Fifth Grade
Worksheets
The Great Story of the Great Seal
What do a bald eagle, an olive branch, a pyramid, a giant eye, some arrows, stripes, stars, and some Latin words all have in common? Normally, not a whole lot! These symbols are all a part of the Great Seal of the United States of America. A seal is a special mark. It is put on special government papers. Kings and other world leaders have used seals for more than six thousand years.
When the United States became its own country, it decided to create its very own seal. It was hard to decide what the seal should look like. Three different committees tried to create the perfect image. They worked for six years. Finally, Charles Thomson and William Barton came up with the winning design. In one week they were able to combine all of the ideas. These combined efforts led them to create the Great Seal. The seal was approved and finalized on June 20, 1782. The Great Seal has remained unchanged since that day.
The Great Seal can be found on many important papers. .....
