Lesson Plans

In this short and OPTIONAL lesson, students will be introduced to the Challenger Seven story. Here at the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, we proudly display Commander Francis Richard “Dick” Scobee’s Space Medal of Honor and engage students in a series of activities that help them gain a better understanding of who the Challenger Seven were, their mission, and their fateful outcome. This lesson begins with a viewing of President Ronald Reagan’s address to the nation on the evening of the Challenger incident. Students will complete a related anticipation guide before and after the viewing which also includes a short writing prompt. Students will then consider their own personal interests which will preface a related activity at the Center where students are introduced to each Challenger crew member and their interests. As homework, students will be tasked with interviewing a relative or community member about his/her experience watching or learning about the Challenger tragedy on the day it occurred.

In this short and OPTIONAL lesson, students will watch an overview video created by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and centered on the origin of the Medal of Honor and what the Medal represents. Students will complete an anticipation guide prior and post viewing to check for understanding. Students, either individually or in pairs, will explore the story of our nation’s very first Medal of Honor Recipient via the short graphic novel Medal of Honor: Jacob Parrott produced by the Association of the United States Army. Students will utilize the accompanying handout to practice identifying the six character values associated with the Medal of Honor (Courage, Commitment, Integrity, Citizenship, Patriotism, and Sacrifice), making claims, and supporting their claims with evidence from text. As a culminating activity, students will identify THREE things they learned about the Medal of Honor, TWO interesting details about Jacob Parrott’s story, and ONE way they can show/apply one of the character values embodied in the Medal of Honor in their own life.

In this lesson, students will explore the appeals and challenges of settling the West from different cultural perspectives by analyzing primary and secondary sources. Students will use primary and secondary source images and documents to better understand the various cultural perspectives of those affected by the settling of the West. Students will also use critical thinking and analytical skills to organize, examine, and summarize reasons why people would want to settle in the Great Plains and the challenges that occurred. Finally, students will dig deeper into the life of George Jordan, a Buffalo Soldier and Medal of Honor recipient, to examine the character traits he possessed and how those characteristics led to him earning the Medal of Honor.

In this Activity Bundle crafted to accompany the children’s book The Making of a Hero, students will explore the BIG stories of six Medal of Honor Recipients, and, along the way, consider how they, too, can make a BIG impact in their own communities. This standards and skills-based Activity Bundle includes a range of ELA and STEM activities. From story sequencing and exploring the six character values embodied in the Medal of Honor to following the engineering design process, this bundle includes a variety of strategies geared towards engaging K-2nd grade learners. These lessons and activities are based on Tennessee State Standards but can easily be adapted to meet similar standards and skills in other states as well as for varying grade levels. Medal of Honor Recipient stories should be made accessible to all age ranges, and we’re excited to share these resources to support little learners.

In this lesson, students will explore the impact President Andrew Jackson had on America and the Cherokee Nation in the early 1800s. Students will analyze and gather information from a variety of sources to distinguish between the differing points of view of President Jackson & the US Government and the Cherokee Nation. Students will move forward in time to analyze the lives and sacrifices made by five Cherokee Medal of Honor Recipients and consider why these Cherokee men chose to join in fighting for the same country that had turned against their ancestors.

In this lesson, students will analyze the events that led to the African American involvement in the Union Army, the discrimination they faced while serving, the impact their service had on the war, and the continual fight for civil rights. Students will examine primary and secondary sources to evaluate the character traits exhibited by African American, Civil War Medal of Honor recipients. Finally, students will participate in a Socratic seminar that will encourage them to dig deeper into the experiences of the soldiers who served in the Union Army and the impact their service had on the war and civil rights. 

In this lesson, students will learn about Dr. Mary Edwards Walker and how she received the Medal of Honor. Using primary and secondary sources, students will explore the Progressive Era and various goals and movements during that time through Dr. Walker’s eyes as she was a Progressive Era reformer.

In this lesson, students will engage in the engineering design process through a challenge of creating a parachute prototype. While the objective of any design challenge is to encourage students to think critically and creatively about prototypes and designs, it is imperative students, especially in this case, understand the sacrifices made by the Challenger crew who lost their lives. The families of the seven astronauts continue to mourn their loss, and while we want students to think like engineers when they complete these activities, we also want to always honor the Challenger 7 and their contributions to the United States and the space program. They were pioneers. SPECIAL NOTE: This challenge is an exercise in critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving. The goal is not to rewrite history but to provide students with an opportunity to learn from past events and apply the engineering design process while always honoring the courageous Challenger astronauts.