The U.S. flag is a familiar sight to any American student. This book will give them the background to understand why it flies outside their schools and other buildings, as well as how the distinctive star and stripes came to be and other historical details. Historical photos trace the development of the flag's design, while graphic organizers break down information into memorable chunks. Did you know there have been more than 20 versions of the flag? Or that it can only be displayed all day at certain important places? These facts are only the start!

The Stars and Stripes, with its iconic colors and patterns, has long been a symbol of freedom in the United States and all over the world. But the US flag we're familiar with today has only been around since 1959. Before that, the flag took on many different arrangements. Readers will learn about the many versions of the US flag that came before our current version. Colorful, patriotic photographs aid readers in understanding the text, as do informative graphic organizers.

"In the nation's capital and throughout the country, many important monuments honor important people and periods from the United States' history. The idea of visiting or learning more about these monuments may sound boring, right? Wrong! This book will lead students through a fascinating trip to many U.S. monuments through fun facts and colorful photographs. Did you know that the Washington Monument was an unfinished stump for more than 20 years? Or that the original design for the Statue of Liberty was very different from the current statue? Learn more in this intriguing book!"--

Saluting the flag in public schools began as part of a national effort to Americanize immigrants. Here, Richard Ellis unfurls the history of the Pledge of Allegiance and of the debates and controversies that have sometimes surrounded it.

"Learn About the United States" is intended to help permanent residents gain a deeper understanding of U.S. history and government as they prepare to become citizens. The product presents 96 short lessons, based on the sample questions from which the civics portion of the naturalization test is drawn. An audio CD that allows students to listen to the questions, answers, and civics lessons read aloud is also included. For immigrants preparing to naturalize, the chance to learn more about the history and government of the United States will make their journey toward citizenship a more meaningful one.

In recent years, the Confederate flag has become as much a news item as a Civil War relic. Intense public debates have erupted over Confederate flags flying atop state capitols, being incorporated into state flags, waving from dormitory windows, or adorning the T-shirts and jeans of public school children. To some, this piece of cloth is a symbol of white supremacy and enduring racial injustice; to others, it represents a rich Southern heritage and an essential link to a glorious past. Polarizing Americans, these flag wars reveal the profound--and still unhealed--schisms that have plagued the country since the Civil War. The Confederate Battle Flag is the first comprehensive history of this contested symbol. Transcending conventional partisanship, John Coski reveals the flag's origins as one of many banners unfurled on the battlefields of the Civil War. He shows how it emerged as the preeminent representation of the Confederacy and was transformed into a cultural icon from Reconstruction on, becoming an aggressively racist symbol only after World War II and during the Civil Rights movement. We gain unique insight into the fine line between the flag's use as a historical emblem and as an invocation of the Confederate nation and all it stood for. Pursuing the flag's conflicting meanings, Coski suggests how this provocative artifact, which has been viewed with pride, fear, anger, nostalgia, and disgust, might ultimately provide Americans with the common ground of a shared and complex history.