1. Heraldry and The Coat of Arms

2. Heraldry  A very old visual language originally used to identify warriors.  Men in armor looked alike, so each knight had a symbol and color that distinguished him from all others.

3. Heraldry  The Knight wore these identifications first on his shield and later on the overcoat of his armor.  This is the ORIGIN of the name “Coat of Arms.”

4. Heraldry  A son wore the same coat of arms as his father, but to show the relationship, made a small change in the design and colors.  Thus, Coats of Arms were passed down from one generation to another.

5. Heraldry  Men called Heralds were given the responsibility of keeping records of heritage.  These rolls of arms were eventually sent to a college of arms, which collected these designs along with family histories that accompanied them.  In this way, heraldry is related to genealogy, the study of family relationships.

6. Making Your Coat of Arms  Supplies:  White paper—2 pieces, 8 ½ x 11  Black Construction paper—1 piece, 9 x 12  scissors  one sharp pencil and a variety of colored pencils  “Design Your Own Coat of Arms” packet

7. Your Coat of Arms Must Include: Shield with 3 charges that symbolize aspects of your personality Symbol that represents your religious beliefs or your culture Helmet and a mantle Wreath with 2 colors that has 6 twists (only if you have your mantling or anything else on top of your helmet) Scroll with an English motto that tells something about you (less than 6 words) Only use red, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, black, gold, or silver Written description on back Cut out and glue on black construction paper