Picture a Patch This activity is designed for parents, caregivers, or teacher to use with elementary-age children. Patch Facts:

Over 18,000 law enforcement agencies exist in

the United States. Each of these agencies has a uniquely

designed patch. Additional patches may identify specific jobs,

units, or ranks. Law enforcement wear their patch(es) on their

uniform, often on their shoulder, to identify their department and job.

Look at the Officer in the picture. He is wearing a Metropolitan Police patch to show that he works for the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC.

More patch examples from the National Law Enforcement Museum’s collection:

Clockwise from top left: 2007.35.121; 2007.43.88; 2008.70.62; 2011.49.10

The term “Justitia Omnibus” is Latin for

“Justice for All” and is the motto of Washington, DC.

Picture a Patch Use the space below to create a patch that represents you, your family, or your school .

2. Add pictures, symbols, patterns, and words that help identify your patch.

1. Choose an outline shape for your patch. Patches come in a variety of shapes including:

Circle Shields Rounded Rectangle

Picture a Patch

This activity is designed for lower elementary ages and may be completed with one or many children.

CONVERSATION STARTERS The below questions and conversation starters may be modified to suit a variety of age and learning levels. What are the different parts of a law enforcement officer’s uniform? What do they wear

to show they’re an official officer?

If you were a law enforcement officer, what type of patch would want to wear? What job(s) would that patch represent? Where would be some good places to wear your

patch(es)? Why?

Look together at the examples of different patches from the National Law Enforcement Museum’s collection on the Activity sheet. How are the patches similar? How are they dif-

ferent? What do you think the symbols on each patch represent?

I wonder what this symbol (point to a specific image on a patch) represents? Look at the patch created by your child, and ask him or her to describe the words and

symbols and explain why he or she chose them for the patch.

Do you have any patches?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Know that each of the over 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. have a unique

patch, along with distinctive patches for many jobs within those agencies. Understand the purpose of a law enforcement patch.

Recognize different shapes of patches. Recognize symbols and words on patches. Identify symbols of personal importance.

Design a unique, personalized patch.

Teacher/Facilitator Guide

Picture a Patch

OTHER PATCH ACTIVITIES AND IDEAS:

1. Career-play. Print out a true-to-size patch template. Each child designs his or her

patch, including their job title. Then use tape or string to attach/tie the patch to childrens’ upper arm. If in a group, the children must refer to each other by their

patch: Officer Joe; Sergeant Amy; Chief Smith; Special Agent Potter.

2. Sorting. After each child in a group has designed his or her patch, collect all de-

signs. As

a group, sort the designs by shape, color, or symbols.

3. Math: Fractions and Percentages. After sorting patches as suggested in 2., quan-

tify the fractions/percentages of each type of patch: 15/20 or %75 of our patches

are circle-shapes; 10% of our patches use the color green.

4. Reading (early readers). In the following picture-books, look for patches. De-

scribe them. If the patches are too small or indistinct, discuss what may be on the

patch based on what the officer is doing. In the Non-Fiction books, point out po-lice equipment and job types. Some K9s wear patches on their collars; Police

horses may have a patch on their saddle blanket (seen in books 5. and 6.).

Teacher/Facilitator Guide

Non-Fiction Books with Photographs. 1. Police Officers By: Alice K. Flanagan 2. Police Officers on the Go! By: Alyse Sweeny 3. A Day in the Life of a Police Officer

By: Linda Hayward 4. I Want to be a Police Officer By: Dan Liebman 5. *Police Dogs By: Frances E. Ruffins 6. *Working Animals: Police By: Jim Mezzanotte *image content may not be appropriate for younger children.

Fiction Picture-Books. 1. Police: Hurrying! Helping! Saving!

By: Patricia Hubbell; Illustrated by: Viviana Garofoli

2. The Officers’ Ball By: Wong Herbert Yee

3. Officer Buckle and Gloria By: Peggy Rathman 4. Policeman Lou/Policewoman Sue By: Lisa Desimini

Selected Bibliography

Picture a Patch Writing Activity

Name: Date:

Directions: In the space below, write about your patch. Describe why you selected the pictures and words you

chose and how they represent you. What makes your patch important or special? What does it say about you?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________