American Symbols and Landmarks Teaching Resources

Teaching about American symbols and landmarks in your social studies classroom? Explore printable worksheets, digital activities and more created by teachers for teachers like you!

This curriculum-aligned social studies collection is stocked with teaching resources that have been carefully reviewed and selected by experts on our teaching team to ensure every single one is ready for your lesson plans, your classroom and your students!

Looking for more ideas to teach this section of social studies? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including kid-friendly definitions of landmark and symbols to share with your class, plus examples of famous American landmarks and symbols that can help you build your lesson plans.

What Is a Landmark? A Kid-Friendly Definition

Before you head off on your landmark lessons, we thought a kid-friendly definition from our teacher team might just come in handy!

A landmark is an important and recognizable feature or structure with historical, cultural or geographical importance. A landmark serves as a point of reference or a symbol representing a particular place or event.

6 Famous American Landmarks for Kids

Of course, there are thousands of important and famous American landmarks you could cover to help students better understand the country's heritage. Need help to whittle it down? Here are a few landmarks and monuments that offer a host of options for lesson planning!

1. The White House — Teach your class about the president's home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to help them gain an understanding its historical and political significance.
2. Mount Rushmore — this massive sculpture carved into the Black Hills of South Dakota features the faces of four U.S. presidents.
3. The Washington Monument — The tall obelisk in Washington, D.C. is dedicated to the first president of the United States, George Washington.
4. The Golden Gate Bridge — An introduction to suspension bridges, this feat of engineering spans the Golden Gate Strait in San Francisco, California.
5. The Grand Canyon — This vast canyon in the American southwest is full of natural beauty and ample science lessons. Rather than being built by humans, it's a natural landmark!
6. The Statue of Liberty — Explore the history of the French and American relationship and the history of American immigration through this lady in New York's Harbor. This historic statue isn't just a landmark and monument; it's also a symbol of America.

5 Famous World Landmarks for Kids

Of course, America isn't the only home of landmarks in the world. These instantly recognizable places can be found on various continents around the world.

1. The Eiffel Tower — One of the most famous — and most visited — landmarks in the world can be found in Paris, where this towering feat of engineering has stood since the late 19th century.
2. The Great Barrier Reef — Another natural landmark, the reef located off the coast of Queensland in Australia is the world's largest coral reef system and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3. The Pyramids at Giza — Standing since the early 26th century BC, the three Pyramids at Giza in Egypt were built as tombs for pharaohs.
4. The Acropolis — Located in Athens, Greece, this historic complex of buildings and temples includes the famous Parthenon. A world-famous landmark, it is also a symbol of ancient Greek civilization and democracy.
5. The Sydney Opera House — Another world landmark that can be found in the country and continent of Australia, the iconic opera house is a landmark that's known all around the world for its unique architecture.

Fun Landmark Activities for the Classroom

Looking for fun ways to incorporate landmarks activities into your lesson plans? Give these ideas from our teacher team a try!

1. Take a Virtual "Walk" — Head to Google Maps to take a virtual walk around one of the nation's most notable landmarks. Some buildings — like the Empire State Building — even have virtual tours that will allow your students to get a look inside.
2. Play Name the Landmark — Need a simple but fun social studies warm-up activity? Post a photo of a famous American landmark on your digital whiteboard, and have students name it! This can also be used with pictures of states, geographic features and more!

What Is a Symbol? A Kid-Friendly Definition

Moving on to American symbols, we have a kid-friendly definition for you to explain what a symbol means.

A symbol can be defined as a visual representation or object that stands for something else and carries a special meaning.

We can use symbols to represent ideas, concepts or values that are important to a particular group of people or a country.

American Symbols Every Kid Should Learn About

• The Liberty Bell — Explore the story behind this iconic bell — located in Philadelphia — which represents both American independence and the principles of liberty.
• The Bald Eagle — Introduce students to the national bird and its significance as a symbol of freedom and strength.
• The American Flag — Is there any symbol more recognizable or iconic? Explore the history, design and meaning of the Stars and Stripes (or Old Glory) as a symbol of the United States.

Your students will likely recognize the red, white and blue of the flag as a symbol of America, but do they know what the stars and stripes stand for?

• The Statue of Liberty —  Yup, we mentioned this iconic statue isn't just a landmark. It also symbolizes freedom and the historic welcoming of immigrants to America.
• The Great Seal of the United States  — Students can examine the seal to learn more about the bald eagle, shield and various symbols representing the country's values and aspirations.