TUESDAY'S TASKS

SOCIAL SCIENCES

- Check last week activities:

European Flag:

Who designed it?

There is some confusion as to who actually designed the flag in 1955 – first for the Council of Europe, later adopted by the European Union – but it is usually attributed to Paul M Levy, then director of information at the Council of Europe, and Arsène Heitz (1908-1989)
What does it represent?

The flag used is the Flag of Europe, which consists of a circle of 12 golden stars on a blue background. Originally designed in 1955 for the Council of Europe, the flag was adopted by the European Communities, the predecessors of the present Union, in 1986. The Council of Europe gave the flag a symbolic description in the following terms,though the official symbolic description adopted by the EU omits the reference to the "Western world":

Against the blue sky of the Western world, the stars symbolise the peoples of Europe in a form of a circle, a sign of union. Their number is invariably twelve, the figure twelve being the symbol of perfection and entirety.
— Council of Europe. Paris, 7–9 December 1955.


Other symbolic interpretations have been offered based on the account of its design by Paul M. Levy. The five-pointed star is used on many national flags and represents aspiration and education. Their golden colour is that of the sun, which is said to symbolise glory and enlightenment.

Their arrangement in a circle represents the constellation of Corona Borealis and can be seen as a crown and the stability of government. The blue background resembles the sky and symbolises truth and the intellect. It is also the colour traditionally used to represent the Virgin Mary. In many paintings of the Virgin Mary as Stella Maris she is crowned with a circle of twelve stars.

Source: Wikipedia

- Read pages 20 and 21.

- Complete activity 2 from page 21.