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Home > Blogs > Springfield Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > October > 29 > Entry
How do children learn about the military?
Earlier today I posted a blog about Greenon High School’s upcoming Veteran’s Day observation. I’ve also heard about a couple other Veteran’s Day tributes planned in local schools.
I cannot recall any official Veteran’s Day observances while I was in school. It’s possible it happened and I’m just forgetting but I don’t think that is it; some of my co-workers around my age couldn’t remember tributes like the ones local schools are planning either, even from high school.
And now that I see so many schools planning events, particularly ones where they are asking the community for names and photos of veteran or active duty soldiers, it strikes me as odd that that didn’t happen in my district. I went to school in a district with strong military ties because of its proximity to Wright-Patt Air Force Base. Many of my friends had enlisted parents and we always had students moving in and out of the district because of transfers.
But I graduated in 2002 and Sept. 11 happened shortly into my senior year of high school. The Persian Gulf War ended about half way through first grade, so for much of my schooling, the country was in a time of peace, for the most part.
After more than five years in the Second Gulf War, children today probably are much more familiar with the concepts of war and deployment than my classmates and I were, even with the military connections in my hometown. The Iraq War in the news all the time and most kids probably know someone in their own family or a friend’s family who is deployed overseas.
In three years covering education, I’ve heard educators talk from time to time about how to teach about war and the military. It’s a much more sensitive and prevalent topic now when so many children have parents or cousins or siblings or aunts or uncles in active duty in war zones.
Veteran’s Day presents an opportunity for teachers and students to recognize the veteran’s in their community; it’s also a time for students to recognize the contribution their own loved ones are making right now. I’ve seen some very touching presentations, cards, posters and other tributes celebrating a loved one overseas.
Will your child’s school be celebrating Veteran’s Day this year? Military.com, the largest online membership organization for military personnel and their families, offers some ideas you can utilize at home — or suggest to a classroom teacher — to commemorate Veteran’s Day and teach your children about the military. The activities range from researching historic wars to making a card for a veteran so they can be adapted for most age groups.
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