Does anyone have any good first grade Veteran's day poems or writing activities/wall stories that you do with your students that you are willing to post or share? I am stumped as to what to do.

[ms.b]

We are using the following poem to make cards for Veterans at a nearby hospital/rehab center. It will also be an exercise in writing a friendly letter. Here is the poem (to be placed on a card with a little, red construction paper poppy on the front:

I made this little poppy
As red as red can be
To show that I remember
Those who fought for me.


Hope it helps!

[Bertie]

Remembrance Day

We wear a poppy
On Remembrance Day,
And at eleven
We stand and pray.
Wreaths are put
Upon a grave.
As we remember
Our soldiers brave.

[AussieBird]

Here's a poem, similar to the PP's, and a poppy activity to go with it that was posted before:

[firstyear2009]

We're writing letters to soldiers

[sweetp422]

For the past 3 years, we have done a Veteran acrostic poem. First I write the word Veteran on the board, vertically. Then I read information or watch a United Streaming video about Veteran's Day. Get the students to listen for words that begin with the letters in Veteran. I demonstrate how to do an acrostic poem. You could make an acrostic poem together, as a class, or have each student do their own.

[Teacherking55]

I love the pic that was posted. Looks great! I was wondering if it would be possible to make that tissue paper poppy into a pin of some kind? I knew a teacher who would have her class make one for all the teacher's in the school to wear for the day. But I am not sure how I could make it into a pin. (it was a little poppy flower and she would use a straight pin to put it on)
any ideas of how to transform that into a poppy I could pin on?

[luv2teach1]

Make a smaller circle and smaller pipe cleaner (maybe 2-3 inches). Use the pipe cleaner to twist the paper and don't put on leaves. I have a poppy from a Veteran and mine has no leaves. I think that is a wonderful idea to make them for all of the teachers. What a great idea! Oh, and just use a straight pin like you were saying the other teacher did!

[Teacherking55]

Thanks.... I think that we will start making some on Monday!

[Lilacs]

I am a little confused. Does a poppy have a meaning for Veterans Day? Do you just scrunch the red tissue paper to make the flower? Thanks

[Teacherking55]

I just wanted to say thank you! My kindergarten kids made them today and loved it!!! They had a lot of fun and it was great for using scissors and tracing. I am so excited and so in my class. We have 75 staff members at my school and we made 60 today.

[luv2teach1]

I am so glad! What fun. I will be making the mini poster with my first grader's and I can't wait. We had a professional development day today so no poppies for me!

Lilac - there is a little story to read about Poppy's. In my hometown in Californai, disabled vet's would make and sell poppies to wear on Memorial Day, Veterans Day and other patriotic holidays. They still do to this day. All of the money goes to help disabled veteran's of foreign wars. I have an actual poppy that they make that I show my class. I hope this helpd.

Here is what I found when I looked it up:
Q. Why are red poppies worn on Veterans Day, and where can I obtain them?

A. The wearing of poppies in honor of America's war dead is traditionally done on Memorial Day, not Veterans Day. The practice of wearing of poppies takes its origin from the poem In Flanders Fields, written in 1915 by John McCrae. For information on how to obtain poppies for use on Memorial Day, contact a veterans service organization, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) or The American Legion, as a number of veterans organizations distribute poppies annually on Memorial Day. You can find veterans groups in the Veterans Service Organization link on VA's Veterans Day web page. Veterans groups in your area can be found in your local phone book. Look in the yellow pages under "Veterans and Military Organizations" or a similar heading.


Here's a link: http://www.cal-mum.com/poppy.htm

[spunky7777]

Thanks for sharing the pattern and the history behind the poppy.