♪ Under the blue umbrella ♪ ♪ Yes, under the clear blue sky, ♪ ♪ there's a world to be discovered ♪ ♪ that's full of things to try ♪ ♪ Everything is waiting there ♪ ♪ just for you and me ♪ ♪ Under the blue umbrella ♪ ♪ just take a look and see.

♪ ♪ >> Attention!

Salute!

Pledge Class> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

(faint music plays, no speech is heard) Narrator> With these few words, these boys and girls are making a promise to their country.

They're promising to be good citizens and to love and honor their country.

♪ Why are they making this promise to a flag?

Isn't a flag just some piece of cloth sewed together?

Why is a flag so important?

(faint music continues, no speech is heard) ♪ Narrator> Our flag is a symbol of our country.

It stands for the United States.

Whenever anyone sees this flag, they think of the United States.

♪ Our flag helps us remember what a wonderful country we live in.

♪ Our flag is red, white and blue.

There are 13 stripes.

Each one represents one of the 13 original colonies that made up the United States when it was first formed.

Today, there are 50 states, so our flag has 50 stars on it, one representing each state.

People are proud of their flag and they display it for everyone to see ("America the Beautiful" song plays) ♪ ...for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, ♪ ♪ For purple mountain majesties ♪ ♪ Above the fruited plain!

♪ ♪ America!

♪ ♪ America!

♪ ♪ God shed his grace on thee ♪ ♪ And crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ ♪ From sea to shining sea!

♪ ♪ Narrator> The flag has represented our country all over the earth and out in space too Whenever soldiers have fought in other countries, they always carried our flag with them.

("America the Beautiful" song continues) ♪ A thoroughfare of freedom beat ♪ ♪ Across the wilderness!

♪ ♪ America!

♪ ♪ America!

♪ ♪ God mend thine every flaw, ♪ ♪ Confirm... ♪ Narrator> When American astronauts landed on the moon, One of the first things they did was to put the American flag in place Our flag goes wherever America is represented.

("America the Beautiful" song continues) ♪ In liberating strife.

♪ ♪ Who more than self their country loved ♪ ♪ And mercy more than life!

♪ ♪ America!

♪ ♪ America!

♪ ♪ May God thy gold refine ♪ ♪ Till all success be nobleness ♪ ♪ And every gain divine!

♪ Narrator> Where did our flag come from?

Who made our first flag?

No one knows for sure who made the first American flag.

A legend says that it was made by Betsy Ross.

("America the Beautiful" song continues in background) Betsy Ross was a seamstress.

According to the legend, General Washington and other colonial leaders came to Betsy's house in Philadelphia and asked her to make the country a flag.

Betsy Ross' flag had 13 stripes and 13 stars, one for each colony or state.

♪ America!

God shed his grace on thee ♪ Narrator> Our country was young then.

It had just been formed here in Philadelphia.

A small group of men representing each colony met in this room.

("America the Beautiful" instrumental plays) They talked for months and months, and then finally agreed that the 13 colonies should be free and independent.

They adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776.

America was born.

♪ Reader> We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

("My Country Tis of Thee" instrumental plays) As our country grew, our flag changed.

More stripes were added and then taken away.

Though there were only 13 stripes.

♪ A star was added for every state that joined the Union.

Like the flag, the national anthem is a symbol of our country.

When people hear this song, they think of the United States.

("The Star-Spangled Banner" plays) The Star-Spangled banner isn't as old as the flag.

It was written during another war, the War of 1812, by a man who was glad to see his country's flag.

Francis Scott Key was on a ship in the Baltimore Harbor.

He had gone there to request the release of an American who had been taken prisoner by the British.

(Bombing simulation sounds) Before the British would let them leave the ship, a battle started.

The British wanted to capture Fort McHenry and the Americans, in the fort wouldn't give up.

They fought all night.

♪ In the morning, the American flag was still flying over the fort.

Francis Scott Key was so proud to see his country's flag that he wrote a poem about it.

This poem was put to music.

And today it's our national anthem.

Or our nation's song.

♪ Oh, say, can you see.

♪ ♪ by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hail'd ♪ ♪ at the twilight's last gleaming.

♪ ♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪ ♪ through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ O'er the ramparts we watch'd ♪ ♪ were so gallantly streaming?

♪ ♪ And the rocket's red glare, ♪ ♪ the bomb bursting in air, ♪ ♪ Gave proof through the night ♪ ♪ that our flag was still there, ♪ ♪ O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ O'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ and the home of the brave?

♪ ♪ There are other symbols of our country too.

Liberty is a special word in America.

And it's always been so.

When the Declaration of Independence was read in 1776, a bell was rung in Philadelphia.

This bell became known as the Liberty Bell.

It was rung in all important patriotic events until it cracked.

The Liberty Bell can still be seen in Philadelphia.

It is a big crack in it and can't be rung anymore, but it's still a very special bell.

♪ The Statue of Liberty is in the New York Harbor.

It was a gift to the United States from the people of France.

It stands as a symbol of liberty and freedom.

When people come from another country to live, the Statue of Liberty is waiting to welcome them to America.

♪ The United States has some holidays or special days when we celebrate certain events in our country's history.

One of these special days is the 4th of July.

It's the birthday of our nation.

People celebrate the 4th of July with parades, bell ringing and fireworks.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (Battle Hymn song plays) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (band plays) (fireworks crackle) ♪ (fireworks crackling) ♪ ♪ (fireworks crackling continue) ♪ (audience cheering)