How to Decorate a Classroom for Memorial Day

The recognition and celebration of Memorial Day should be a prime educational tool for the classroom. Discussions of history, political structures, and most of all citizenship can be done at this time. The celebration of this holiday should be important to everyone in the nation so decorate with enthusiasm.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Trivia about Memorial Day and questions for a bulletin board
• Construction paper
• Glue for the crowns
• Materials to find information on war heroes
• Writing paper
• Words to the "Star Spangled Banner"
• Soldier pen pal
• Thank you notes

1. Have a Memorial Day bulletin board with trivia questions on it. If you're slightly older, you'll remember hearing people refer to the day as Decoration Day. Use this as the focus of questions about the history of the holiday. When did it change? How did it get the name? When did it start and where? Discuss the answers to help children know that Memorial Day is not a celebration to mark the end of the school year but a sombre occasion to remember those that died for their country.

2. Create a bulletin board with the Statue of Liberty in the background and the Pledge of Allegiance written over it. The Preamble to the Constitution is also a good substitute if you already have the Pledge hanging in the classroom. Discuss the words that are contained in the document. Have the children make Ms. Liberty crowns or torches out of construction paper as a project.

3. Make a war hero bulletin board. Have the children look up various war heroes and write a paragraph about them. Have them create a picture of the hero and attach the paragraph. Cut letters out of construction paper that say "We Honor" and create a bulletin board with the pictures and paragraphs.

4. Design a bulletin board with the words to the "Star Spangled Banner." Have the children draw illustrations for each section. Prior to having them draw make certain that you actually discuss the meaning of all the words.

5. Secure a local pen pal soldier in Iraq. This could be an all-year project that could also include others in his unit. Send Christmas cards, cookies, and bits of hometown news. Before the Memorial Day Holiday send a package with enough thank you cards for the whole unit. This is a time to remember soldiers, and those currently serving can appreciate your thanks a lot more.