U.S. Armed Forces Lesson Plan
Grades 4, 5, and 6
If you have a Studies Weekly teacher account, please log in to access the videos and articles mentioned in these lesson plan activities. If you do not have a Studies Weekly teacher account, please be our guest and use our demo account: For the username, please use the two-letter U.S. Postal code (to access the correct state materials) followed by ‘teacher’. The username changes from state to state, but the password is always ‘demo’. • Go to www.studiesweekly.com/online o Username: UTteacher (for Utah teacher access), TXteacher (for Texas teacher access), etc. o Password: demo Materials list: • Projector or document camera • Video –US Armed Forces • Lyrics to the five US Armed Forces Songs-included at end of lesson plan • YouTube videos of the five US Armed Forces Songs o The U.S. Army Song-Caissons Go Rolling Along o The U.S. Navy Song-Anchors Aweigh (Start at 15 second mark) o The U.S. Air Force Song-Off We Go o The U.S. Marine Corps Song- Halls of Montezuma o The U.S. Coast Guard Song- Semper Paratus • Access to Studies Weekly Online o The Military Recruitment Debate article found in the WWI weekly unit, in the USA Studies Weekly – 1865 to Present publication. • Paper and pencils • Computers with internet connection • Chart paper or white board space for student responses • Blackline master Armed Forces KWL Chart-included at end of lesson plan (optional) • Blackline master Penny for Your Thoughts Debate Carousel (optional) (Extension Activity) • Digital Developments by Studies Weekly • Access to Studies Weekly Online o Minutemen and Militia article found in the Independence May Be the Only Answer weekly unit in the Ancient America to the Present publication. Approximate time the lesson will take not including the video: • 1 hourBalanced Literacy Format: • Shared Reading • Independent Reading Lesson Presentation Format: • Whole Class • Small Group Specific Strategies: • Observation • Listening • Independent Writing • Guided Discussion Activity: 1. Either as a class, in small groups, or individually, create a KWL Chart. List the five branches of the armed forces across the top of the board/paper (Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines). On the left side, make a row for what the students Know, what they Want to know, and what they have Learned. Have students fill out the first two rows with what they Know about each branch of the armed forces and what they Want to know about each branch of the armed forces. Leave the Learned row blank. a. More information about the KWL Chart can be found at www.studiesweekly.com under Resources>K-6 General Resources>Professional Development On Demand>KWL Chart by Studies Weekly. (A printable version of this chart is found at the end of the lesson or you can make your own chart on your board/paper)
2. Watch the US Armed Forces video. Have students write down anything new they learn about the armed forces as they watch the video. Add those things to the Learned row of the KWL Chart. You may want to pause the video after each branch’s section to give the students time to write. 3. Divide the class into 5 groups. Assign each group a branch of the armed forces. Explain to the students that each branch of the military has a song associated with it. a. Have each group watch/listen to the song for their branch. (YouTube links are available in the materials list.) Pass out the lyrics to the songs so the students can follow along as they listen. If each group doesn’t have access to a computer, you can pass out just the lyrics to the songs and have the students read the words. b. Have each group write down anything more they learn about their branch of the armed forces from the song in the Learned row of their KWL Chart.. c. On the back of their KWL Chart, have students write down any words or phrases in the song that they don’t understand. d. Have each group share what they learned from their song with the class and add those things to the Learned row on their KWL Charts. e. Discuss as a class any words or phrases the students didn’t know the meaning of. Use context clues to figure out their meanings. If necessary, students can also research the meanings online. f. After you have written everything the students have learned on the board (or they’ve written everything on their papers), have students listen to their branch’s song again listening for what they think the main message is in each song. Have them share their thoughts with the class. 4. After learning about each branch, ask students what branch of the military they would choose to join if they had to pick one. Have them write 1-2 paragraphs about why they would choose to join that branch of the military. 5. Either as a class or individually, read the article The Military Recruitment Debate found in the WWI weekly unit, in the USA Studies Weekly – 1865 to Present publication. What are your students’ opinions? Should recruiters be allowed on high school campuses? Have a class discussion. If time permits, you may choose to use the Penny for Your Thoughts Debate Carousel. a. More information about the Penny for Your Thoughts Debate Carousel can be found at www.studiesweekly.com under Resources>K-6 General Resources>Professional Development On Demand>Penny for Your Thoughts by Studies Weekly. b. The blackline master is found at www.studiesweekly.com under the Resources>K-6 General Resources>General Resources>Penny for Your Thoughts Debate Carousel. c. If the link to the article does not work and you don’t have access to the USA Studies Weekly 1865-Present publication in your teacher account, please log in to the Texas demo account to access the publication. 6. Give students the writing prompt “I am grateful to the men and women who fight in the US Armed Forces because….” and have them write 1-2 paragraphs. You may want to
give them some suggested answers such as “they keep my family safe” or “they leave their families and risk their lives to make sure America is safe”. Suggested Differentiated Instruction Tips: • You can listen to the military songs as a class instead of having the class split into groups. • You can listen to just part of each of the songs. • When listening to the armed forces songs, instead of assigning each group a branch of the military and their song, you can set up five stations (one for each branch) and have students rotate to every station so they can hear and learn about all five branches. • For numbers 4 and 6, you may have a class discussion or partner discussion instead of having the students write their answers. Extension or Enrichment Activity: 1. Have students read the article Minutemen and Militia found in the Independence May Be the Only Answer weekly unit in the Ancient America to the Present publication. o If the link to the article does not work and you don’t have access to the Ancient America to the Present publication in your teacher account, please log in to the Texas demo account to access the publication. 2. Students will write down the definitions of minutemen and militia and how they are different from each other. 3. Instruct students to write a newspaper article comparing and contrasting the US Armed Forces today to the minutemen and militia of the Revolutionary War. Students can go to http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp to create the newspaper article. o More information about Fodey can be found at www.studiesweekly.com under the Resources>K-6 General Resources>General Resources>Digital Developments>Fodey.
