Directions: Based on what you read about the bald eagle on page 5, complete the sentences and fill in the puzzle.
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2. Where can the bald eagle only be found? (2 words)______________________
4. This is an old word meaning "marked with white."__________________________________________________________
6. The bald eagle faced near.
8. In 1967, the bald eagle was included on the Threatened and____________________ Species List.
10. Federal laws, such as the Bald Eagle__________________ Act, protect the bald eagle and have
led to the recovery of bald eagle populations.
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On July 4, 1776, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were given the task of creating a seal for the United States of America. The delegates of the Constitutional Convention believed an emblem and national coat of arms would declare to the world that the U. S. was an independent nation and had a free people with high hopes for the future. The Great Seal was finalized and approved six years later on June 20, 1782. The seal reflects the beliefs and values that the Founding Fathers wanted to pass on to their descendants.
In the center of the seal is a bald eagle, the national bird. It holds in its beak a scroll inscribed E pluribus unum, which is Latin meaning "out of many, one" and stands for one nation that was created from 13 colonies. In one claw is an olive branch, while the other holds a bundle of thirteen arrows. The olive branch and arrows "denote the power of peace and war."
A shield with thirteen red and white stripes covers the eagle’s breast. The shield is supported solely by the American eagle to denote that Americans should rely on their own virtue. The red and white stripes of the shield represent the states united under and supporting the blue, representing the president and Congress. The color white signifies purity; red, bravery; and blue, justice. Above the eagle’s head is a cloud surrounding a blue field containing thirteen stars, which forms a constellation. The constellation denotes that a new state is taking its place among other nations.
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