Veterans day is a day when we take a moment to remember the veterans who helped protect this country. It’s a day when we can teach our children about the wars that took place and why some people could not come home to their families. With Veterans day getting closer, teachers should start thinking of creative ways to teach their students about veterans’ sacrifices and how those sacrifices changed our country.
1. Invite a Veteran to Speak to Your Class
This will be an excellent opportunity to let your students learn from someone who has been through the same experiences. Veterans day is the perfect time to bring someone in because they will be able to tell stories that students can relate to, and the children won’t have to know the history of that period to understand what they are hearing. In addition, they can relate to the life of a veteran without getting bogged down in history. This will be an excellent experience for your students and help them remember the event more clearly.
2. Briefly Review the History of America and the World Wars
You will want to teach your class what led to the World Wars, and you should explain how each war played a role in the history of America. Go into depth about how each battle was unique and how specific battles changed the war’s course. You should explain to your students exactly why the veterans that they are learning about did things they did. You will also want to teach the children what happened at each battle and how it impacted the world. The children will be able to see all of these battles in a graphic organizer, which will help them understand what happened in each war. You should utilize information found in textbooks and online sources because you will want to be able to back up your claims with facts.
3. Have Students Write Down Questions or Concerns About Veterans Day
This will be a great lesson when you have parents in your classroom who have served in wars or whose children are veterans. Students will be curious about what their parents did and how it changed the world. They may also have questions about the meaning of Veterans day, which is an excellent time to ask these questions. If you plan on having a veteran in your classroom, their family members would probably like to know how much the students enjoy their stories. You can use this time to discuss why we celebrate Veterans day and why they should learn to appreciate our soldiers because so many of them gave up their lives so we can live peacefully. A veterans day read-aloud may be a perfect fit for this unit because they will allow students to learn about the wars that took place in our history.
4. Create a Veterans Day Timeline
You should create a timeline composed of major historical events of the world. Have the students work in groups and have the children label each event with key dates or a descriptive title. You should also have them write down what happened during that time and how it changed the world. This is an excellent timeline for students to use, and it will help them increase their knowledge about the different wars that took place.
5. Display Your Lessons
This will help your students learn the history of our country, and it will also help them remember what they have learned. It’s a good idea to display the lessons around Veterans day so they can be more memorable for students. You can create a bulletin board where students can take pictures of the different activities you plan on doing for this day, and you can also assign other groups in your class to write about what they have learned. Alternatively, have each student create a slideshow showing their learning from your activities. This is a great way to show how much they have learned.
There are many different ways you can teach your class about the history of our country and the important battles that took place. You should find a way to teach your students why we celebrate Veterans day and how it changed our country. This will be an excellent opportunity to have students learn about the important events that have occurred and also allow them to appreciate the soldiers who are still fighting today.