Veterans Day 2023

2023 Veterans Day classroom resources to honor our military veterans this Veterans Day

Book - Heroes at Home - Classroom kit to celebrate our Wounded Heroes

https://independencefund.org/pages/hero-at-home-classroom-kit

"Grace's dad tells her that sometimes people get hurt and their bodies change, but they still have the same heart." - Hero At Home

The Independence Fund's CEO Sarah Verardo authored Hero at Home in 2018 to introduce preschool and elementary aged children to the realities that families of wounded veterans know so well - but that their classmates might not. Hero at Home was developed with the support of a pediatrician to provide age-appropriate education about America’s wounded heroes to our youth as we celebrate the wounded heroes in every corner of America.

This Veterans Day, we are once again releasing a free digital classroom kit that includes the audio book, classroom engagement worksheets, and the ability to write a letter to thank a wounded veteran.

These specially designed kits make understanding the importance of celebrating America's wounded heroes' fun, educational, and interactive. And thanks to digital, printable Classroom Kits, accessible to all students.

Download a free copy of the audio book and classroom kit here. Plus, you can purchase your own copy of Hero at Home here.

100% of book proceeds go directly towards The Independence Fund to improve the lives of wounded veterans, caregivers, their families, and our wartime allies.

Book - The Poppy Lady - Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans

http://www.barbaraelizabethwalsh.com/the-poppy-lady/for-teachers

A professional CCSS annotated discussion and activity guide for The Poppy Lady is available.

Books - United Through Reading Operation Storytime

https://unitedthroughreading.org/resources/veterans-day-storytime-with-a-service-member/

In 2022 United Through Reading celebrated Veterans Day with 650 classrooms from preschool through high school seniors around the world with a virtual Story Time with a service member. Teachers from over 200 schools reported that more than 21,000 students benefited from this program. We're excited to continue this program in 2023.

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Visit this LINK for a list of 20+ meaningful Veterans Day children's books.

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Classroom victory garden

www.classroomvictorygarden.org

The goal of The Classroom Victory Garden Project is to teach elementary students about the role of community in WWII through interdisciplinary curriculum designed to connect the past and the present. Millions of Americans grew Victory Gardens in their backyards - and on rooftops and in windowboxes - during WWII to supplement their wartime rations and help spur victory. That can-do spirit can offer your young students an age-appropriate entree into the lessons and history of WWII

Coloring pages and printables (free)

Veterans Day coloring page - LINK

See also these free resources:

Brat Town Bugle - LINK

Flat Brat - LINK

Flat Brat house ornament - LINK

Prayer Pots - LINK

Thank You cards - LINK

National Anthem Girl documentary

https://anthemgirldoc.com

Celebrate and honor our veterans! Bring the National Anthem Girl film to your school, civic club, hometown theater... even use it as a fundraiser!

What started as a desire to honor America’s brave led to a remarkable cross-country journey that would change one woman’s life forever, as she sought to become the first person in history to perform The National Anthem in all 50 United States.

Narrated by Janine Stange herself, the documentary follows the self-financed two-year journey that saw her going from a frustrated singer, living in L.A. with visions of stardom, to a dedicated one-woman show on a state-by-state mission to spread American pride and to display gratitude for the brave men and women the Anthem represents.

A portion of proceeds from the film are being donated to several organizations whose sole purpose is the support of U.S. military personnel, past and present.

To learn more and to bring National Anthem Girl to your school, group, or theater, visit:

https://anthemgirldoc.com

National League of Families of American Prisoners & Missing in Action in Southeast Asia

https://www.pow-miafamilies.org/a-teaching-guide.html

Advocating for efforts by the U.S. and foreign governments to account as fully as possible, including searching for relevant historical archives and records and conduction interviews of sources of information that may pertain to missing and unaccounted-for U.S. personnel and cooperate fully to recover, return and identify all possible remains of those who died serving our country during the Vietnam War.

Serving as advocate for families whose loved ones served During the Vietnam War, were captured or listed as missing or killed in action, who have not yet returned, to help end the uncertainty of their families.

Includes curriculum for grades 1-3, 4-6, and 7-12.

