Veterans Day curriculum can be simple in-class lessons to an all-school Veterans Day program with songs, guests, speeches, decorations, and displays of patriotism everywhere in the school! Let’s outline some of those activities.
Veterans Day Decorations and Art Projects
Veterans Day Music Ideas
America, The Beautiful
This iconic song of America teaches students so much about patriotism and love of country. This song is a part of many Veterans Day programs and other national events.
Here is a blog post with many teaching ideas and a free coloring sheet to help teach the song through art and literacy.
Armed Forces Medley
Good arrangements are REALLY hard to find. Here are four that might work for you.
- Classroom Classics-scroll down to see the buying options for mp3s, sheet music, and lyrics.
- A Tribute to the Armed Services by Lloyd Larsen on JW Pepper Music.
- Spotify-this playlist has a karaoke with lyrics and without.
- American Flag by new, young composer Mollie Painter, edited by Ruth Dwyer.
Here are active links to Music K-8 and JW Pepper listed below!
A Song of Peace
It’s a challenge to find a concert selection that is long enough but easy enough to learn in the limited time we have with our students. A Song of Peace covers both of these challenges!
The verse and chorus of A Song of Peace combine as a melody & countermelody to create a gorgeous 2-part section. Add a lovely Orff arrangement and the universal message of peace and you have a perfect concert piece for Veterans Day, Remembrance Day, and more.
Other music selections include:
- America, The Beautiful
- You’re a Grand Old Flag
- This Land Is Your Land
- Yankee Doodle
- Music K-8 has LOTS of selections. Do a search for Veterans Day, Patriotic, America.
- JW Pepper Music has lots of choral choices.
- Piggyback Songs-You or your students can write a piggyback song about veterans, patriotism, etc using a familiar song or one that has chords that are accessible to your groups.
Veterans Day Program Templates
CANVA Bi-Fold Editable Program Template
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Veterans Day Concert Programming
The Order of the Day
How many songs, poems, and speaking parts make a good Veterans Day program? Here is a list of one possible order. You can move, delete, and add to this program.
- Prelude-Military marches (Sousa), instrumental playlist of patriotic favorites, slide show featuring veteran’s pictures and info.
- Welcome-I had my principal do the welcome and closing. Students hosted and gave narration for the rest of the program.
- Music-Feature a grade level, choir, or instrumental group for the music portions of this program.
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Star Spangled Banner
- Posting of the Colors-local honor guards or boy scout troops
- Veterans Day History-Include a brief history of the day to honor our vets but also to serve as a history lesson for our students and the community.
- Music
- Reading (poem)-In Flanders Fields is a popular choice. Ask classroom teachers to partner with you for poetry writing and use student-written poems. There are also lots of poems online.
- Introduction of Guests (vets)-We passed around a microphone so each vet could tell us their name, branch, and their connection to our school. (student parent, grandparent, friend, etc.) We had a special designated seating area so all vets were together.
- Music
- Reading (poem)
- Moment of Silence
- Taps-a student who plays trumpet really well, sometimes your color guard will play it for you, or use a recording.
- Armed Forces Medley-taught to the entire school. Vets stand when their song is sung. This was a highlight of our YEAR for many students and very, very meaningful to the vets.
- Closing
- Retiring of Colors
Posting and Retiring of Colors
Other Considerations
Veterans Day Program Checklist
