Topic 4: Political Symbols of Germany

Lesson 6: What are some significant elements of German state coats of arms and great seals of the U.S. States?

Lesson Objective

The student will identify and evaluate the significance of symbolic elements in coats of arms and state seals.

Materials and Resources

Transparency 27 -
“The Coats of Arms of the Federal States of Germany”

Transparency 28 - “State Seals of Selected States”
Handout 10 - “The Coats of Arms of the Federal States”

Strategies

Project Transparency 27 “The Coats of Arms of the Federal States of Germany”, and Transparency 28 “Great Seals of Selected States”. Ask students to define the type of seals and to describe the kind of elements found in the seals and what there is in common between German seals/symbols and U.S. seals/symbols.

Refer students to the information found in Handout 10 “The Coats of Arms of the Federal States”. Discuss what such symbols attempt to say about the culture and values of a particular society. Explain to students that all states of the world have symbols which show the common bonds of the citizens of that state. These symbols are the flag, the coat of arms and the national anthem.