Veterans Day

Veterans Day Resources and Activities

 

November 11th is Veterans Day.  This is a day where we all pause to honor those who have served our nation and protected our freedoms in armed forces.  Across America, people will be taking part in a variety of patriotic ceremonies and military tributes. In schools, students, teachers, and administrators will be conducting “flag raising ceremonies, assemblies, and lessons that emphasize veterans and their role in our history.”

 

According to the Ohio Revised Code (ORC 3313.602), every school district in the state of Ohio is required to observe Veterans Day and do a program and/or lesson “that coveys the meaning and significance of that day. The amount of time that each school devotes to this observance shall be at least one hour or, in schools that schedule class periods of less than one hour, at least one standard class period.”  

 

This site provides several activities, lessons, and resources for elementary, middle, and high school students. 

General

• United States Armed Forces
  • Air Force
  • Army
  • Coast Guard
  • Marines
  • Navy

• Government Agencies
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Ohio Department of Veterans Services
  • Learn more about Veteran's exposure to asbestos

• Veterans Organizations
  • American Legion
  • AMVETS
  • Disabled American Veterans
  • Veterans of Foreign Wars
  • Yellow Ribbon Support Center
  • Honor Flight 

Lesson Plans and Activities

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • 2013 Teachers Guide
  • Veterans Day History
  • Poster Gallery
  • Take a Vet to School Day
  • Veterans History Project
  • Veterans Day Speeches
• A to Z Teacher Stuff Veterans Day Activities
• Blackwell’s Best – Veterans Day Links
• edHelper Veterans Day Activites
• Veterans Day at pppst.com
• Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project 
• Experiencing War – Vietnam
• Echos of War:  Stories from the Big Red One
• Teacher Vision – Veterans Day Teacher Resources
• History Channel Veterans Day Video(s)
• Education Work – Veterans Day Links and Lessons
• Lesson Planet – Veterans Day Lessons
• The Teachers Guide – Veterans Day Activities
• Read Write Think Veterans Day Lesson and Links
• TCI Free Veterans Day Lesson Plan

Connecting Veterans and Active Service Personnel to Social Studies Classrooms

The most obvious connection for inviting a veteran or active service member into a social studies classroom is to speak to students about days of remembrance), a specific war or the life of a soldier. However, there are many places in our curriculum where local veterans can be an excellent resource. While Veterans Day and Memorial Day are obvious classroom connections, we encourage teachers to consider opportunities like those listed in the OCSS Veterans in the Social Studies Classroom Resource.

The booklet provides:

• curricular connections

• tips for both the teacher and the guest speaker in preparing for classroom visits

• links to educational programs and resources

• flag etiquette and folding ceremony information

• links to state and national veteran organizations

Download the Veterans in the Classroom booklet!