Veterans Day is almost here so I thought I would share one of my favorite picture books for teaching about this important day. I feel like anytime we are out of school, it’s important for the kids to understand the reason and using picture books is a simple, yet effective way to do so!
H is for Honor by Devin Scillian is my favorite book to use for Veterans Day. It’s written in an ABC format, so it’s easy to follow and breaks down the content so that it’s a little easier to understand for students. This book shares a lot of information, so it’s definitely one to use with upper elementary students (I would recommend grades 3+)
The book is also available for free on EPIC, which is a great way to get a copy of the book into the hands of each of your students. This makes completing assignments and reading the books a lot more manageable rather than having one copy and reading it to everyone.
I made a few activities to use with this book if you need them. Link below for the resource.
Check for understanding questions are my favorite part of the resource. Sometimes you just need a quick activity/assignment, so these are great! Just print, copy and give to your students. Students can use the book on Epic to look up answers. Sometimes I like to make them include the page numbers so I can make sure they are looking up the answer and finding it in the text. That’s such an easy concept, but we all know students majorly struggle with this, right??
The main idea booklet is a great longer term project. This could be done throughout the week or as an entire class time activity. Students use each letter of the alphabet to create the main idea and provide their thoughts on the section.
We all know how important it is to provide students with opportunities to practicing citing text based evidence. I included 10 constructed response question stems plus an evidence bookmark.
Graphic organizers are just the best, aren’t they? So simple but so effective. Two are included in this resource (the other is a cause and effect sheet.)
Vocabulary is a vital part of literacy, and one of my very favorite activities for teaching vocabulary is Frayer Models. These are also referred to as Four Squares. You can change the tasks for each square, but I like using definition, sentence, find it in the text, and illustration.
And speaking of vocabulary….
I’ve included three different options for vocabulary words. Cards are great for small group review, drill and practice, and other activities. Word wall strips are useful for displaying on pocket charts, using them for learning activities, and for creating a print rich environment. Posters are good for displaying on a Smartboard in order to introduce the words to the students. However you want to use the vocabulary words, you have 3 different options that will hopefully suit your needs.
You can find all of these activities to use with the book H is for Honor in this resource:
