Skip to Main Content

Coat of Arms

Create your own personal coat of arms.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Cardstock

Steps

  • Step 1

    Discuss the Middle Ages. Talk about heraldry and the history, meaning, and symbolism of a coat of arms. Display images or direct students to sites where they can see examples of these pieces. Explain that they are symbolic representations of an individual's or a group's identity and character, and they became useful tools in identifying kingdoms and groups. Ask if they can spot any symbols around them that might inform others of their strengths and interests, the geographic location, etc.

  • Step 2

    Have students design and create their personal coat of arms. Ask them to come up with a list of words and activities that characterize them, then select the ones they'd like to depict in images on their coat of arms. Have them first cut out a template of a shield from heavy paper and then subdivide it into two to five sections and demarcate the sections with a dark marker. Next they can sketch symbols that represent themselves within the sections and then use markers to complete the shield.

  • Step 3

    Have students present their coat of arms and discuss the symbols they chose and why.

Standards

LA: Add drawings or other visual displays to written text to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

LA: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and interest.

SS: Culture: Through experience, observation, and reflection, identify elements of culture as well as similarities and differences among cultural groups across time and place.

SS: Individual Development and Identity: Describe factors important to the development of personal identity and the context of identity within families, peer or affinity groups, schools, communities, and nationalities.

Adaptations

Before students present their shields, display them anonymously and see if others can figure out who each shield belongs to.

Sometimes a coat of arms will display a motto. Ask students to come up with a motto for themselves or their family and create a design for it.