ARLINGTON, VA – Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) is proud to announce a new Education Program, developed for virtual and in-person learning with resources for educators, students of all grade ages, visiting families and lifelong learners. Audiences may now discover the diverse history of the United States through the unique lens of ANC and its history.
Over the next five years, ANC will develop and distribute a total of twenty-seven educational modules on topics ranging from the United States’ military conflicts to the contributions of American service members in the arts, medicine, politics, science and technology, and more. The following three modules are available now in this first installment, with the fourth module, on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, to be released this fall.
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The African American Experience at Arlington National Cemetery module features materials on life after emancipation, the Freedman’s Village that once existed at Arlington, the civil rights movement, and the achievements of segregated military units such as the Tuskegee Airmen.
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The Spanish-American War module enables audiences to understand how this important yet often overlooked conflict in 1898 transformed American society and the world.
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The Exploring Arlington module allows audiences to explore Arlington National Cemetery from home or to enhance an in-person visit with downloadable guides featuring ANC’s history, traditions and operations.
Resources for teachers and students include primary source readings, worksheets and lesson plans for elementary, middle and high school students. Lesson plans align with national and state social studies standards and can be easily adapted for homeschool or virtual learning. For families and “lifelong learners” (anyone curious to know more about the cemetery and/or American history), we also offer curated readings and walking tours. The walking tours may be used either during an in-person visit or for virtual exploration of the cemetery.
“The new Education Program provides cultural and historical insights into these hallowed grounds,” said Ms. Karen Durham-Aguilera, Executive Director of Office of Army National Military Cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery. “The resources aim to honor the sacrifices and extraordinary lives of American service members and their families; support remembrance of past and present military conflicts and the circumstances surrounding them; and invite personal exploration of connections to America’s diverse history as represented at ANC.”
The ANC Education Program and its resources are available now at www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/education.