Third graders kicked off their social studies unit by investigating how symbols play a role on flags. They learned about the Israeli flag, the United States flag and the Chicago flag. Each student then made their own flag with four symbols meant to represent themselves, including one of them representing their Jewish identity.

The students made a life size map of Chicago and its neighborhoods—Chinatown is the first neighborhood on the list that the third graders will be exploring! To begin, the students learned about the symbols on the Chinese flag and the Chinese zodiac signs.

They then went on a scavenger hunt around the library to learn about each animal and which animal represents the year in which they were born. In the coming weeks, the students will locate the neighborhoods they live in and will be creating symbols that represent them in their neighborhoods.