Memorial Day ESL Activities, Worksheets, Lesson Plans & More

In the USA, Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday in May. Its goal is to honour and mourn fallen soldiers, and it’s also known as the unofficial start to summer. Keep on reading for the top picks for ESL activities, lesson plans and worksheets. If you are looking for teaching materials for other holidays, check out resources for Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Day.

Memorial Day Activities for Students

Let’s get into the best Memorial Day activities for students in your ESL classroom.

#1: Running Dictation

This is one of my favourite ESL activities because it covers a range of skills in a single activity, and it also gets students out of their seats and moving around the classroom. Plus, it can be used for just about any topic, including this one.

Sounds awesome, right? It is! Check out one of my favourite memorial day activities for elementary students:

ESL Running Dictation Game.

#2: Dictogloss

Try out this challenging listening activity with your higher-level students. Find, or write a passage about the history of this holiday or someone talking about their personal experience with it. You may have to pre-teach some vocabulary, depending on whether or not students are generally familiar with this holiday.

Then, put students into pairs and read it out at a faster-than-normal pace. Students can take notes and compare with their partners to attempt to recreate what they just heard. Repeat the process, and in the end, students can compare what they have with the original version.

Want to give it a try? Learn how to do it:

Dictogloss.

Of course, it also works for any other holiday, including Cinco De Mayo.

#3: Word Association

If you teach in the USA, it’s likely that your students already know a good bit about Memorial Day. That’s why it’s ideal to do an activity like this one to help them activate their prior knowledge before jumping into the lesson. Find out all the details here:

#4: Conversation Starters

When I was new to teaching, I used to tell my students to talk with a partner for 2-3 minutes about a certain topic. I’d often be met with silence. Of course, it was totally my own fault because I didn’t give the students enough direction.

The better way is to give students some conversation starters. This gives them something to grasp onto in case they get stuck. Find out more about this:

ESL Conversation Starters for Adults.

#5: Just One Question

Try out this survey-style activity for any holiday lesson, including this one. Students have to survey a large number of their classmates using a question of their choosing. In the end, they have to report their results to the class.

Want to give it a try? Have a look here:

Just One Question.

#6: Memorial Day ESL Speaking Lesson

It’s very easy to design an entire English-speaking lesson based on this holiday. Seems overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be if you use this template. Have a look at it right here:

ESL Speaking Lesson Planning Template.

#7: Memorial Day Interactive Vocabulary Lesson

#8: Task-Based Language Learning

Holidays are the perfect topic for task-based learning, One of my favourite activity ideas is to put students into groups and have them each choose a holiday, including this American holiday. Then, they have to do some research about it, including its history, traditions, how it’s celebrated today and more.

Then, they can make a poster or a PowerPoint slide and finally, they can do a presentation it to the class. But, that’s just one example. Find out more examples of this kind of teaching:

Task-Based Language Learning.

#9: Memorial Day ESL Listening Lesson

It’s certainly possible to design your own English listening lesson for just about any topic, including this popular American holiday. It’s easier than you might think if you have a template to follow. Find out all the details right here:

How to Teach ESL Listening.

#10: Vocabulary Auction

Try out this fun vocabulary game with your students. It does require a bit of preparation, so it’s best if you recycle this activity for a few classes or from year to year.

Makeup sentences related to this popular holiday. Then, cut up each word.

Put students into groups and have them bid on the words. Then, they can engage in a trading round. Finally, they can try to make as many complete sentences as they can. My catch with this is that they must be factually true if I’m doing a themed version, like for a holiday.

That’s just the basics. Find out more about one of the best memorial day activities for elementary students:

ESL Vocabulary Auction.

You may also want to check this out: ESL Columbus Day Games and Activities.

Memorial Day ESL Lesson Plans

If you’re looking for some ready-made lessons for this popular American holiday, have a look right here:

ESL Civics

Teach-Nology

ESL PDF

Memorial Day Reading Comprehension Lessons

If you’re looking for some memorial day reading comprehension PDFs to use with your students, have a look at some of the top options here:

Vestal’s 

Edutopia

Teacher Vision

Memorial Day Worksheets and Handouts

If you’re a teacher, then you already know how much time you can save by using worksheets and handouts that other teachers have created. Here are some of the top picks of Memorial Day worksheets to include in your memorial day lessons:

ISL Collective

Teacher Planet

FAQs About Memorial Day Lesson

There are a number of common questions that people have about teaching holiday lessons for Memorial Day. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

What is Memorial Day and Why do we Celebrate It?

Memorial Day is an American holiday that is celebrated on the last Monday in May. It honours people who’ve died while serving in the US military.

What is the Difference Between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day?

Memorial Day remembers the people who’ve died while serving in the US military. However, Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11 recognizes all who’ve served in the military.

Do you Say Happy Memorial Day?

Memorial Day is a day to remember people who’ve died while serving in the US military. Due to the sombre nature of the holiday, you shouldn’t say, “Happy Memorial Day.”

What is Memorial Day and Why do we Celebrate It?

Memorial Day is an American holiday that is celebrated on the last Monday in May. It honours people who've died while serving in the US military.

What is the Difference Between Memorial Day and Veteran's Day?

Memorial Day remembers the people who've died while serving in the US military. However, Veteran's Day on Nov. 11 recognizes all who've served in the military.

Do you Say Happy Memorial Day?

Did you like these Ideas for a Memory Day Lesson?

Yes? Then you’re going to love this book on Amazon: 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults. The key to better English classes is a wide variety of engaging, interactive and student-centred activities and this book will help you do that in style.

You can find the book in a variety of formats. Consider picking up a copy to keep on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide when planning lessons. Or, take the digital version with you to your favourite coffee shop for some lesson planning on the go. Finally, you can listen to the book while commuting to work for some serious inspiration!

Whatever the case, get ready for some ESL teaching awesome in your life. Head over to Amazon to find out all the details you need to know:

Memorial Day Lesson: Join the Conversation

Did you like these activities, worksheets and lesson plans? Do you have another resource that you’d like to recommend to us? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about this holiday. We’d love to hear from you.

Also, be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other busy teachers, like yourself find this useful resource.

Last update on 2025-05-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API