Vietnam War
Education

Teaching The Vietnam Era

The Vietnam War is one of the most divisive moments in US history and because of this, many educators experience difficulty teaching it in their classrooms.  The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund provides teachers with robust education materials to help students learn about the lasting impact of the Vietnam War, while reinforcing history, civic engagement, writing, and other interdisciplinary skills.

 

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Teaching Resources

The War and The Wall Curriculum Sets

The War and The Wall is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s comprehensive high-school level curriculum on the Vietnam war and era. This curriculum is available free of charge and comes complete with background readings, in-class and extension activities tied to national learning standards, and lecture presentations incorporating primary source audio and video that can be presented in the classroom.   Sets include:

SOCIAL: Evolution of the Draft, Protests Against War, Film & War, Music & War

MILITARY: Social Makeup of Forces, Medical Advances, Ongoing Toll on Veterans

MEDIA: News Stories of Vietnam, War on the Homefront

POLITICS: How War Is Initiated, Motivations for US Involvement, Coalitions in Wartime, Withdrawal From Vietnam, Legacy of War in Vietnam

Explore The War and The Wall Curriculum Sets

 

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Education

Hometown Heroes

A major goal of the Hometown Heroes Service Learning Project is to collect photos and stories of those veterans whose names are on The Wall and those who returned home from the Vietnam War. Students will have an opportunity to learn about local veterans who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War, as well as other military conflicts in our nation’s history. They will hear personal stories from veterans and their loved ones; and they will have an opportunity to plan a commemoration to honor their Hometown Heroes. Through this project, history will be given a human face.

The Hometown Heroes Service Learning Project includes four (4) major lesson plans: *

Remembering Those Who Sacrificed encourages students to learn more about local veterans whose names are on The Wall by researching their biographical information, gathering photos, and identifying them by hometown or locality.

Preserving Veterans’ Personal Stories encourages students to preserve the oral histories of local veterans who served in all of our nation’s military conflicts through research and personal interviews.

Commemorating Our Veterans encourages students to volunteer in their community or plan a ceremony honoring local veterans to coincide with Memorial Day or Veterans Day.

Understanding Healing Through Memorials encourages teachers and students to take a field trip to The Wall in Washington, D.C., visit The Wall That Heals (a traveling three-quarter scale replica of The Wall), or visit a local war memorial.

*Lesson plans align with Common Core Standards Initiative, including the College and Career readiness Standards (CCRA) and the National Learning Standards.

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Teaching the Vietnam Era

Education - Annual Newsletter and Facebook Group

    SIGN UP TO JOIN OUR EDUCATION NEWSLETTER!

    By signing up, you can: connect with other teachers who teach on Vietnam; learn more about VVMF curriculum, programs, and resources; and serve as a local teacher ambassador for VVMF. For more information, contact [email protected]



    Interested in setting up a project on the Vietnam era in your classroom? Email [email protected]


    TEACHING THE VIETNAM WAR AND ERA FACEBOOK GROUP

    Get access to new resources and share content with other educators on our Facebook group: Teaching the Vietnam War and Era.

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    Vietnam In Country
    Teaching the Vietnam Era

    Outside Resources

     

    View suggested web, film, and book resources on teaching the history and legacy of the Vietnam War.

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