5 Patriotic Options for Veterans Day or Any Patriotic Holiday

The last couple of days, we spent a lot of time discussing what a veteran is and why it's important to honor them. 

(I always like my kids to know WHY we get a day off!) True, they're due for a break (as are the teachers!) We survived a marathon day of teaching and parent-teacher conferences this week, so we deserve a day off to recover!

1.  First of all, there are books! I absolutely love to introduce concepts to children through quality literature! I admit. The Wall gets me choked up every time I read it. As I read it yesterday, the children were totally silent. (My group is NEVER totally silent!) It affected them deeply.

The Wall

America: A Patriotic Primer

H is for Honor: A Military Family Alphabet

My Dad's a Hero

Night Catch

F is for Flag

2.  Next, I like to show some videos. I try to time it so we watch a video on Thursday during snack time since Thursday is popcorn day in our school. It just seems appropriate! Here is a great patriotic video, and the kids really take to it!

 

3.  I play music frequently through the school day. I make sure I have music playing in the morning as the children arrive, but I also make sure they hear music at different times of the day. Sometimes it's soft background music, and sometimes it's lively, fun music. Both kinds of music have their place. Here are a couple that I love!

God Bless America: The Ultimate Patriotic Album

Party Tyme Karaoke Patriotic

   

4.  I did this Veterans True or False activity with my students on Thursday, and it was awesome! Interestingly, our assistant principal came in while we played the game and told the students he was a veteran. My students broke out into applause! (I was so proud!) Of course, most of my little guys went nuts when they found out he drove a tank! Click the image or click HERE for the link!

Do you have active students? After they read this text, they can have a blast moving around to answer the questions in Reading Comprehension for Active Learners: Freedom Isn't Free!

5.  Here's a freebie that I did with my students on Friday.  They wrote thank you letters to Veterans! Their notes were heartwarming and proud to me. They understood how lucky we are to be Americans and have these wonderful people risking their lives for our freedom!

Thank You Veterans Writing Paper

How do you celebrate Patriotic Days?