Commemorative Ceremonies

After learning about the actions of a historical figure, current community hero, or event in history, students develop a commemorative ceremony to help others remember the person or event.

Engage

In community and civic life, commemorations often take the form of a formal ceremony. Commemorating is not just the act of remembering, it is the act of asking others (and yourself) to remember. Why is it important to remember? Start a class discussion using this question.

To ensure that all students have foundational knowledge about what a commemorative ceremony might look like, share examples of events, like this 2017 Memorial Ceremony for the events of 9/11.

What is the benefit of honoring the actions of people in the past or even heroes in the present? Challenge students to define the purpose, or purposes, for their ceremony. For example, they may come up with ideas like:

1. Remember and honor
2. Showcase and celebrate values
3. Motivate to reflect or act
4. Demonstrate gratitude

As a class, brainstorm different pieces you may want to include in your ceremony using a cluster organizer.

Cluster Organizer

When students share individual brainstorms, you will likely hear ideas like:

1. speeches and remarks,
2. poetry and music,
3. moments of silence and candlelighting,
4. emblems and logos, and
5. storytelling.

Work as a class to develop an agenda for the ceremony and establish how long the ceremony should take. 15-20 minutes is a reasonable place to start.

Based on interests, experience, and talents, form small teams to work on each piece/performance you have decided to include in the ceremony.

Create

Have team members discuss their associations to the event, activate prior knowledge, and conduct additional research using primary and secondary resources. Students can create a t-chart to summarize key facts and details.

T-Chart Organizer

If you want to provide students with additional scaffolds, share examples of commemorative artifacts, such as:

1. Poem - "The Names" by Billy Collins
2. Song - "Where Were You" by Alan Jackson
3. Collection - Library of Congress

As students begin developing the materials, artifacts, and performances for the ceremony, remind students that individuals bring unique perspectives and feelings, so there is not a single “correct” way to create an artifact or ceremony.

All ceremonies will also look different because they reflect experiences, research, and perspectives of their unique community.

Have each team share their ideas with the entire class. Work as a whole group to determine if you want or need to adjust the agenda based on what the components have become.

Share

Student work should culminate in a ceremony at your school, your community, or online for an even greater audience. Secure auditorium space, permits, or online platforms so students can see firsthand how their efforts have impacted their community and beyond.

Organize the artifacts crafted by students, such as poems and oral history interviews, to make them accessible to individuals across various times and locations.

Resources

Peter W. Schroeder. Six Million Paper Clips: The Making Of A Children's Holocaust Memorial. ISBN-10: 158013176X

TIME - NYC 9/11 Memorial Ceremony - 2017

Standards

Standards for English Language Arts

1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

National Council for Social Studies - C3 Framework

Dimension 2: Civics and History

D2.Civ.10.6-8. Explain the relevance of personal interests and perspectives, civic virtues, and democratic principles when people address issues and problems in government and civil society.
D2.Civ.10.9-12. Analyze the impact and the appropriate roles of personal interests and perspectives on the application of civic virtues, democratic principles, constitutional rights, and human rights.
D2.His.3.6-8. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to analyze why they, and the developments they shaped, are seen as historically significant.
D2.His.3.9-12. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.
D2.His.4.6-8. Analyze multiple factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.
D2.His.4.9-12. Analyze complex and interacting factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.

Dimension 4: Communicating and Critiquing Conclusions

D4.3.6-8. Present adaptations of arguments and explanations on topics of interest to others to reach audiences and venues outside the classroom using print and oral technologies (e.g., posters, essays, letters, debates, speeches, reports, and maps) and digital technologies (e.g., Internet, social media, and digital documentary).
D4.3.9-12. Present adaptations of arguments and explanations that feature evocative ideas and perspectives on issues and topics to reach a range of audiences and venues outside the classroom using print and oral technologies (e.g., posters, essays, letters, debates, speeches, reports, and maps) and digital technologies (e.g., Internet, social media, and digital documentary).