United States Symbols and Government

•Mrs. Briggs

•Grade 2

Symbols• The United

States flag has 13 stripes. Each stripe stands for one of the 13 original colonies.

Symbols•The flag also

has 50 stars that stand for the 50 states in the United States.

Symbols•Our national bird is the bald eagle.

Symbols• The Liberty Bell is

a symbol of our country’s independence from England. It hangs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Symbols• The Statue of

Liberty is a symbol of our country’s freedom. It was given to us by France.

Symbols• The Statue of

Liberty’s crown has seven spikes. Each spike represents one of the Earth’s seven continents and seven seas.

Symbols• Broken chains

lie under the statue’s feet. They represent the chains of slavery being crushed by freedom.

Symbols• Uncle Sam is a

symbol of the strength and dedication of our government leaders.

Government• There are 3

branches to the U.S. government:• the executive• the legislative• the judicial.

Government• The executive

branch makes sure the laws work and that people obey them. The president is the head of the executive branch.

Government•Our current

president is Barack Obama.

Government• The judicial

branch interprets the laws, or figures out what they mean. Judges are part of the judicial branch.

Government• The legislative

branch is called Congress. Congress makes the laws, or rules, that all U.S. citizens must follow.

Government•Our nation’s capital is Washington, D.C.

Government• The White

House is located in Washington, D.C. The president of the United States lives and works there.