America’s White Table (or MIA/POW table) is a common sight in many military base mess halls. It can also be seen at many locations on military holidays.

This lesson plan provides directions and resources to bring the White Table to your classroom or school and help students understand the importance of veterans and the sacrifices they make.

One of the things our veterans have mentioned is a favorite is coming in and reading to the students. This can make it easier to start a conversation and is a great ice breaker.

This lesson plan provides directions for bringing a veteran into the classroom and helping students understand how veterans contribute to their own neighborhood. If you need help locating a veteran to come visit you can find the form here.

Operation Physical Education is an award winning program to bring Veterans and their stories into the physical education curriculum. There are two components Follow in the Footsteps and Boot Camps. Follow in the Footsteps gives students the chance to walk in the footsteps of a senior war hero and follow their story with pictures and videos. The Boot Camps series provides the opportunity to learn about the draft and the different branches of the military, all while getting in shape!

Poppies have been closely related to Memorial Day since the 1920s as a way to show remembrance for soldiers who did not make it home. This lesson includes videos, a song, books, and a craft to help younger students understand the sacrifices that were made and how to respect and honor that. A way to make this lesson even more meaningful, invite a veteran in to read the book to your students. If you need help locating a veteran to come visit you can find the form here.

Do your students know about the “world’s first meme”? “Kilroy” is a famous figure that became widely associated with American soldiers during World War II. The typical “Kilroy” image is a simple drawing of a bald-headed man with a long nose peeking over a wall, accompanied by the phrase “Kilroy was here.”  His image was widespread, often found on military equipment, bombers, buildings, latrines and everything in between.

These are lessons that will get students thinking about how their lives connect to the past as well as get them moving.

A veteran visit does not need to be dependent on a specific day, event, or topic. It can be just as casual as inviting them to join your students for lunch. The lesson plan provides some advice for inviting veterans in to share their stories with your students. If you don’t have a veteran to invite in you can use this form and we will help you find a veteran in your own backyard.

It can be difficult to explain what Veterans Day is and the traditions surrounding it. This lesson provides this information through a book, song, and a craft. A way to make this lesson even more meaningful, invite a veteran in to read the book to your students. If you need help locating a veteran to come visit you can find the form here.

This lesson plan uses character traits as a way to help students engage in a veteran interview, whether it is in person, a video, or written.

Partnering with your public library is a great way to connect your school to your community. This “lesson plan” gives some guidelines and support for a public library to put together an event. Reach out to opedteam@honorflightchicago.org if you would like some more information or guidance. If you need help locating a veteran to come visit you can find the form here.

Give your students a quick brain teaser with some Morse Code breaking. This lesson has several Morse Code examples for your students to break.