National Museum of the USAF (Dayton, OH)

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Education/For-Kids/

Learn about aviation and the U.S. Air Force!

Palm Springs Air Musuem

https://palmspringsairmuseum.org/education/

Download and print out our educational guides to use as learning curriculum for your classroom. Includes:

Beginners Guide for Future Aviators

World War II A Curriculum Guide for Secondary Teachers

Women In Aviation Study Guide

Patriotic Productions - Living History

https://www.patrioticproductions.org/

These short films document WWII veterans telling their stories from the War. With so few of the Greatest Generation left today, we believe it is imperative to capture these stories of courage and sacrifice for the sake of posterity.

Take a Veteran to School Day

http://www.history.com/teacher-resources

Take a Veteran to School Day, a popular HISTORY® initiative, encourages schools to connect veterans with young people to hear their stories of service and learn more about Veterans Day. These events can range from a simple one-class visit with veterans to an all school assembly. Register for this free program and view sample agendas and a wealth of free curriculum resources.

Veterans Affairs (VA) - FAQ about Veterans Day

http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetday_faq.asp

Veterans Affairs (VA) - Veterans Day 2023 teacher guide

https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/

https://department.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-Veterans-Day-Teachers-Guide-508.pdf

Veterans Affairs (VA) - 2023 Veterans Day poster

http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/gallery.asp

Veterans Affairs (VA) - Veterans Day community celebrations

https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/

Locate a Veterans Day activity near you or register your event.

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in the Classroom

http://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/the-vfw-in-the-classroom?cookieCheck=true

The VFW strives to thank our nation’s educators year-round by arming them with helpful resources and visits to local classrooms. Loving America and all it stands for is what we do best. Let us help you educate our future leaders.

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Flag education (VFW)

https://www.vfw.org/community/flag-etiquette

We’re your one-stop shop for all things flag-related. From flag etiquette and history to a large stock of "Old Glory" itself available at the VFW store. Look no further for all things red, white and blue!

Veteran stories

https://www.operationwearehere.com/shareyourstory.html

These organizations compile U.S. military veteran stories for the benefit of future generations and for all to better grasp the reality of war.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

https://www.vvmf.org/education/teach-vietnam/

SOCIAL - War will always have impacts on society and culture, and the Vietnam Era was particularly notable in the way the public voiced varying perspectives on war– perspectives which often indicated dissent and a desire to influence change. View the sections below to learn about how the Vietnam era influenced film, music, and more. Discussion guides are available for the following topics:

Evolution of the Draft

Protests Against War

Film & War

Music & War

MILITARY - With each war come new changes to the military, changes that sometimes reflect broader society. The Vietnam War was fought by a young, largely working-class force that dealt with issues that were both perennial to service across different eras, as well as issues that posed new challenges that persist into today. Click on the sections below to learn about how the Vietnam War influenced the makeup of the military, medical advances, and more.

Discussion guides are available for the following topics:

Social Makeup of Forces

Medical Advances

Ongoing Toll on Veterans

MEDIA - Wars usually take place far from American soil in places that few Americans understand. Americans are thus dependent on others, such as the government, the news media, and the entertainment industry, to help them understand why the nation is at war, the progress of the war, and the outcomes and implications. The majority of Americans gained their understanding of the Vietnam War through the news media, including television news, which carried images of war directly into their homes for the first time in history. Click on the sections below to learn more about how the Vietnam era influenced the way that wars are reported today. Discussion guides are available for the following topics:

News Stories of Vietnam

War on the Homefront

POLITICS - The policies and decisions on engaging in foreign conflict that are set by our nation’s leaders have far-reaching impacts. A variety of complex motives guide the decision to participate in foreign conflicts. The decisions made by various presidents, from Truman to Nixon, regarding US involvement in Vietnam, produced a variety of circumstances and impacts which continue to influence decisions to go to war today. Click on the sections below to learn about what motivated US involvement in Vietnam, how Vietnam changed the way that wars are initiated, and more. Discussion guides are available for the following topics:

Evolution of the Draft

Protests Against War

Film & War

Music & War

World War One Centennial Commission

https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/educate.html

The Centennial Commemoration provides an opportunity to focus the attention of students and adults across the country on the war. Using educational resources beyond classroom settings, the Commission intends to create a comprehensive educational program about all aspects of the First World War. While many of the Commission’s educational programs will be available to the country at large, its particular focus will be on students in grades 6-12 – the so-called “Generation Z” who were born beginning in the late 1990s. The Commission expects to supplement traditional classroom materials with “virtual classroom” materials and other Internet-driven media to reach as wide an audience as possible. By working with educators across the country, the Commission’s goal is to reach over 10 million students by the conclusion of the Centennial period.

