3 Veterans Day Ideas For Middle Grades

Veterans Day activities help your students to recognize and honor our Veterans past and present. If you are teaching about Veterans Day, as the daughter of a Navy Veteran, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart!

1. Connect With Local Veterans

One of my favorite Veterans Day lessons was when I invited a few members from our local VFW to our classroom.

I ran the idea past my principal, she aproved, and I called the VFW to see if any Veterans would like to visit. I was pleasantly surprised that Mr. Morris said that he would gather up a few guys to visit and details were planned! In preparation, my students wrote thank you letters to the Veterans for their service and prepared a question on an index card. Visiting day arrived and 4 Veterans showed up and took their seats at the front of the room in chairs much too small for them. The students read their letters out loud as these 4 humble men looked on with eyes that brightened with each letter read. After the readings, the students asked their prepared questions as the gentlemen took turns answering. We concluded our morning with students serving our guests cookies and juice and mingling a bit.  Connections that spanned generations were made that day, and we continued to interact with the VFW regularly.

2. Decorate The Halls

I find that the best selections of patriotic decorations at the dollar store are around Memorial Day and The Fourth of July. However, a bit of red, white, and blue crepe paper is an inexpensive way to add accents to a display of students' work. Flag and poppy craftivities are just right to replace those Halloween projects out in the hall!

For this project, students use graphic organizers to plan their writing and make a fun, patriotic flag craft.

Veterans Day Craft With Writing

3. Learn About The Branches Of The Military

I like to find video clips to explain the 5 branches of the military. Here is one that is kid-friendly:

Branches of the Military Explained 

Of course, preview the video to make sure that it is appropriate for your class.

Follow with small groups creating posters about each branch of the military (I always remind the kids that images of violence, even against "bad guys" aren't appropriate for school.)

Or...check understanding with this sorting activity:

Branches of the Military

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