Our National Symbols
Primary 1 · Social and Religious Studies
Our National Symbols
Lesson 1 of 4
10 min
Let's begin
It is Monday morning at Mugisha's school.
All the children stand in lines on the compound. A big cloth goes slowly up the pole. Nobody runs. Nobody talks.
That cloth is one of Rwanda's special signs. Today you will learn all three of them.
Your school has a badge on your shirt. The badge is a sign.
It tells people which school you are from.
A country has special signs too. We call them national symbols.
A national symbol tells everyone: this is Rwanda.
Hold up three fingers. Count them with me.
1. The national flag. It is a cloth with three colours.
2. The national anthem. It is our country's song. It is called Rwanda Nziza.
3. The coat of arms. It is a picture with many small things drawn inside it.
Say them out loud: flag, anthem, coat of arms.
Our motto is Unity, Work, Patriotism.
Those three words are written on the coat of arms.
So the motto lives inside a symbol. It is not a new one.
Rwanda has three national symbols, not four.
When you see the flag, you know you are home.
When you hear the anthem, you stand still.
Look around you today. Can you find a flag near your home or your school?
A lesson from REB about Rwanda Nziza, our country and its song
Tip
Three, on three fingers
Finger one: the flag you can see. Finger two: the anthem you can hear. Finger three: the coat of arms you can look at.
If you count four, you have counted the motto twice. The motto is written on the coat of arms.
Do each one, then tap Show answer to check.
How many national symbols does Rwanda have?
Answer: three. Count them on three fingers.
Name all three.
Answer: the national flag, the national anthem and the coat of arms.
Which symbol is a song?
Answer: the anthem. Its name is Rwanda Nziza.
Is your school badge a national symbol?
Answer: no. It is a school symbol. It shows one school, not the whole country.
Go and look for the flag near you today. Where did you find one?
Answer: many children find it at school, at the health post or at an office. Tell someone at home where yours was.
What you learned today
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