Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 30 in 2011). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War, it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.

Memorial Day often marks the start of the summer vacation season, and Labor Day its end.

Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo for this list of best sites to learn about Memorial Day -

EL Civics has a good Memorial Day Lesson

Here’s a Memorial Day Quiz designed for English Language Learners.

The History Channel has a great Memorial Day site.

Social Studies For Kids has a good description of the day called Memorial Day: A Time For Reflection.

Arlington National Cemetery has a large collection of images in their photo galleries

Here’s a cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from Glencoe about the day.

The Orange County Register has an accessible interactive graphic about Memorial Day.

ESL Holiday Lessons is a good resource that provides audio support for the text.

Memorial Day Across America is an online video from MSNBC.

Paying Tribute is a slideshow about Memorial Day from MSNBC.

Honoring The Fallen is a similar slideshow from CBS News.

Mementos Adorn ‘Saddest Acre’ is a slideshow from CNN.

Honoring Those Who Served Us is a slideshow from MSNBC.

Here’s a list of interesting facts about Memorial Day that wouldn’t be accessible to ELL’s, but teachers could certainly modify them.

The Military Times has an amazing presentation honoring those who have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Military Times also offers a panoramic tour of Arlington National Cemetery.

CBS News has an online video of President Obama visiting Arlington National Cemetery. The Associated Press has a similar video

CNN has a slideshow of the same visit.

Take a Memorial Day Quiz for ELL’s

Memorial Day 2009 is a series of photos from the Big Picture.

Voice of America Special English has an accessible explanation of the holiday and provides audio support for the text.

Memorial Day Observations is a slideshow from The New York Times.

Here’s an audio slideshow of Memorial Day in Washington, D.C.

Flags in remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery is a Washington Post slideshow.

Honoring The Fallen is a CNN video on the same activity at Arlington.

“Iraq & Afghanistan War Casualties” is a pretty amazing interactive graphic from CNN showing all U.S. casualties from both wars.

Cartoonists Honor Heroes is a collection of editorial cartoons related to Memorial Day.

Women In Uniform is a slideshow from MSNBC

ABC News has several related videos:

Remembering Those Who Died, 2010

Celebrating Memorial Day In Iraq

War Vets Rev Up Washington

Memorial Day Messages

Try-out this Pre-Intermediate English Lesson – Memorial Day from ESOL Courses

How We Bury The War Dead is a slideshow from The Wall Street Journal.

Honoring America’s Fallen Heroes is a slideshow from MSNBC.

Honoring The Fallen is a Fox News slideshow.

CNN has several related videos on this page.

Faces Of The Dead is a New York Times interactive

The Great Unknowns is a New York Times graphic

Silence, ceremonies mark sacrifice of military is a CNN video.

Memorial Day is a slideshow from The Wall Street Journal.