National Flag of Canada Day in the Montessori Classroom, February 15

On February 15, 1965- just two years before Canada’s centennial celebration of Confederation- the country raised its national flag for the first time. The search for a new Canadian national flag began in 1925 and has an interesting history of collaboration and cooperation. It was Canada’s 14th Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson, who led the process to its completion in 1965. His wish was to have a distinctive national flag as a vehicle to promote national unity.

The following words, spoken on that momentous day by the Honourable Maurice Bourget, Speaker of the Senate, added further symbolic meaning to our flag: 

"The flag is the symbol of the nation's unity, for it, beyond any doubt, represents all the citizens of Canada without distinction of race, language, belief or opinion."¹

There are many ways for Montessori students of all ages to celebrate National Flag of Canada Day. Here are a few ideas to help you prepare fun, inspiring and educational activities in your Montessori classroom:

Activity Ideas for National Flag of Canada Day in the Montessori Classroom

• Present the Canadian Flag and provide a brief account of its birth and history.
• Present a flag-making activity for your students to create their own Canadian flags to take home to their families.
• Invite your students to create poems, stories or songs of their own about the Canadian flag and/or National Flag Day of Canada.
• Invite your elementary students to research the history of the Canadian flag and write a brief report or story that incorporates elements of the history.
• Invite your students to work in groups to develop a timeline that illustrates the creation of the National flag of Canada. Include the names of individuals involved in its creation, and pertinent dates.
• Present a brief history of the maple leaf as a Canadian emblem.
• Search for community celebrations in your area to find out if your students may participate.
• With your students, create your own National Flag of Canada Day celebration at your Montessori school.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Canada’s national colors of red and white were proclaimed by King George V in 1921
• Canadian Olympic athletes since 1904 have worn an emblem of a single maple leaf on a white field
• The combination of red, white and red first appeared on the General Service Medal issued by Queen Victoria
• Historians indicate that the maple leaf served as a Canadian symbol as early as 1700
• Alexander Muir wrote The Maple Leaf Forever as Canada’s Confederation song in 1867

Resources:

¹ Birth of the Canadian flag: http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/symbl/df3-eng.cfm
The national flag of Canada: http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/symbl/df1-eng.cfm
The maple leaf: http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/symbl/o3-eng.cfm
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/national-flag-of-canada-day
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/01/30/proud-canadian-poll.html
Canadian flag templates: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/northamerica/canada/flag/Flagbwhuge.shtml
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/Canada/Flagcolor.shtml
Canadian flag songs info: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/emc/flag-songs
http://www.scholastic.ca/titles/ourcanadianflag/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36Yx5mgw3z4&feature=related

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.
© North American Montessori Center - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Thursday, February 9, 2012.