12A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL November 9, 2016 © 2016 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 32, No. 48 People fly the American flag on Veterans Day. How many times a day do you see the flag? On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month people around the world remember the soldiers who have fought in wars. It was started after World War I. More soldiers had died in WWI than in any other war before that one. An Australian journalist by the name of George Honey asked people around the world to observe two minutes of silence at 11:00 a.m. as the treaty to end the war was signed. There are rules for flying the American flag that help people show their flag the proper respect. 1. Flags are flown at half-mast to show grief for lives lost. When the flag is flown at half-mast, it should first be raised to the top of the flag pole for a moment and then low- ered slowly to the half-mast position. Every country in the world has a flag. A flag is a symbol of a country. A symbol is a picture that tells us something without using words. The American flag has a blue corner section with white stars, called the union. The rest of the flag has red and white stripes. Color this flag. Cut it out and display it in a window on Veterans Day, November 11. Stars are considered a symbol of big dreams. When we say, “Reach for the stars,” it means dream big. The stripes are symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun. There are 50 stars representing the 50 states and there are 13 stripes representing the 13 original states. Red symbolizes hardiness and valor. White is for purity and innocence. The blue represents justice. Men and women who serve in our military are called veterans. Veterans Day is a day to thank them for their service defending our nation. Use the code to discover the five brances of the American military. Circle every third letter to discover a nickname of the American flag. How many stars can you find on this page? Have a friend try. Who found the most stars? 2. The union (stars and blue panel) should always be in the upper left corner when a flag is displayed as shown above. 3. The flag shouldn’t be flown in bad weather. When possible it should be taken down at night. If the flag is flown at night, it should be illumintaed by a spotlight. 4. The flag should never touch the ground. 5. When a flag becomes old or damaged, it can be donated to a local Scouting troop for proper disposal. Write the Pledge of Allegiance here: Veterans Day Words Look through the newspaper for five or more words that describe a veteran. Put the words into ABC order. Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information. Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions. Here are some common symbols. Circle each one you have seen. Underneath each symbol, write what it means. Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions. Symbol Search Look through the newspaper for a symbol. A symbol is a picture that has a meaning. Write what the symbol means and why you think it does or does not do a good job of expressing that meaning. VETERANS MILITARY COUNTRY SYMBOL PURITY SECRET NATION DREAM VALOR STARS LIGHT FLAG CODE BLUE T H G I N A T L M A E R D I O N T Y H S R A Y S B B A R N N This week’s word: T K T S M L T A S O TREATY E A I L Y U R T T G R C R L S E V I A E C O U N T R Y L R T E D P E R R F I S A S E V A L O R M N S The noun treaty means a formal written agreement between two or more countries. The leaders signed a treaty to end the war. Try to use the word treaty in a sentence today when talking with your friends and family. My Hero Write a paragraph about your personal hero. Be sure to tell why this person is your hero. Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information. Cottage Grove Sentinel + www.shoppelocal.biz