Today in History: Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedicated in 1982

On November 13, 1982, the long-awaited Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated following a public march featuring thousands of veterans. The V-shaped granite wall is inscribed with the names of each of the 58,272 Americans who died during the Vietnam War, and was designed by Maya Lin, a Yale University architecture student.

Following the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund was organized to find … Read more »

Today in History: Ellis Island closes in 1954

On November 12, 1954, Ellis Island, gateway to America for more than 12 million immigrants, closed permanently. An estimated 40 percent of American citizens can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island, the first federal immigration center.

Ellis Island is named for Samuel Ellis, a colonial New Yorker who purchased the land during the American Revolution. The state of New York leased the island in 1794, and the United States … Read more »

Veterans Day 2013: The Origins and Traditions of the Holiday

On the morning of November 11, 1918, after four years of war, Allied and German powers met in Rethondes, France, to sign an armistice that halted the hostilities of World War I. The agreement was signed shortly after 5:00 a.m. and went into effect at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, finally bringing to an end the carnage of the Great War—the … Read more »

How to Honor Our Vets

Happy Saturday! This Monday is Veterans Day. What are you doing to commemorate the day? After the jump, we suggest five ways you and your students can get involved—and make Veterans Day more than just a long weekend.

1. Students pay tribute to veterans with school ceremonies.

2. The Office of Veteran Affairs suggests ways schools and local communities can take part and honor veterans.

3. Visit a military … Read more »

November Newsletter: Lesson Plan Ideas for Veterans Day and Thanksgiving

Looking for lesson plan ideas to celebrate Veterans Day and Thanksgiving in your classroom? Look no further—our November newsletter has lots of suggestions on how you can incorporate American stories, speeches, and songs in your curriculum. Check out the newsletter after the jump.

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Today in History: Willa Cather begins writing for the Nebraska State Journal in 1893

Beloved American author Willa Cather, best known for her stories of frontier life, had her first work published in the Nebraska State Journal on November 5, 1893. Cather would later go on to write classics like O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and Death Comes for the Archbishop.

Cather was born in Virginia on December 7, 1873, though she moved to Nebraska when she was nine. She attended the University of … Read more »

Top 10 Resources for Teaching Veterans Day

By Katie LeValley

Veterans Day is Monday, November 11. How are you commemorating the holiday in your classroom? Here are 10 ideas to enhance your class’s discussion this Veterans Day:

1. Watch students interview World War II veterans at their national memorial.

2. Read personal accounts of veterans with the Veterans History Project, sponsored through the Library of Congress.

3. Use short stories and first-person accounts to better understand the experience of … Read more »