The Union Jack will be flown on UK Government buildings every day of the year under plans to celebrate the United Kingdom’s heritage and pride. Ministers are set to issue new guidance this week to get the world-famous flag displayed all year round – not just on designated days.

Do you have a favourite flag?

Learn more about this week’s story here.Watch this week’s useful video here.This week’s Virtual Assembly here.

What is happening in the news this week?

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How does it make me feel?

Assembly Resource Read through the resource below, which provides information about the flying of the Union

flag. Do you think there should be rules on when and where flags are flown?

All UK government buildings in England,

Wales and Scotland will fly the Union

flag every day, following new guidance

from the culture department.

Currently, flags are only required to

be flown on certain days such as the

Queen’s birthday.

Assembly Resource Read through the resource below, which provides information about the flying of the Union

flag. Do you think there should be rules on when and where flags are flown?

The Union flag is a

proud reminder of

our history and the

ties that bind us.

Culture Secretary Oliver

Dowden, March 2021 Pictured above: The Union Flag

Assembly Resource Read through the resource below, which provides information about the flying of the Union

flag. Do you think there should be rules on when and where flags are flown?

History of the Union Flag

The Union flag first appeared in 1606, after James VI of Scotland

ascended to the throne of England in 1603 to become James I.

The flag combined the two flags of England and Scotland's

patron saints - the red cross of Saint George and the white cross

of Saint Andrew. The red cross of Saint Patrick was later added.

Assembly Resource Read through the resource below, which provides information about the flying of the Union

flag. Do you think there should be rules on when and where flags are flown?

In 2008, Prime Minister Gordon Brown got

rid of a rule that said the Union flag could

only be flown on certain days. He said it

should be left to individual public offices to

decide if and when to fly flags.

Assembly Resource Read through the resource below, which provides information about the flying of the Union

flag. Do you think there should be rules on when and where flags are flown?

I think we just don't fly our flag enough - if

you go to capitals of other countries, around

the heart of those capitals, particularly

government buildings, you routinely see the

flag of that country flying.

Conservative MP Sir John

Hayes, March 2021

Resource 1 Look at the resource below, which shares some of the flags we might see.

Do you recognise any of

these flags?

Can you match each flag

to its description?

Resource 1 Look at the resource below, which shares some of the flags we might see.

Resource 2Look at the resource below, which shares more information about national flags and how

they are designed.

The design of a national

flag is incredibly

important. The colours,

shapes and symbols

used all represent

something. The

challenge of designing a

national flag can be

very tricky!

Designing a great flag is very

difficult, as you are trying to

squeeze a whole nation into a

small box. A great flag has a

bold, simple design to grab

people’s attention. It should

have no words and a maximum

of four strong contrasting

colours. It shouldn’t be

fashionable and it must be

distinctive from other flags.

Picture source: www.flaginstitute.org

Malcolm

Farrow OBE,

2020/21

President of

the Flag

Institute

Resource 2Look at the resource below, which shares more information about national flags and how

they are designed.

Did you know?

Vexillology is the study of flags and a

vexillologist is someone who designs

flags.

Look at the two flag designs below and

what they represent. Do you think they

fit Malcolm Farrow’s criteria of making a

great flag?

Resource 2Look at the resource below, which shares more information about national flags and how

they are designed.

The flag of the United States of

America has 50 stars which

represent the 50 states that make

up the USA and 13 stripes

representing the 13 original states.

Resource 2Look at the resource below, which shares more information about national flags and how

they are designed.

Kosovo adopted its flag immediately after

declaring independence from Serbia in

2008. Ibrahimi Muhamer designed the flag

after winning the international flag

designing competition held by the United

Nations. The six white stars, sitting in an arc

above a golden map of Kosovo, symbolise

the six ethnic groups in the country.

ReflectionFlags can be used for many things, to

represent a group, or country, as a symbol, as part of a message or just for decoration. They can mean different things to each of us, it is important that we learn and understand the

importance in their uses around us.

Designated – to say officially that something has a particular character or purpose.…to get the world-famous flag displayed all year round – not just on designated days.Guidance – help and advice about how to do something.Ministers are set to issue new guidance this week.Heritage – a country’s heritage is all the features, qualities, traditions that have been passed from one generation to another.…under plans to celebrate the United Kingdom’s heritage and pride.Represent – to be a sign or symbol of something.Flags can be used for many things, to represent a group…Required – something that is essential according to the rules.Under current guidance, the flag is only required to be flown on all UK Government buildings in England, Wales and Scotland on special daysSymbol – a sign, shape or object that is used to represent something else.Flags can be used for many things… as a symbol…

This week’s useful vocabulary. Can you use any of them in your

writing this week?