Personal Coat of Arms Lesson Plan

Personal Coat of Arms Activity

Concept: Coat of Arms

Rationale: This lesson is being taught as an introduction to the explorers unit. This lesson will give students an opportunity to express themselves and what they enjoy, value, and stand for. They will also further build community by learning more about their peers.

State Standards:

Objectives:

The students will be able to choose symbols that represent themselves and their families.

The students will be able to create their own personal coat of arms and share what they have done with others.

Materials:

coat of arms template

oaktag

pre-cut strips

construction paper
markers
scissors

glue

lesson plan, samples

Lesson Management:

Day 1 – 20 minutes

Day 2 – 45 minutes or until finished

Class organization: divided into small groups of six students.

Set or beginning the lesson:

1. Focus event-motivation: To introduce you to your explorers unit, we are each going to make a coat of arms just like the ones that many of the explorers had. We’re also going to learn a lot about each other while doing this activity.

2. Connection to prior knowledge: Does anyone know what knights usually carried? The shields that the nights and explorers carried were often decorated with symbols that described who they were. A lot of the designs on their coat of arms were passed down from generation to generation through their families.

3. Set statements: We will each make a coat of arms that will describe us as individuals. Your coat of arms will have symbols of things you enjoy doing, your favorites, or maybe what you value.

Body of the lesson: Specifically list what will happen.

Modeling procedures

4. The teacher will show examples of what a coat of arms looks like.

5. Teacher will demonstrate how the symbols were chosen and what they stand for.

6. Teacher will explain that the symbols can be cut out of construction paper or drawn on with markers. It should be emphasized that the designs should be as big and bright as possible.

7. Teacher will explain that the shields can be divided into two or four sections.

8. Teacher will tell students that they will be choosing four symbols that represent themselves.

9. Teacher will explain that names will not be on the front of their shields because we will be guessing whose shield belongs to whom. Also, parents can try to guess their child’s shield. Instruct students to put their names in pencil on the back as soon as they cut out their shields.

Guided practice procedures

10. Teacher will pass out handout with examples of symbols.

11. Teacher will show the templates of shields that are available and the students will choose which one they would like to use. Teacher will pass out oak tag at this point and students can begin tracing. The divider strips will also be passed out.

12. One table at a time will be dismissed to the back table to retrieve other materials.

13. Students will work on their shields for the remainder of the lesson.

End of lesson: Review and closure

Checking for understanding procedures

14. Teacher collects each coat of arms and has students gather on the carpet.

15. The teacher will hold up each coat of arms one at a time while students guess who they belong to. Each student will be given a chance to explain their symbols.

 

Assessment: Were students on task during the activity? Did they participate in sharing their coat of arms?

References:

Reflection: