Students will:

1. Define the term "veteran" and name the date we celebrate the holiday.
2. Properly fold the American flag.
3. Name at least two American symbols, songs, or pledges that are important to veterans.

Directions

Veterans Day is a perfect time to discuss with students that one of the ways American citizens show their patriotism, or love for one's country, is by serving in the Armed Forces.

Day 1
Step 1. Have the defininition of "veteran" up on the board. List other Veterans Day vocabulary words on the board, such as: military, army, navy, infantry, armistice, battle, war, soldier, G.I., casualty, P.O.W., troops, poppy, and service. Have the students, either individually or in small groups, look up the definitions to the words and find out how they relate to Veterans Day.

Tell the class: "Today we're going to talk about Veterans Day and veterans. Let me show you some people and you tell me who they are." Point to the images of the three different groups (community service, civilian, military) you have displayed in the room. Ask the students if they know who these people are. After each group has been identified, pull a few pictures of men and women from each group and form a new group, identifying them as "veterans."

Read the definition of "veteran" aloud again. "All the people in the veteran group have served in the Armed Forces. They are veterans if they have served during wartime or peace time. We have a special holiday, called Veterans Day, that we celebrate on November 11 each year to honor all the men and women who served in the Armed Services."

Step 2. Display "Veterans Day" (page 44 in Our Flag) and read it together. Point out when the first Veterans Day took place (1918). Do a math problem to figure out how long we've celebrated this holiday. Let the students share any knowledge or stories they may have about people they know who have served in the Armed Forces.

Step 3: Pass out page 42 from Patriotic Puzzlers for the students to do in small groups. Share the answers to finish up this session.

"Now that we have a clear idea of who and what a veteran is, we should know that there are certain American symbols, songs, pledges and clothing that are especially important to veterans."

Day 2: American symbols and songs that are special to veterans

Step 1. Have pictures (or actual items) of symbols, songs, and uniforms displayed in a section of the classroom. "Do you know what the colors of the flag stand for? Red is for valor or bravery; white is for purity and goodness; blue is for justice and fairness. These are the qualities all veterans tried to achieve while serving their country in the Armed Forces."

Veterans have the utmost respect for their country's flag and know the days when it is especially important to fly it: Presidents' Day, Flag Day,  Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day. There are rules for displaying the flag (handout page 11-12 of Our Flag): Never leave the flag out in bad weather; never let the flag touch the ground; do not place any flag above the U.S. flag on a flagpole; do not use the flag in advertising; a flag in poor condition should be destroyed by burning; a flag should be flown near every school during school hours. When the national anthem is playing and a flag is displayed, all people should face the flag and salute.

Step 2. While discussing the flag, have patriotic music playing softly in the background. Have students practice folding the flag (as shown in the 2012 Veterans Day Teacher's Guide) and turn the music up so they may hear the music and words. Play the military theme songs for the Army, Air Force, and Marines. Explain that the veterans would march to music like this during formal parades.

Step 3. The Pledge of Allegiance, written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy of Boston, Massachusetts, is our national promise of loyalty to the United States. Display page 14 from Our Flag. Have a copy of the pledge on the wall so that the students may see the words as you read them aloud together.

Step 4. The Star Spangled Banner is our national anthem. Pages 24-25 in Young Patriots give a simple history of our flag and have illustrations for each phrase in the anthem. The children should enjoy reading the history and later coloring the pictures.

Step 5: Finish up your time together by allowing the students to color the pictures of the uniforms from the different branches of the Armed Services (page 30, Young Patriots) while listening to patriotic music. For those that finish quickly, you could also have page 16 from Young Patriots, which is a handout on She's A Grand Old Flag.

Evaluation

Day One

Were the children actively engaged in the information being given? Did they seem to enjoy what they were learning? Would they benefit by a visit from a veteran?

Day Two

A visit from a local VFW Post or High School JROTC program would be exciting for the children. Letting the children try on the uniforms and ask questions of real veterans would bring the subject more to life. Did the students learn what I set out to teach?