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The Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Character Development Program offers a powerful approach to teaching Memorial Day through the lens of courage, sacrifice, and integrity. This resource includes lesson plans, discussion prompts, and video stories featuring Medal of Honor recipients, helping students connect historical understanding with personal character growth. Aimed at upper elementary through high school levels, it allows teachers to guide students in meaningful conversations about service, patriotism, and remembrance, making Memorial Day more than just a date on the calendar, but a moment for reflection and gratitude.

tag(s): holidays (194), memorial day (18)

As Memorial Day approaches, educators have a unique opportunity to dive into the holiday's rich history and significance with their students. "Memorial Day in the Classroom: Resources for Teachers" offers a comprehensive collection of resources to facilitate meaningful discussions and activities surrounding this important day. The article provides a diverse array of materials suitable for various grade levels, aiming to deepen students' understanding of Memorial Day. The article features multimedia resources like the History Channel's brief video on the holiday's origins and Time's "7 Things You Didn't Know About Memorial Day," which can serve as engaging conversation starters. For interactive learning, virtual tours of institutions such as the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the National World War I Museum offer immersive experiences. Additionally, the article links to structured lesson plans from reputable sources like the National Education Association and TeachingHistory.org, catering to elementary through high school students.
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tag(s): memorial day (18), multimedia (55), virtual field trips (132), world war 1 (77)

Memorial Day is more than just a long weekend--it's a poignant opportunity to honor the sacrifices of those who served in the U.S. military. To help students grasp the depth of this national observance, History.com offers a comprehensive article with an overview suitable for classroom exploration. The article traces the origins of Memorial Day, initially known as Decoration Day, which emerged in the aftermath of the Civil War to commemorate fallen soldiers. It became an official federal holiday in 1971 and is now observed on the last Monday of May. The piece delves into various traditions associated with the day, such as visiting cemeteries, participating in parades, and the symbolic act of lowering the flag to half-staff. Additionally, it highlights the evolution of Memorial Day into a time that also marks the unofficial start of summer, reflecting on how the day's meaning has expanded over time.
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Transform Memorial Day from a mere date on the calendar into a profound learning experience with this comprehensive collection of lesson plans and activities. These resources are designed to help students understand the significance of honoring those who have served and sacrificed for the nation. Highlights include the "Shoebox Parade," where students create dioramas representing various U.S. conflicts, and "Graphing Our History of Sacrifice," which uses data visualization to reflect on military losses. The "Wall of Peace" activity encourages students to write essays honoring service members, culminating in a collaborative classroom display. Additionally, resources like the "Every-Day Edit" provide language arts integration, while the "Internet Treasure Hunt" engages students in researching Memorial Day's history. These thoughtfully crafted lessons not only commemorate the holiday but also promote critical thinking, creativity, and civic awareness among students.
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tag(s): critical thinking (136), memorial day (18)

Memorial Day offers a profound opportunity for students to connect with American history and honor the sacrifices of military personnel. The National Education Association (NEA) provides a curated collection of lesson plans and activities designed to help educators bring the significance of this day into the classroom. The resources encompass a variety of educational materials suitable for grades K-8. For younger students, the collection includes printable coloring pages, word searches, and simple crafts that introduce the symbols and traditions associated with Memorial Day. Older students can engage with more in-depth activities, such as using online graphing tools to analyze historical data on America's war casualties, fostering a deeper understanding of the holiday's origins and evolution. Additionally, the NEA provides access to historical speeches, such as Frederick Douglass's 1871 address at Arlington National Cemetery, and booklists that offer narratives to further explore the themes of service and sacrifice.

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View this blog post that presents nine thoughtfully designed activities to help students in grades 3-8 explore the significance of Memorial Day. From designing Revolutionary War memorials to crafting poster poems and analyzing the shapes within the U.S. flag, these activities blend social studies, literacy, and art. Each task encourages critical thinking and personal reflection, making the holiday's history and symbolism accessible and impactful for young learners. With accompanying student handouts and adaptable lesson plans, this resource is a valuable tool for educators aiming to foster a deeper understanding of Memorial Day in their classrooms.

tag(s): american flag (8), american revolution (83), critical thinking (136), memorial day (18), symbols (16)

