Rolling Thunder - Memorial Day (Read Aloud)

"Rolling Thunder" by Kate Messner and illustrated by Greg Ruth is the perfect book to add to any Memorial Day or Veteran's Day lesson plan. I feel this book works perfect with Memorial Day, because the demonstration is held over the Memorial Day weekend, in Washington D.C.
In 2020, the name of the demonstration was changed from "Rolling Thunder" to "Rolling to Remember."
Here are some ideas on how you can use this book for Social Studies:
DISCUSSION QUESTION'S are open ended and there are no wrong answers.
Why is the title of the book called "Rolling Thunder?"
Read page 5 (0:38) and examine the illustration...what do you see?
Read page 8 (0:58) and examine the illustration...why did the author say "Obelisk and setting sun?"
Read page 14 (1:24) What does the author mean by "Spirits soar?"
Why do people gather for the demonstration?
Why is it important to never forget?
Why do we celebrate Memorial Day?
What does it mean to be an American?
What did you like best about the story?
What parts of the book are fiction? Non-fiction?
FLAG SEARCH:
Watch or read the book and see if you can find all the flags the illustrator placed throughout the book. Why is this an important part of the illustration of the book?
INTERNET SEARCH - help kids to learn more about National Monuments and our Landmark Symbols from the book:
Lincoln Memorial
Washington Monument
Capital Building
Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall)
RUBBINGS (hands-on) allow children to experience what people do at The Wall:
Field Trip:
Make grave rubbings...always get permission. Bring paper and charcoal or crayons.
Melissa and Doug Adventure Design Rubbing Plates:
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BOOK:
Support the Author and purchase the book through my Amazon Associates Link (If you make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you.) amzn.to/2Z053Xv
BOOK COMPANION:
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COLORING PAGE:
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BOOKMARKS:
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#MemorialDay #readaloud #rollingthunder