Student Contributor -Brittany Brattin
The partner organization that this project goes along with is called “Adopt a US Soldier“. This project was where kids were able to adopt a soldier and then write letters and make pictures for them.
Some of my students wrote letters to the soldiers that stated answers to questions like “Why they were thankful to have soldiers” or “How soldiers make them feel?”. Some students that can’t write sentences yet were able to draw a picture of the soldier and them to represent their appreciation for them. This project was a service to the community because it is a way of putting a smile of our soldiers faces. It not only makes the soldiers feel special but it also makes the kids writing the letters and the community feel special because we do care so much for our soldiers. This was a very powerful project for the kids because they were able to learn about what a soldier really does for our country and how it impacts our everyday lives. I think it really opened some kids eyes that didn’t really realize what a solider that fights for America really does. It was a great way for students to feel like they are impacting someone else life and made them feel accomplished and happy after doing so.
I thought this project went really well. It not only taught the importance of soldiers, but it also gave kids a chance to feel important and worthy in writing a letter to a solider. I thought that my plan of engagement on how to introduce the topic of soldiers went well. I read “When I Grow Up I Want To Be…in the U.S. Army!” to my students. This book told about the duties army soldiers do on a daily basis, the equipment they use and more. The part I had to modify along the way was having students write letters. Some students were struggling to make words or sentences that someone could depict what they meant, so I had them draw a picture to represent how thankful they were. The advice that I would give for anyone trying to do this project would be to stretch this project out over two day so that it is not just a one and done activity. I think that by stretching it out a little more, it would instill the importance more for our little learners. I would read a couple books and do a fun activity that has to do with soldiers the day before we actually write the letters.
