Memorial Day is observed in the United States today.

Observed on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day honors the men and women who died while serving in the United States military.   In addition to having celebrations with family and friends, many people visit cemeteries and memorials and place flags on the grave sites of fallen servicemen and women.

Have students visit the Stories from the Veterans History Project site. Once there, ask students to choose one of the featured interviews to listen to, peruse the previous releases, or look at an alphabetical list of interviews to find more interviews that may be of interest to them. Students select an interview that interests them and take notes while listening to remember important facts and details about the veteran’s life. After listening to the interview, students complete one of the projects below to honor the veteran they researched:

• Create a timeline of the veteran’s life or time in the military.
  
  
• Using the story of the veteran’s life, create a picture book for younger children that tells the story of the veteran’s life or of the war in which he/she fought.
  
  
• Record the important facts and information from the veteran’s life using the Hero’s Journey interactive.
  
  
• Record a podcast that tells the veteran’s story.

• Veterans History Project
  

  This site includes a collection of personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.

   

• Memorial Day
  

  Information on the history and traditions of observing Memorial Day in the United States is provided here.

   

• History of Memorial Day
  

  This site includes a history of Memorial Day and tributes to soldiers; includes audio, video, and photos.