Wounded Warrior Project

https://communityfundraising.woundedwarriorproject.org

EDUCATE STUDENTS. HONOR VETERANS. EMPOWER WOUNDED WARRIORS.

We’re calling on K-12 educators to join Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) for Honor Their Courage! This unique educational service-learning program offers students the opportunity to learn about the history, sacrifices, and realities of military service members and veterans, while fundraising to support injured veterans.

Wreaths Across America resources

https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/Resources/EducationalResources

Along with recognizing the sacrifices of the past and present, Wreaths Across America™ counts educating our children as one of the chief missions of our campaign. Without that connection to the future, we will fail to remember that freedom isn't free.

Site includes middle school downloadable curriculum, Daisy Dog and the Parade of Purpose coloring book.

Parade listing for Veterans Day (VetFriends) 2023

https://www.vetfriends.com/reunions/veterans_day_parade.cfm

2023 U.S. Veterans Day Parade Directory

Pinterest

http://www.pinterest.com/awhoinwhoville/veterans-day-kids-classrooms-activities-crafts/

Over 100 links to Veterans Day resources on our Pinterest board.

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A teacher asks for advice about Veterans Day

October, 2011 - Operation We Are Here received this e-mail from a teacher:

"I am a teacher at a high school on Long Island, New York. We would like to do something special for this coming Veterans Day. We were thinking of some kind of collection of items that we could send to the military overseas. Do you think this is a good idea? Or is there something better that you need for us to do? We would start it now, and them we plan on having a school assembly honoring our Veterans just before Veterans Day."

In response to her request, I asked OWAH Facebook members for their advice. Their response is listed below, and I think it provides excellent insight and direction for this teacher and others. The needs of our deployed military personnel are well-supplied by many non-profit organizations. However, there are many needs and opportunities for service to:

- home front families

- wounded warriors and their families

- loved ones of the fallen

- veterans, especially the older generation who did not receive the support that

compares to our current generation of veterans

Here is what they said:

If your school is near a VA Hospital, your students could visit veterans in the hospital. Visitors are always valued by hospitalized veterans.

The majority of military supporters people from corporations, to non-profits, to individuals organize untold numbers of efforts to send things to the troops. Consider instead finding families back home to help or bless with a cheer up. Maybe a home cooked meal, a restaurant gift certificate, babysitting, or painting/redecorating a room.

If you ask service members how you can support them - 99% of the time they answer, "just take care of my family". I would suggest the children put together packages/letters of appreciation to the kids/spouses of deployed, wounded and surviving service members. Various organizations can assist in disseminating the packages.

Do something great for the veterans in the VA hospital, as these guys never received the appreciation they deserve when they were off fight wars so many years ago, like our troops get now.

As a spouse/family of a deployed soldier, I like the idea of doing something for the families. It would be nice to just know someone cares.

Are you close to a military base? There are Family Readiness Groups (FRG's) that support the families while the soldiers are deployed. If you are not near a base, then contact your VFW or your local AmVet representative. These numbers are available online. You could also connect with a local news channel about what you want to do and send a "shout out" to military families that may live in your community. Thanks for wanting to help our military - God bless you!

If close to a VA hospital or VA nursing home, go for a visit. Something to show appreciation for the warriors of our past, the Vets. Maybe a coffee and donuts reception somewhere.

Have students who are connected in some way to the military write a short essay about that person (cousin, sibling, friend, grandparent) and then create a video collage of these essays to be shown at the Veterans Day assembly to help the "military" become more personal to those who have no connection.

Remember, it's not just the neediness of the family members, but the loneliness. Our family often gets ignored because we are so self-sufficient and can take care of most of our needs with the extra pay they get while away. It doesn't change the feelings of being alone...