The best Veterans Day lessons and activities can provide the perfect way to engage your students in a variety of topics ranging from STEM to history, from English to social studies and more.
Veterans Day is celebrated each year on November 11. That date marks the end of World War I, a terrible conflict that came to an end at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. Originally called Armistice Day, the holiday received its current name in 1954.
Educators can guide their students through the history of the holiday (the day honors living and dead veterans) and learn about American history and culture in the process.
Just remember to make sure the discussion about veterans and war is age-appropriate. Facilitators should also keep in mind that many of their students will have family members who serve or have served in the armed forces, and that discussions about combat must be conducted with great sensitivity. This is especially important this year, as global tensions have escalated due to the wars in Ukraine and Israel, Veterans Day may take on more intensity for veterans and their families.
US Veterans Affairs Teacher Resource Guide
Each year, U.S. Veterans Affairs publishes a robust guide for teachers on classroom activities related to Veterans Day. This year is no different, and the 2023 Teacher Resource Guide features a wealth of information about the history of Veterans Day, suggestions for classroom and school-wide activities to commemorate the day, as well as lessons and information. about how Veterans Day is different from Memorial. Day and proper etiquette for folding the flag.
Explore the meaning of sacrifice with a PBS lesson plan
This Veterans Day lesson plan for middle and high schools covers approximately 50 minutes of class time. It begins with a discussion and pre-quiz on the topic and includes a short History Channel video and an interactive timeline about American wars. However, the heart of the lesson plan is a group exploration of the challenges facing veterans today, including the risks and benefits of being a soldier.
Sometimes called the “Forgotten War,” World War I is the subject of a series of interactive lessons produced in collaboration between the Doughboy Foundation and Verizon, and available for free at Verizon Innovative Learning Headquarters. Resources include a virtual field trip with a 50-foot-tall interactive World War I timeline and lesson plans suitable for students in grades 7-12.
NEA: Veterans Day in the Classroom
Educators teaching Veterans Day will find a wealth of lesson plans, activities, games, and resources broken down by grade level here. In one activity, students in grades K-12 view and then interpret Winslow Homer’s 1865 painting, The Veteran in a New Field.
Scholastic: Veterans Day and Patriotism
Teach your students some of the symbols, songs, and promises associated with the U.S. and their meaning to veterans with this lesson for grades 3 through 5. The lesson is designed to be spread over two class sessions.
Discovery Education – USA – Why We Serve.
This free virtual field trip for elementary and middle school students helps teachers and students around the world learn about the importance of service through the stories of two U.S. congressmen who served in the U.S. military.
Veterans Stories: Fights for Participation
The Library of Congress maintains this collection of video interviews, documents, and writings that tell firsthand stories of men and women who served despite being discriminated against because of their race, heritage, or gender. Exploring these resources with your students is a good way to examine the diversity of the veteran experience and the ongoing fight for equality within the military. Look at this teacher’s guide to the collection for more details.
Library of Congress: Primary Sources
For those looking for more primary sources, this The Library of Congress blog post details collections, projects and other resources that teachers can use to get their students actively learning about Veterans Day.
Teacher Planet: Veterans Day Lessons
Teacher Planet offers educators a variety of resources for teaching Veterans Day, from lesson plans to worksheets and activities. For example, there is a lesson plan that examines the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC and others that examine important battles in American history.
Teacher’s Corner: Resources for Veterans Day
Teachers can choose from several lessons and activities designed to teach Veterans Day, including this Veterans Day Printable Online Scavenger Hunt and Lessons Like Honoring our veterans through poetry..
Read about veterans in historical newspapers
Your students can read about the endof World War I, which inspired Veterans Day, as well as getting an immediate sense of what life and public opinion was like during past wars by exploring various digital newspaper archives. See the latest news from tech & Learning newspaper library guidefor more information.
Why is there no apostrophe on Veterans Day?
Some students may be tempted to write “Veterans Day” or “Veterans Day,” but both are incorrect. Grammar Girl explains why in this lesson on singular and plural possessives. This can be a short and timely grammar lesson around Veterans Day.
Listen to an interview about veterans
To better understand the struggles veterans face today, your students can listen an NPR interview with author Tim O’Brien, made 20 years after the publication of The things they carried O’Brien’s famous book about soldiers in the Vietnam War. You can then discuss the interview and/or read an excerpt from O’Brien’s book.
