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"I Pledge Allegiance:" The Pledge of Allegiance with commentary by Bill Martin Jr, and Michael Sampson (Illustrated by Chris Raschka. Candlewick Press, 2002) is this month's "Connect the Book." With the national, state, and local elections this month, take time to reflect with students about the importance of patriotic symbols, including the Pledge of Allegiance. Martin and Sampson offer interesting explanations and reflections on the meanings of the thirty-one words that make up this short speech that is repeated each day by millions across the country. The pledge was written by Francis Bellamy in 1892 and first appeared in a magazine called The Youth's Companion. Bellamy's intent was to instill patriotism in school children. Now, 112 years later, we still use a very close version of his original words to define us as a single country of fifty individual states.
Connect to:
OTHER BOOKS ABOUT THE PLEDGE AND THE AMERICAN FLAG
Fisher, Leonard Everett. Stars and Stripes: Our National Flag. Holiday House, 1993. Unp.
With the Pledge of Allegiance as accompanying text, Stars and Stripes presents different American flags and gives brief historical information about each.
Hess, Debra. The American Flag. Benchmark Books, 2004. 38p.
A history of the American flag.
Rife, Douglas M. History Speaks: Pledge of Allegiance. Teaching & Learning, 1998. 32p.
Explains the origin of the Pledge of Allegiance and its influence on today's life.
Sonneborn, Liz. The Pledge of Allegiance: The Story behind Our Patriotic Promise. Chelsea Clubhouse, 32p.
Describes how and why Francis Bellamy came to write the Pledge of Allegiance and explains the meaning of the pledge and the controversies...