Have students select a country to create a flag for, or assign one to them. These flag can be made out of construction paper and glue. Students research the flag of their countries, what the different colors and symbols mean and then recreate it. Display the finished flags throughout the room. For first grade students, choose countries with simple flags, such as Australia, with a background color and stars, or Japan, with a white background and a centered red dot.
In this activity, the students research the different countries' articles of traditional dress. For example, the kimono is considered traditional formal attire in Japan. Students construct a paper doll and then create different fashions to dress their dolls with according to their countries.
This craft project is more difficult, so you may choose to place students into small groups. Assign each group a country to study. Have students look at significant buildings within that country that they can construct using simple items such as paper towel rolls, tissue boxes and construction paper. For example, if they are studying the United State, they may construct the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial. Students join the objects using glue, string or paste and decorate the building when it is completed.
This project is great for first grade students because it involves the skills of cutting and pasting. Students research their individual countries or work in groups, finding items that are significant to each country's culture, such as symbols, animals, flags or buildings. They cut these items out of magazines or draw them to the best of their ability if they cannot find them. The students cut out the items and paste them in a random way on poster board or construction paper to craft a collage.