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Educators, Teach Your Students a Meaningful Lesson this Fall

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Contemporary photo of many people gathered behind tables.  One table has the Veterans History Project logo on it.
Maryland high school and college students attend VHP workshop hosted by Rep. Donna Edwards (MD-4).

Summer is almost over. Just thinking about that makes me kind of sad. The giddiness I shared with you in May is starting to fade. I recognize that I am not among the majority when it comes to my love for D.C.’s trademark heat and humidity. For many parents, however, summer’s end is the best time of year, as it marks the back-to-school season. For educators, this is the time to prepare for the coming academic year, and to face the challenge of finding new and interesting ways to teach the required curriculum so that their students not only “get it,” but also retain what they learn. This cannot be a small feat.

Anyone teaching 10th grade or higher high school or college-level History, English, Communications, Fine Arts, Sociology, Audio-Visual Techniques or ROTC can incorporate the Veterans History Project (VHP) into their lesson plans, either as a one-time extra credit assignment or a month’s-long comprehensive classroom project. Either way, students who participate with VHP never forget the lesson, or the veterans they encounter.

Through VHP, educators not only provide their students with multidisciplinary instruction, but also with experiential learning. The benefits are vast, as students:

Contemporary photo of Veterans History Project oral history.  One person is seated on a couch and another in a chair.  They are talking as a camera records.  Tissues are seen.
VHP interview in progress.
  • Create primary source materials to be preserved at the Library of Congress
  • Form inter-generational bonds with veterans
  • Sharpen research skills
  • Learn organizational skills in facilitating interviews and adhering to instructions
  • Use technical equipment for recording and duplicating interviews
  • Gain leadership experience in initiating, writing and executing a plan
  • Manage administrative and legal forms

Overall, VHP offers and fosters an enhanced educational experience for students and an opportunity for educators to present content in a dynamic, more meaningful way–a way that helps students retain what they learn and become better people because of it. After all, isn’t that what school is all about?

Click here to access VHP resources specifically for educators and students. While you are at it, enjoy the last days of summer, and have a great academic year.

Comments (2)

  1. Finding this site was on of my best experiences today. I am more interest in History today than I ever was growing up. I never like American History but never understood why. Perhaps it was so ugly for Black people and I am finding for all peoples of color. I am a child of the hated, southern segregation period.

    • Thank you for reading. We are glad to know that you have found inspiration in our collections. Visit loc.gov/vets to access our searchable veterans database, answers to frequently asked questions, special exhibits and more.

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