Veteran's Day

Happy Almost Veteran's Day!

Since 9-11, and with the ever changing & evolving political mess overseas, I think that our military have been given more attention than I remember them having before. Still, however, I think that we still struggle to give them the respect, admiration, and gratitude they truly deserve. I love this country, and what it stands for, in spite of the drama and politics we wrestle with daily. I look at it like a family - we're crazy and messy and have those members that just can't get it together, but it's the only one we've got. I love em. :)

Anyway! My dad was Air Force yet, sadly, I still don't remember ever really having a sense of utmost respect and admiration for our military. I hope it something we can continue to strive for and teach our children. On this Veterans Day, I hope we all remember how and why we live in a free country, and help to instill a grand respect in our students & children.

Below are a few activities that I've created, as well as some ideas for other creative activities you can do in your classrooms or at home.

{KWL}
Spend a little time learning about our military and the importance of Veterans Day. Some ways you can do this are by watching videos, reading books, or inviting a guest speaker to come in. Use a {KWL Chart} to structure the day & track your learning! KWL Charts are super easy to make, so create your own, or download one of my packs:

My Veteran's Day KWL Pack includes two of my {KWL+Evidence Graphic Organizers!}, with a fun Veterans Day theme for your visual learners. Each of the two charts is available in full color or in black and white. 

My recently updated KWL pack includes three variations of my KWL+E graphic organizer, made to suit any grade or ability level, K-12. Each variation is provided in blackline format and with a color border option for more appealing dispays!

{Research}
There are a TON of great ways to research Veterans Day. There are passages & websites all over the place that have great reading on Veterans Day. I particularly like Wikipedia. The government also has an {Official History of Veterans Day} page. Consider allowing the students to watch videos (independently or whole group), read books & articles, or prepare an interview for guest veterans. Most students could find a friend or family to interview at home as well. Compile the information with {Graphic Organizers} and turn them into a writing project! I also have a great pack with reading comprehension pages that I designed specifically for this special day!:

{Writing}
Of course there are always great ways to challenge students to write on special days like this. Consider thank you cards to a military person you know, informative pieces on what they know or learned about the military, or opinion pieces on why our military is so important. To add a dash of creativity to the assignments, use some of my {Freebie Veterans Day Writing Paper}.

Or, download my entire {Veterans Day Writing Center Bundle}.