National Medal of Honor Day is fast approaching! Using the Medal of Honor Character Development Program is a great way to prepare your students to mark the day. Whether you plan to set aside time for a lesson on March 25 or complete a series of lessons as the day approaches, below are some ideas that will help you get started.  

Begin with the Basics 

Our Foundational Lessons are a great place for middle and high school students to begin. These lessons will set a solid base for your students as they build their knowledge about the Medal of Honor and the core values. 

Medal of Honor: What Does It Mean? – In this lesson, students will learn the history and meaning of the Medal of Honor and watch our video In Their Own Words – An Introduction to the Medal of Honor and Its Recipients before they work with a group to explore the story of a chosen Medal of Honor Recipient.   

Symbolism and the Medal of Honor – This lesson gives students a chance to explore the symbolism displayed  on the Medal of Honor itself while they discover how the Medal has changed over time. Students can also use this interactive page on our website to explore the meaning behind the Medal of Honor designs.  

For Elementary classrooms, students can learn about the Medal of Honor through the lesson Introducing the Medal of Honor, designed for 3rd-6th grade classrooms.   

Honor Citizen Heroes 

On Medal of Honor Day, the Recipients present the year’s Citizen Honors Awardees to showcase how everyday Americans put the Medal of Honor values into action. Your students can mark Medal of Honor Day by learning about the inspiring stories of these citizen heroes. Be sure to stay tuned for the 2024 Honorees, which will be announced leading up to Medal of Honor Day.   

Citizen Honors: What Does It Mean? – This lesson gives your students an understanding of the Citizen Honors Awards. After watching a short video and completing a worksheet, your students will have context for why these awards are important.  

Be True to Yourself – In this lesson, students learn about Citizen Honors awardee Rick Rescorla and examine the Rudyard Kipling poem “If” and connect it to Rescorla’s actions.  

Individual Leadership – Weaving together the stories of Medal of Honor Recipient Hershel Williams and Citizen Honors Awardee David Bryan, this lesson asks students to think about leadership traits in both stories.  

Elementary students as young as 2nd grade can learn about Citizen Honors Awardee Myles Eckert through the lesson Share Kindness.  

Learn More About the Medal of Honor  

• Read about the Andrews Raiders and the first Medals of Honor, which were awarded on March 25, 1863. This Medal of Honor Day will mark the 161st anniversary of the first awarding.  
• Explore our recent blog post to find out more about the process of how the Medal of Honor is awarded. 
• Browse our Recipient Database or our Video Library to find stories to share with your students.  
• Check out our recent blog for more details about how the Medal of Honor Recipients are marking National Medal of Honor Day in 2024.  

And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to be notified about the latest updates from the Medal of Honor Character Development Program.