MEMORIAL DAY PBL The Problem Every year, the nation celebrates Memorial Day to honor the men and women who gave their lives in defense of our country. Your town wants to create a memorial dedicated to these Americans. What type of memorial would be practical and serve this purpose… and why?

Before Creating a Memorial  Review the history of Memorial Day as well as different memorials that have been created to honor soldiers.  Decide on the best memorial for our town to adopt.

Student Resources: Brief History of Memorial Day: 1. (video) 2. Identify our country’s famous war memorials (identify and discuss) 3. A dozen ideas for memorials 4. Thought-gathering sheet (print and complete)

Student Resource #2: Famous Veteran Memorials in the United States War memorials can be found everywhere in the world. They are buildings, monuments, statues or something else built to celebrate a war or victory. However, the main aim of war memorials is not to glorify the war, but to honor those who have risked and sacrificed their lives during the war. These are a few of the famous war memorials in the Unites States and are extremely beautiful places to visit and study about the history of our country. 1. Identify each memorial. 2. Explain what it is memorializing. 3. Explain its significance. 4. Tell where it is located.

What does this memorialize? Explain its significance. Tell where it is located.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is the most visited site at Arlington Cemetery. It is located on a hill overlooking Washington DC and is the burial of an unidentified American soldier from War I.

What does this memorialize? Explain its significance. Tell where it is located.

USS Arizona Memorial The USS Arizona Memorial, located at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, is the resting place of over one- thousand sailors killed when their ship sank during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, This event prompted the United States to enter the war.

What does this memorialize? Explain its significance. Tell where it is located.

Korean War Veterans National Memorial The Korean War Veterans Memorial is located in Washington DC. It was designed to commemorate those who served in the Korea War, and is known for its sense of realism.

What does this memorialize? Explain its significance. Tell where it is located.

National World War II Memorial The World War II Memorial is the newest monument in Washington DC, located between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004.

What does this memorialize? Explain its significance. Tell where it is located.

National D-Day Memorial, Bedford The National D-Day Memorial is located in Bedford, Virginia, and is dedicated to those who risked (and many who lost) their lives during the European invasion in World War II.

What does this memorialize? Explain its significance. Tell where it is located.

National Memorial Arch The United States Memorial Arch is situated at the top of a hill in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. It was built to commemorate the arrival of General George Washington and his Continental Army into Valley Forge during the American Revolution.

What does this memorialize? Explain its significance. Tell where it is located.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington DC honors the fallen of the Vietnam War and missing soldiers during the war. Over 50,000 names are listed on the wall.

What does this memorialize? Explain its significance. Tell where it is located.

Liberty Memorial The Liberty Memorial, situated in Kansas City, Missouri, is a museum built in 1926 to honor those who lost their lives during the World War I.

What does this memorialize? Explain its significance. Tell where it is located.

The Vietnam Women`s Memorial The Vietnam Women`s Memorial honors the women of Unites States who served in the Vietnam War. Over 250,000 women served during the war (all of them volunteers).

What does this memorialize? Explain its significance. Tell where it is located.

Marine Corps War Memorial The Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington DC is dedicated to all personnel of the United States Marine Corps who have been killed since The statue of the men saving the flag is modeled after a photograph taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.

Student Resource #3 A dozen ideas for memorials 1)Plaques and markers that give information about a person or event 2) A garden or tree that is dedicated to a person or event 3) Fountains or water features that make an area more attractive 4) An “Eternal” flame (or light) that never goes out in memory of something 5) A dedicated road or trail, usually in honor of a person or group 6) A mural painted with a theme, often on the side of a building

Student Resource #3 (continued) A dozen ideas for memorials 7) A statue of a high-ranking official or historical figure 8) Historical marker on the side of the road or near the site where something of importance took place 9) A symbolic symbol, such as a cross, a star, or an obelisk (such as the Washington Monument) 10) Military equipment and artifacts such as cannons and artillery, or even tanks and aircraft 11) Bells that sound out at specific times to remind people of a historic event 12) Gazebos or special structures built in honor of people, places, or events

Student Resource #4 Thought-gathering sheet (print and complete) Nuggets/Memorial/Memorial_thought-gathering-sheet.pdf

Teacher Resources: Leading Questions for Classroom Discussion: Nuggets/Memorial/Memorial_leading-questions.pdf