61 Great Memorial Day Writing Prompts for Students

Instead of boring lectures and documentaries about Memorial Day, why not instead highlight the significance of this special day using a few good read-aloud books about Memorial Day along with interesting Memorial Day writing prompts?

Not only do these Memorial Day writing prompts engage, but they also sharpen writing skills, expand knowledge, spark creativity, and motivate students to reflect upon events in history.

Even your reluctant writers will move their pens to these prompts!

So when planning your Memorial Day activities, include a few of these high-interest writing prompts.

Memorial Day Writing Prompts

1. Share the significance of celebrating Memorial Day.

2. Describe the purpose of a military.

3. Write a letter for the school newspaper urging classmates to devote some of their free time to raising money for a charity that helps veterans.

4. If a country had no military, what issues would that create?

5. Compare and contrast Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day.

6. For Memorial Day, you will host a neighborhood contest. What will the contest be about, how do contestants win, and what is the top prize?

7. How does your family celebrate Memorial Day?

8. In your opinion, what makes someone a hero?

9. Plan a Memorial Day picnic. What foods, activities, and games will you have? What else will make this event special?

10. Write a letter from the perspective of a soldier who misses his/her family.

11. Come up with a special Memorial Day brunch menu. Describe each course.

12. Describe your country’s flag. What do the colors and symbols mean?

13. Should people who serve in the military receive special recognition in society? If yes, what kind of recognition? If not, why not?

14. Share everything you know about your country’s military.

15. If you could interview a veteran, what questions would you ask and why?

16. Write a Memorial Day story that includes these words: courage, peace, recognition, ceremony

17. In what ways can citizens show honor to veterans on Memorial Day?

18. Come up with a social media hashtag for Memorial Day. What will your hashtag represent?

19. Describe the characteristics and qualifications a person should have before joining the military.

20. Write about a time when you felt tremendous pride in your country.

21. Create a patriotic poem that celebrates or honors the colors red, white, and blue.

22. In your opinion, should both men and women be required to enlist in the military if needed? Explain your reasoning.

23. Define what it means to be loyal, and give examples.

24. Do you think a country’s military makes its citizens feel safe? Why or why not?

25. Draft a letter persuading your family to attend a Memorial Day weekend ceremony.

Memorial Day writing prompts
Memorial Day writing prompts

26. Explain the different branches of the United States military.

27. Do you think there can be peace without war? Why or why not?

28. In what ways does your country show that it respects its citizens’ independence?

29. Write a heartfelt letter to a veteran, thanking the person for his/her service.

30. Create a haiku about Memorial Day.

31. Write about a typical day from the perspective of a flag on a pole.

32. Compare and contrast a federal holiday to a local holiday.

33. Describe any outdoor activities that pair well with a Memorial Day picnic.

34. If you were a designer, what type of home decorations would you use to honor Memorial Day?

35. Share a memory from a Memorial Day weekend.

36. Provide examples and non-examples of bravery.

37. Write a heartfelt letter to a fallen soldier buried in an anonymous grave.

38. Create a story about a child having trouble learning the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner.

39. As a citizen of your country, what civic duties do you have?

40. Describe a fun arts and crafts activity that students could do to celebrate Memorial Day.

41. Share your ideas for honoring Memorial Day during one day of Spirit Week at school.

42. Write a letter to your local councilman persuading him/her to place a monument in the local park that honors veterans.

43. What are the similarities and differences between a Memorial Day ceremony and a parade?

44. Explain “active duty” to someone not familiar with the phrase.

45. Why do you think shopping malls have so many sales during Memorial Day weekend?

46. What does it mean to have freedom?

47. Draft a story about someone who delivers flowers to the graves of fallen soldiers each week.

48. In what ways could you convince your friends to help you throw a Memorial Day weekend party?

49. Write about a day in the life of a veteran.

50. Share an experience watching a fireworks show.

51. What type of class activities do you think will help students understand the importance of Memorial Day?

52. Describe the perfect Memorial Day weekend feast.

53. Create any type of writing piece you’d like about Memorial Day. Ideas include persuasive, informational, descriptive, humorous, poetry, or a combination (e.g. funny poem).

54. If there were never any wars, what would be some of the consequences?

55. Write a fictional story about a family attending a Memorial Day weekend parade.

56. Why do you think it’s important to respond to Memorial Day writing prompts?

57. The answer is “Memorial Day”. Write 5-10 different questions.

58. Describe a world where there is no need for war or conflict.

59. How would you describe heroic deeds?

60. What does it mean to sacrifice? Provide examples.

61. Create an acrostic poem using the word patriotic.

62. Pretend you’re the author of a social studies textbook. Write a chapter about Memorial Day. Utilize text features so that readers comprehend fully.

63. Sketch a symbol that you feel represents Memorial Day. Then describe your drawing.

Final Thoughts

Now you have a quality collection of Memorial Day writing prompts that help students understand, recognize, and honor this special day.

These writing activities serve as a great teaching resource.

No matter the grade you teach, these Memorial Day writing prompts are sure to fit well as part of your Memorial Day unit or writer’s workshop lesson.