of the American flag and not their native country s flag. [ continue

Shortly thereafter, the movement to the pledge was changed to begin with the right hand over the heart, and after reciting "to the Flag," the arm was extended toward the Flag, palm-down.

6 Shortly thereafter, the movement to the pledge was changed to begin with the right hand over the heart, and after reciting "to the Flag," the arm was extended toward the Flag, palm-down. The United States Congress officially recognized the Pledge for the first time on June 22, BACKGROUND: An early version of the salute, adopted in 1892, was known as the Bellamy salute. It started with the hand outstretched toward the flag, palm down, and ended with the palm up. Because of the similarity between the Bellamy salute and the Nazi salute, developed later, the United States Congress instituted the hand-over-the-heart gesture as the salute to be rendered by civilians during the Pledge of and the national anthem in the United States, instead of the Bellamy salute. Removal of the Bellamy salute occurred on December 22, 1942, when Congress amended the Flag Code language first passed into law on June 22, c) In 1954 President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God," creating the 31-word pledge we say today. Some say that adding under God was in tribute to Abraham Lincoln s Gettysburg Address, where he ends that the nation shall, under God, have a new birth of freedom. Others claim under God was a response to growing concerns of worldwide Communist movement that rejects religion in its core principles. Bellamy's daughter objected to this alteration. BACKGROUND: Under God as a tribute to Lincoln: As a reaction to Communism: DEFEND & SUPPORT: Since the Pledge of has been changed over the past century, should it be changed again by having word(s) added or removed? State your position and defend it in several sentences. For more primary source resources visit

7 Pledge Frontloading Activity Sequencing Overhead Step 1: a) What are synonyms for the main word(s) of your phrase? b) From what you know about history that you have learned so far, what examples in history can you relate to with the phrase? Step 2: In groups of odds and evens by your card letter, look at your three phrases and determine what order they should be. Then try to think of what this might be about from American History. Step 3: in your final group, try to piece together all six phrases into the order that sounds best. From which document in history do you think this comes? What is different about it as you know it? Groups: by letter A, B, C, D, E, F Homework Assignment: Since the Pledge of has been changed over the past century, should it be changed again by having word(s) added or removed? Defend and support your answer in several sentences.

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