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Education World's Memorial Day Resource Roundup

Memorial Day is a time to remember the brave who have served our country or are currently still serving today. Education World has compiled a list of our most useful resources for you to plan your Memorial Day instruction. 

Memorial Shoe Box 

Teachers can use this lesson plan and activity to teach students about the timeline of U.S. conflict as we remember the soldiers who fought in them. The project can be group or independent, take-home or in-class and only requires a shoe box, basic art supplies, and methods for students to conduct research.

Each student will be responsible for researching his or her own conflict, and will make a poster and a "shoe box float" to represent the chosen/assigned conflict. Put the shoe boxes on display so students can appreciate each other's work.

Supporting Our Troops 

Have your students connect with American soldiers serving around the world by having them write and send letters to our troops. Included in this lesson plan are guidelines for writing and mailing letters to our troops, and you'd be surprised how simple the process is.

This Education World link also has some other supplementary ideas on connecting students and soldiers, such as getting involved with volunteer organizations that support our troops like AdoptaPlatoon and Operation Military Pride. 

Internet Scavenger Hunt 

Use Education World's internet scavenger hunt to get students researching the history behind our veterans. The activity is relatively short and designed for one class period, but you can always add-on. To make it more challenging, cut out the word bank.

Websites for Individual Wars & Conflict

While teaching your students about the importance of memorial day, use these compiled lists of websites to supplement instruction on the arguably most infamous U.S. conflicts.

Teacher-Inspired Memorial Day Plans 

Use these examples from schools all over the country on how to find different ways to celebrate Memorial Day in the classroom. Ideas include inviting U.S. Marines into the classroom to share about their jobs and lives, doing research on changing veteran's policies throughout history, and learning about the remembrance day symbol, the red poppy.

Check it out to add a personal touch to these teachers' ideas for your own classroom.

Compiled by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

05/06/2015