This educational video explores the significance of Memorial Day, focusing on how Americans honor fallen soldiers through parades, writing thank-you letters to active service members, and visiting military cemeteries like Arlington and Gettysburg. It explains important symbols such as the American flag, lowered to half-staff until noon, and the red poppy, which became a remembrance flower thanks to Moina Michael's 1915 poem. The video also highlights the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 p.m. and includes an informative quiz reviewing key facts, like the holiday's original name ("Decoration Day") and its Civil War origins. The video is a great resource to help young learners connect with this solemn day respectfully and memorably. If your district blocks YouTube, then the video may not be viewable.
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tag(s): holidays (194), memorial day (18)

Here you'll find over one and a half hours of patriotic music for your July 4th and Memorial Day celebrations! The music and video resides on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, it may not be available to you.

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You may be surprised at these choices for America's top 10 patriotic songs. Most of them reflect more recent events in American History, though a few traditional songs are represented, too. The music and video reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, it may not be available to you.

tag(s): july 4th (12), memorial day (18), sept11 (18), veterans (27)

ABMC Education's Understanding Sacrifice takes you beyond the facts and figures of World War II battles and provides activities based on the stories of fallen American heroes. Browse the site to find Northern Europe and Mediterranean battle sites or learn about individual fallen heroes. Choose the Activities link to view lessons correlated to Common Core Standards for grades 6-12. Search options also allow you to find lessons by grade level or subject. The videos reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

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Find news and resources for grades 7-12 at PBS Newshour Classroom. Search the site by Subject Area, Videos, Arts and Media, Science, and more. Explore news articles written for students with the background and context needed to understand complex topics. The Daily Videos are ad-free and have related stories along the right side of the page. Read the current events news stories and follow the Extra X (formerly Twitter) feed. Don't miss the many free lesson plans including current events, American history, health, government, holidays, and more. Lesson plans are all aligned to the Common Core standards. Lesson plan topics vary from "Personal reflections on the poetry of Maya Angelou" to "Selma to Montgomery: An introduction to the 1965 marches" and countless others! Look for the Student Voices and Student Reporting Labs for those who would like to be published or to help a local PBS station produce the news.
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Use this quick resource for a lesson, or even an organizing activity at the beginning or end of a class, related to Memorial Day or in recognition of veterans. There are several video clips, links to further information, and other resources. There is advertising, both at the beginning of the video clips, and in the margins. Note: You must have the required TV channel subscriptions to view most of the videos and shows.

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Explore vocabulary and word activities related to Memorial Day on this extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more. Find interactive vocabulary activities the same list of using Memorial Day vocabulary words. There are printable crosswords, fill in the blanks and more, all using the same theme words. This and other "themes" available on the site will make vocabulary development fun.

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Need lyrics to your favorite patriotic song? Find a wealth of patriotic lyrics here with a quick click. . Play the instrumental audio file, as well. Find Yankee Doodle, Navy Hymn, America the Beautiful, and about twenty other patriotic songs.

Note: Please assume that most songs are copyrighted, so please honor the authors and musicians by not distributing these songs.

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This nice collection of activities and puzzles - some printable and some interactive - teaches and reinforces the history and meaning behind Memorial Day celebrations. Choose from a variety of formats and difficulty levels.

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Teach American history through the words of those who were there. This fascinating site focuses on personal narratives from men and women who captured the horror, sadness, and intensity of war. Experiences from the American Revolution to the Persian Gulf War are reflected in featured letters. Although this site is designed around a companion PBS special, much can be learned from the on-line materials without viewing the program. Visit the Teacher's Guide for suggestions on using personal narratives in history class. Other features include a gallery of wartime cartoons, an interactive timeline (1775-1994), and a military postal history trivia game.

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Created by the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Fund, the full title of this site is "The War and the Wall." The approach is the Vietnam War era with a focus on history, leadership, citizenship, and civic responsibility. The site has good primary source research materials, podcasts, and an interactive timeline, as well as a detailed teacher's guide with teaching modules. Scroll to the bottom of the page to Outside Resources and find teacher's guides to several topics regarding the Vietnam War.

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No, it's not blood and gore up close, but rather a collection of audio reminiscences from American veterans about their experiences in wartime. Created by the Library of Congress as part of their Veterans History Project Collection series, these stories are surprisingly personal and therefore all the more powerful. Choose from a variety of topics on the left menu including different wars.

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