MEMORIAL DAY LESSON Growing Kids Therapy Center – 2016 Each May we celebrate Memorial Day. On this day citizens of the United States of America take a moment to remember the brave men and women who died in service to our country. This holiday was first celebrated on May 30, 1868. Spell MAY
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Spell FIRST What holiday are we talking about today? MEMORIAL DAY What country celebrates Memorial Day? UNITED STATES OF AMERICA In what year was this holiday first celebrated? 1868 Who do we remember on Memorial Day? MEN AND WOMEN WHO DIED IN SERVICE Can you give me an example of a citizen? (open) Memorial Day was first initiated as a day of remembrance for fallen soldiers during the Civil War. Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day sought to unify the holiday formerly celebrated separately by the Union and Confederate States. Spell FALLEN
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Spell HONOR What war did the establishment of Memorial Day follow? CIVIL WAR What was the holiday originally called? DECORATION DAY Define unify. (open) Give me one party that the establishment of Decoration Day was sought to unify? UNION CONFEDERATE STATES Do you know what part of the country the Union States were in the civil war? NORTH Can you name a prominent Union State that participated in the civil war? (open) How about a Confederate state? (open) In the Washington, DC metro area many people observe Memorial Day by visiting Arlington National Cemetery. Across the country, citizens observe the holiday by going to museums or participating in hometown parades. What landmark do DC metro area citizens visit on Memorial Day? ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY Name one activity citizens from across the country do to observe the holiday. GO TO MUSEUMS – PARTICIPATE IN HOMETOWN PARADES Name one common activity you know happens during Memorial Day weekend. (open) Name one activity you would like to participate in on Memorial day. (open) There are many ways to get involved and make this day special. Check in with someone who has a personal connection to a soldier involved in ongoing conflict. This makes a positive difference in that person’s day. Volunteer to participate in community service. Say “thank you” to the men or women you see in uniform lets them know their sacrifice is appreciated. In this paragraph we talked about getting _____________ to make this day special. INVOLVED Give me another word for involve/d. (open) When you reach out to someone connected to a soldier, what does this do? POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN THAT PERSONS DAY You can also volunteer to participate in what? COMMUNITY SERVICE If you say thank you to a soldier on Memorial Day, what are letting them know? THEIR SACRIFICE IS APPRECIATED Growing Kids Therapy Center thanks the men and women that serve our country. On this special day we remember those who, in Abraham Lincoln’s words, gave “the last full measure of devotion.” What did service members give, in the words of Abraham Lincoln. THE LAST FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION. Who was Abraham Lincoln? PRESIDENT Would you like to compose a message for Memorial Day? (open) Would you like GKTC to forward your message to a service member currently serving overseas? (open)