Quiz: 1. Do you think it is important for our country to have a military? Why or why not? 2. What is something that each branch of the military has in common? What are some things that are different about the branches? Answer Key/Complexity Levels: Answers will vary. Acceptable answers are: 1. Yes. It is important to have a military to protect us and our families and keep us safe and to defend us in times of war. The military also helps people who are in trouble in times of disaster. No. I don’t think it is too important to have a military. I think people can defend themselves if they ever need to. High/4 2. Each branch of the military is very strong and patriotic and fights for our rights and safety as Americans. Some things that are different are that some fight on land, some in the sea, some in the air, and some fight anywhere. Moderate/2
Military Song Lyrics
The US Army Song
Verse:
March Along, sing our song, with the Army of the free. Count the brave, count the true, who have fought to victory. We’re the Army and proud of our name! We’re the Army and proudly proclaim:Chorus:
First to fight for the right, And to build the nation’s might, And the Army goes rolling along. Proud of all we have done, Fighting til the battle’s won, And the Army goes rolling along. Then it’s Hi! Hi! Hey! The Army’s on its way. Count off the cadence loud and strong For where e’er we go, You will always know That the Army goes rolling along.The US Navy Song
Verse 1:
Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh. Farewell to college joys, We sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay. Through our last night on shore, T’where ere we roll. Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home.Verse 2:
Stand Navy out to sea, Fight our battle cry; We'll never change our course, So vicious foe steer shy-y-y-y. Roll out the TNT, Anchors Aweigh. Sail on to victory And sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!Verse 1:
Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh. Farewell to college joys, We sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay. Through our last night on shore, T’where ere we roll. Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home.The US Air Force Song
Chorus 1:
Off we go into the wild blue yonder, Climbing high into the sun; Here they come zooming to meet our thunder, At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun!) Down we dive, spouting our flame from under Off with one helluva roar! We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey! Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!Chorus 2:
Minds of men fashioned a crate of thunder Sent it high into the blue Hands of men blasted the world a-sunder How they lived God only Knew! (God only knew!) Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer Gave us wings, ever to soar! With scouts before and bombers galore. Hey! Nothing can stop the U.S. Air Force!Verse:
Here’s a toast to the host Of those who love the vastness of the sky, To a friend we send a message of his brother men who fly. We drink to those who gave their all of old Then down we roar to score the rainbow’s pot of gold. A toast to the host of men we boast, the U.S. Air Force!Chorus 3:
Off we go into the wild sky yonder. Keep the wings level and true If you’d live to be a grey-haired wonder Keep the nose out of the blue! (Out of the wild blue!) Flying men, guarding the nation’s border, We’ll be there followed by more! In echelon we carry on, Hey! Nothing’ll stop the U.S. Air Force!Marine Corps Song
Verse 1:
From the Halls of Montezuma To the Shores of Tripoli; We fight our country's battles In the air, on land and sea; First to fight for right and freedom And to keep our honor clean; We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine.Verse 2:
Here's health to you and to our Corps Which we are proud to serve In many a strife we've fought for life And never lost our nerve; If the Army and the Navy Ever look on Heaven's scenes; They will find the streets are guarded By United States Marines.Verse 1:
From the Halls of Montezuma To the Shores of Tripoli; We fight our country's battles In the air, on land and sea; First to fight for right and freedom And to keep our honor clean; We are proud to claim the title of United States MarineThe US Coast Guard Song
First Verse:
From Aztec Shore to Arctic Zone, To Europe and Far East, The Flag is carried by our ships In times of war and peace; And never have we struck it yet In spite of foemen's might, Who cheered our crews and cheered again For showing how to fight.Chorus:
So here’s the Coast Guard marching song We sing on land or sea. Through surf and storm and howling gale, High shall our purpose be. "Semper Paratus" is our guide, Our fame, our glory too. To fight to save or fight and die, Aye! Coast Guard we are for you!Chorus:
So here’s the Coast Guard marching song We sing on land or sea. Through surf and storm and howling gale, High shall our purpose be. "Semper Paratus" is our guide, Our fame, our glory too. To fight to save or fight and die, Aye! Coast Guard we are for you!