They Fought For Freedom
Introduction:
Every November 11 the United States pays respect to an important segment of our population, military veterans. But why was this date selected? On November 11, 1918, ceremonies in France and England marked the end of fighting in World War I. To countries who were involved in this "Great War" war, November 11th became known as Armistice Day, and was celebrated each year in memory of those who had fought. Years later, after American soldiers fought for their country in World War II, and more recently in the Korean War, the name Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day to honor not only those who fought in one war, but each man and woman who has ever aided their country through military service.
As you complete this WebQuest, make special note of the important roles that these men and women have played over the years as "They Fought For Freedom."
The Task:
In celebration of Veterans Day, your teacher has asked you to bring in and share one or more artifacts that relate to the important role that the military has played in our country's history. Your teacher, who has been a coin collector for years, suggests that you search through some of their special coins to find three to share with your class.
The coins you have to choose from are:
- A Bicentennial Quarter
- A Black Revolutionary War Patriots Silver Dollar
- A Civil War Token
- The Battle of Antietam Half Dollar
- The World War II Silver Dollar
- The United States Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Silver Dollar
When you present these coins, you will be responsible for sharing background information about each one. The only information that your teacher gives you is that these some of these coins are considered commemorative coins. To prepare for this presentation, you must select three of these coins to share with your class, research these coins, and then prepare a poster to accompany your presentation.
The Process:
- Open the Veterans Day Folder your teacher has given you and print off each of the files for your use.
- Explore the resources below, as well as those available in your classroom, to find and record the answers on your Commemorative Quandary worksheet. With your teacher or parent's permission, add any Internet resources that you think might be valuable for your research (your teacher may have some suggestions regarding valuable sites).
- Once you've learned about the role of a commemorative coin, continue to explore the United States Mint H.I.P. Pocket Change™ Web site to find information about each of your coins.
- Select which coins you will present to your class.
- Complete your Coin Chart* for the three coins you have chosen.
- Use the information that you collected through this research to create a 3-2-1 poster.** On this poster you will share:
- 3 terms you learned and their definitions
- 2 facts you learned about military veterans
- 1 veteran whose service you admire and the reason for your admiration
- Present your poster to your class.
- Turn in your "Commemorative Quandary" worksheet (with any attachments) and your "Coin Chart" to your teacher.
* For extra credit, find the names of two other commemorative coins which honor military veterans and the names of three military veterans that have been honored with a United States Mint medal and the names of the war in which they served.
**Don't forget to include illustrations
Resources:
Use the resources below to conduct your search.
http://www.usmint.gov/kids
This link contains information to help you explore these special coins.
You may find the
"Coin of the Month: Past Picks" in the Coin News section to be of particular help.
Also, be sure to check out the glossary on this site to clear up any of your coin word questions.
http://www.usmint.gov
This link contains information about the history and the coins made by the United States Mint.
There's sure to be some helpful information listed under "Mint Programs"!
Learning Advice
So that you do not have to repeat your research for each portion of this project, be sure to review all contents of your Veterans Day Folder before you begin. While conducting your research, make sure that you keep track of each resource you use, and its value. This will be of great importance in case you need to revisit any information throughout the duration of this WebQuest.
Conclusion:
You've now explored the ways in which the United States Mint has commemorated those who have served in our country's military. As you learn more about the wars which were fought, think back to those men and women who fought for freedom. Based on what you've discovered, ask yourself, why is it important that we honor our military veterans?
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