Dear Vexillologists,

Vexillology is the scientific study of flags. Vexillologists don’t just study what flags look like, they also study how they’re used, what they represent, and how they’ve changed through time. Earlier this year, we made a class flag using symbols that were important to us. We take that flag to assemblies, and we fly that flag in our classroom to represent us. Why did we choose the symbols we chose? What do those symbols say about us? What does our flag say about us?

Today you will make team flags. Before we do that, however, we’ll look at examples of flags and talk about the properties they all have in common. We’ll also look at some examples of flags that seem to break the rules of flag-making. As we’re learning the states and capitals, we’ll also learn the  flag of each state. The symbols and language of each state’s flag can tell us a lot about that state, just as our team flags will tell us a lot about ourselves.

Happy flag-making,

Mr. Heimbuck