Celebrating Veterans Day in the Classroom

Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11 every year. It’s so important to celebrate Veterans Day in the classroom. This day of remembrance recognizes the sacrifices of those who have served or are serving in our Armed Forces. Being a military spouse, this day is particularly special to me! Veterans Day is different from Memorial Day because it recognizes all who serve, rather than only those who have died while in service to our military. Here are some great books to read and an FREE activity to do with your students to celebrate Veterans Day in the classroom this year.

Veterans Day Books

The Poppy Lady by Moina Belle Michael

When American soldiers entered World War I, Moina Belle Michael, a schoolteacher from Georgia, knew she had to act. Some of the soldiers were her students and friends. Almost single-handedly, Moina worked to establish the red poppy as the symbol to honor and remember soldiers. And she devoted the rest of her life to making sure the symbol would last forever. 

Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood by Valerie Pfundstein

This book fosters mindfulness of and appreciation for the brave service men and women who are also our family, friends, and neighbors. These are the men and women who bravely served our great country and now humbly serve in our communities.

Hero Dad by Melinda Hardin

Some superheroes wear rocket-propelled boots, drive super-powered cars, and have X-ray vision. But other superheroes wear army boots, drive tanks, and go away for long trips to make the world a safer place. It’s a tough job, but superheroes can do it.

Hero Mom by Melinda Hardin

The moms in the book are superheroes. They may not leap over tall buildings, and they may not have super-human speed. But these moms construct buildings, fly planes, and make tanks roll. They do all kinds of things to help create a safer world. These superheroes are moms. Military moms. Hero moms.

H is for Honor: A Military Family Alphabet by Devin Scillian

Written by the son of a career officer, this book explores the branches of the Armed Services and speaks from the heart about the honor, privileges and sacrifices of military families everywhere. Children will discover why drill sergeants have to be so tough, what it means to be patriotic and why we need Special Forces such as the Navy SEALS, the Green Berets and the Army Rangers.

Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops by Jill Biden

Inspired by her own granddaughter Natalie, First Lady Jill Biden tells a story through a child’s eyes of what family life is like when a parent is at war across the world.

The Wall by Eve Bunting

A father and his young son have come to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to find the name of the grandfather the little boy never knew. They share the sadness as well as the pride of having Grandpa’s name there. 

Brave Like Me by Barbara Kerley

When someone is serving our country, far from home, everyone in their family has to be brave. Including — and sometimes especially — the kids. This book speaks to all kids in this situation in telling the story of a boy and a girl with parents away on duty. 

Veterans Day Activity for the Classroom

After reading a book about our veterans, students can write letters to thank them for their service! These can be delivered to a local veterans home. You could also organize a small thank you assembly for veterans in your community! At my school we invite relatives or friends of our students that are veterans to come to school on the morning of Veterans Day. We ask them to share in which branch they served and then we give them cards and letters to thank them for their service.

If you’d like to do this with your class, these letter templates are free! This bundle of templates has a variety of community helpers as well. You can read more about how I use these letters to teach gratitude in November in this blog post. I hope this inspires you to celebrate Veterans Day in the classroom this year!