Mapping to MN State Standards
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The resources on this page have been selected by eLibraryMN and Minnesota Digital Library librarians and curators to support the MN English Language Arts and the Social Studies standards, both current and pending, specifically related to soldiers and veterans, that are relevant to students. Resources in eLibraryMN and EbooksMN have unlimited simultaneous user access and are freely available to anyone geolocated in Minnesota. The primary source resources detailed are available to all, regardless of location.
Please reach out with questions or suggestions about linking to, using, or sharing these resources.
Academic Research
Below is a collection of available topic overviews that link to many related articles and resources within ELM.
Scholastic News: Thank a Veteran
You can always find the full color PDFs of Scholastic News, such as the article 'Thank a Veteran' in EBSCO Explora Kids.
Britannica Elementary: Veterans Day Introduction
For an introduction to Veterans Day, use Britannica's entry, which allows students to adjust their reading level 1, 2, or 3 in the Elementary version:
Britannica Middle: Veterans' Affairs
When students are ready for a deeper dive into the issues that veterans face, start with Britannica's Veterans' Affairs entry.
EBSCO Explora Kids: War
It can be challenging to find age-appropriate content for helping young learners understand real-world war and conflict, and what the veterans in their lives have faced. Explore the War topic collection in Explora Kids to find entry-level articles.
Ebooks
This is a curated group of fiction and nonfiction ebooks, Grade Interest Level K-8. All titles are available to students geolocated in MN without login. Linking directly to chapters is also possible. To link directly to the titles and share in your LMS or libguides, copy the link to the title(s) you want from our persistent link spreadsheet (if you are not accessing through the MackinVia app). Reach out to us with questions about linking.
Simple text and color photographs depict how people celebrate Veterans Day by thanking a soldier, watching a parade, or displaying a flag.
Heroes of the Battlefield
Provides a brief overview of World War II, and profiles over a dozen courageous soldiers who fought in the air, at sea, and on the battlefield. Features photographs, fact boxes, maps, a timeline, a glossary, and further resources.
Details the purpose and structure of the United States Army and examines how men and women become soldiers, train, and participate in combat. Outlines some of the many types of weapons and vehicles soldiers use and includes color photographs, a glossary, and further reading sources.
A young Welsh soldier fights along the Western Front during World War I, experiencing the horrors of trench warfare before participating in the famed Christmas Truce of 1914.
Primary Sources
Resources below are recommended by MDL curators from partners in primary source history.
The Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was a national organization of Union Army Civil War veterans. They gathered annually and in 1884 they met in Minneapolis.
This group of of servicemen from the Army and the Navy formed the American Legion Post for veterans in Belle Plaine.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Membership Card
Ole Berg fought in World War I and was a member of the Rice County Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1562, another veterans organization.
Interview with Margaret Haverly Theisen
Margaret served as a surgical nurse for the U.S. Army in England, France, Belgium, and Norway during World War II.
Many World War II veterans attended college after they returned, and schools had to quickly build facilities for them. St. Cloud State University constructed these veteran housing units in 1947.
This issue of "Ore, Iron, and Men" featured a photograph of Oliver Iron Mining Co. veterans when Armistice Day became Veterans Day to honor all who served.
The Hmong Cultural Center and its Qeej Group honored Hmong veterans at an event in Farmington.
MDL Collections:
"War Stories" Online Exhibit Series:
Interlibrary Loan/Resource Sharing
For in depth research into these topics, sometimes you need to request materials from other libraries. These can be digital or they can sometimes be printed books. There are two main options for requesting these materials. One, MNLINK, allows you to search all Minnesota libraries for the requires the use of a public library card and PIN. While many educators use their own library card to help students, it is recommended that students use their own. However, this is not always possible, so there is a second option: Minitex Resource sharing for schools. This allows one staff member per school to request items on behalf of students and have the items sent directly to the school building. If you have questions about which option is better for you and your students, reach out to us and we can help.