Veterans Day Thank You Cards and Letters for PreK–6th: Colouring Cards, Writing and Facts

Description

A thank-you card a child makes is worth more than a thank-you card a teacher buys, and this packet is built to make that easy across a very wide age range — PreK through 6th grade. It starts with a facts poster about November 11, Armistice Day, the six military branches and Veterans vs. Memorial Day, with facts questions at two levels: circle-and-draw for PreK–1 and short answer for grades 2–6.

The heart of the packet is ten fold-in-half colouring thank-you cards, each with a bubble-letter front and a “Made with thanks by” back. The designs run from a flag and a medal to a heart, a star, poppies, a plane, a sailboat, fireworks and balloons, so every child can find one that feels right. Postcards, two patriotic colouring pages and a Certificate of Thanks for a veteran guest speaker round out the set.

The writing is scaffolded so the youngest children can do it too. A “What Can I Write?” word bank and sentence starters get ideas going, card message inserts come at two levels — trace and draw for Level 1, lined for Level 2 — and the thank-you letter offers tracing on three-line paper at Level 1 and lined paper with an ideas box at Level 2. An envelope template is included: a letter folds to 4.25 by 5.5 inches, and a card fits a 6 by 9 inch envelope.

A teacher three-day lesson plan and notes on levels, uses, folding, sending and printing lay out the week. The cards fit elementary Veterans Day lessons, military-appreciation writing, thank-you cards for an assembly, care packages for veterans and troops, thank-you letters to a veterans' home, November writing centers, patriotic colouring in K–1, and homeschool Veterans Day and social studies.

Featured in: Veterans Day Activities for Elementary Students: Reading, Writing and Thank-You Ideas

What's included

Facts poster

• A facts poster covering Nov 11, Armistice Day, the six military branches and Veterans vs. Memorial Day
• Facts questions in 2 levels: Level 1 circle-and-draw for PreK–1, Level 2 short answer for grades 2–6, with an answer key

The cards

• 10 fold-in-half colouring thank-you cards with bubble-letter fronts, each with a “Made with thanks by” back
• Designs: flag, medal, heart, star, flag heart, poppies, plane, sailboat, fireworks, balloons
• Postcards (2 per page), 2 patriotic colouring pages and a Certificate of Thanks for a veteran guest speaker

Writing and teacher support

• A “What Can I Write?” word bank and sentence starters
• Card message inserts (Level 1 trace and draw, Level 2 lined) and a thank-you letter (Level 1 trace on 3-line paper and draw, Level 2 lined with an ideas box)
• An envelope template (letter folds to 4.25 × 5.5 in; card fits a 6 × 9 in envelope)
• A teacher 3-day lesson plan and notes on levels, uses, folding, sending and printing

Ways to use it

• Elementary Veterans Day lessons
• Military-appreciation writing in PreK–6
• Thank-you cards for a school assembly
• Care packages for veterans and troops
• Thank-you letters to a veterans' home
• November writing centers and early finishers
• Patriotic colouring in K–1
• Homeschool Veterans Day and social studies

Why it works

The two levels are what make this work across PreK to 6th grade: a four-year-old can trace and draw a message while a sixth grader writes a full letter, and both end up with a card a veteran will actually want to keep. The facts poster gives the writing something true to say, and the envelope template means the cards can leave the classroom instead of staying in a folder.

Questions & answers