Teaching activities
At the beginning of the year, teachers began incorporating into their classes a variety of lessons and activities that related to the Living History Day. For example:

• Each teacher was assigned a small group of veterans for the speaker session and knew before hand the group's topic and military designation. Teachers used lesson plan activities, readings, and projects related to facts about their veteran group. Students prepared lists of questions in advance of meeting with veteran speakers.
• The Physical Education classes had students interview grandparents to find out about the kinds of games and sports played during the Forties. Students presented and taught these games and sports to the rest of their class.
• In speech class, students interviewed elderly citizens who had memories to share about World War II. Students then gave oral presentations from their notes.
• The band class worked on William Himes' composition, Barbarossa, named after Operation Barbarossa. They also worked with the choir and orchestra to learn Battle Hymn of the Republic.
• Throughout the school year students watched films about the war (such as Tora, Tora, Tora), studied the music of the 1940s, and read articles and books related to wartime events (such as Night). This background study helped students prepare questions for veterans and better relate to the stories the veterans recounted.

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