Memorial Day Lesson Ideas
7 Lessons Reinforce the Meaning Behind Memorial Day Observances
by Gary Hopkins, Education World ®
The first official Memorial Day celebration was held in the United States in May 1868. On that day, which was then called Decoration Day, people remembered the war dead by decorating their graves with flowers.
Today, we still take time to honor those who serve and have served, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. But do your students understand the true significance of the day? In order to help them put Memorial Day in perspective, we offer...
7 Lessons for Teaching About Memorial Day
- Memorial Day: Graphing Our History of Sacrifice
Using an online graphing tool to graph America's history of war dead helps students understand the significance of Memorial Day.
- Thinking About Our Troops
A handful of ways for kids to connect with America's soldiers serving around the globe.
- The Wall Inspires Letters to Veterans
Eve Bunting's moving book, The Wall, inspires students to write letters to veterans at local veterans' hospitals.
- Mapping Your State's Role in the Vietnam War
Teach the significance of Memorial Day by creating a map showing the hometowns of your state's Vietnam War dead. A stunning visual reminder!
- Memorial Day Shoebox Parade
Create a timeline of U.S. conflict and a Memorial Day Shoebox Parade to commemorate soldiers who fought for freedom.
- Hang a Flag Mural
What better way to greet visitors to your school (or to your Town Hall) than with a student-created flag mural?
- Wall of Peace
Commemorate Memorial Day, Veteran's Day or September 11 with this activity for all grade levels.
More Activities
- Organnizers of the Veterans History Project are collecting and preserving "audio- and video-taped oral histories, along with documentary materials such as letters, diaries, maps, photographs, and home movies, of America's war veterans and those who served in support of them." Project organizers invite middle and high school teachers and their students to participate.
- How about designing your own Memorial Day WebQuest? Arrange students into groups. Each group will take responsibility for part of a Memorial Day program. Separate groups could handle music, a Memorial Day speech, arranging for special guests, and a poetry reading. Individual students might take responsibility for the opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the playing of Taps.
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