I have always loved how we honor Veterans Day in the classroom. My students leave me in awe with their solemn and respectful responses to read alouds and activities we do. I wanted to share 6 of my favorite books to read aloud the week of Veterans Day (or any time of the year to celebrate our Armed Services!) There is a HUGE freebie at the end of this post to use with these books, so stick around! You can also click on the title of any book for a link to that book (affiliate link, which just means I get a few cents back, at no cost to you, to keep sharing more books with you!!)
I love using this book to teach making inferences + text look back for informational text comprehension. The beautiful story of a symbol of remembrance should be read in every classroom! Grab the free activity to go with this book at the end of the post!
Sergeant Reckless: The true Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero
This is a great mentor text for determining theme + making connections. The true story of the brave little horse named Reckless who became the only animal to every hold military rank.
Is a poetically written story of the Memorial Day parade that takes place in D.C. every year when millions of Veterans and their supporters gather for the Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom. I pair this book with a nonfiction article about the ride that pays tribute to the men and women of the armed forces. A great book for teaching making inferences and making connections between two texts.
The incredible story told by a young boy about his great-great uncle’s passion for flying. The passion that led him to be a part of the brave Tuskegee Airmen. It is a great way to tie history into ELA, and the perfect mentor text for order of importance + nonfiction text structure!
The of a boy who travels to the Vietnam Memorial with his father to find his grandfather’s name. Their solemn experience and the reverence shown to the fallen moves me to tears nearly every time. I like to use this book to teach perspective/point of view. The boy’s perspective in comparison to the girls on a field trip and the other young boy and his grandfather are different, making it a great mentor text to practice this skill.
Moina Belle Michael’s determination to establish the red poppy as the symbol to honor and remember soldiers. A school teacher, her story of determination and perseverance for such an incredible cause is a story of honor that your students will love. I use this teach symbolism and characterization, specifically focusing on inferring character traits through thoughts + actions.
GRAB YOUR FREE Veterans Day activities
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Pin the image below so you don’t forget about these lessons each year!
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