Stars, Stripes, and a Flag
Look closely at the American flag. You will see bright red, white, and blue. You will also see shapes arranged in a special pattern. A flag is not just a piece of cloth. It is a symbol that stands for a country.
Every part of the design tells a story. Look at the stripes first. There are thirteen stripes in all. Seven stripes are red, and six stripes are white. Long ago, the United States was made up of only thirteen colonies. These colonies joined together to make a new nation. The stripes remind us of those first thirteen colonies.
Next, look at the top corner of the flag. There is a blue rectangle filled with white stars. If you count each star, you will find fifty of them. That is because there are fifty states in our country today. Each star stands for one state.
Over the years, the flag has changed. Whenever a new state joined the country, workers added another star to the blue field. But the thirteen stripes stayed the same. The stripes show where our country began, while the stars show how big our country has grown.
- pattern:
- A repeated design or arrangement of shapes and colors.
- symbol:
- An object or sign that stands for an idea or thing.
- stripes:
- Long, narrow bands of color.
- colonies:
- Areas of land settled by people and ruled by another country.
- nation:
- A large group of people living in one country under one government.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What three colors are on the American flag?
- 2What is a flag, according to the text?
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About this explanatory article passage for 2nd Grade
“Stars, Stripes, and a Flag” is a explanatory article reading passage about American Flag, written for 2nd Grade. It takes about 1 minute to read (192 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.