Canadian Flag

Where do these flags come from?  Try to guess.

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

What do you think each flag is?  What are the symbols on each flag?

These are all Canadian flags!

1. The first flag is St. George's Cross and was placed on Canadian soil by John Cabot who claimed Canada for England.
2. The second flag is the Fleur-de-lis which symbolized French sovereignty in Canada from 1534 when Jacques Cartier claimed the new world for France until the early 1760s.
3. The third flag is the Royal Union Flag which was the British flag and the flag of the United Empire Loyalists.
4. The fourth flag is the Union Jack - based on the Royal Union Flag, a diagonal red strip was added to represent Ireland.  This was used in Canada even after Confederation.
5. The fifth flag is the Red Ensign.  This is a red flag with the Union Jack in the corner.  It was the flag of British Merchant Marine with parts of the provinces' coat of arms added on.
6. The sixth flag is, of course, our Canadian flag today.  The red and white have long been used to represent France and England and were approved in 1921 by King George V.  In 1957, after playing with different coloured backgrounds and leaves, the red leaf on a white background with the two red bars at the side was agreed to.  The National Flag of Canada was approved by Parliament in 1964 and was proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth II to take effect on February 15th, 1965.  

 Look at each of the six flags.  Do these flags represent our country well?  How could they be improved?

Thinking about the Five Characteristics of Canadian Identity and the physiographic regions of Canada,  you are going to make a new flag for Canada.  What characteristics do you want to represent?  How are you going to symbolize them?  Write one paragraph telling what specifically your flag symbolizes.

This flag is due at the end of the block.