Real world Why towns build memorials
Memorials honor people who died in wars or disasters, celebrate important events, and remind future generations of lessons from the past. Many towns have a war memorial where people gather on days of remembrance.
Real world Different ways to remember
Some memorials are tall and grand, like the Washington Monument, a stone obelisk in Washington, DC, completed in 1884. Construction stopped for many years, and you can still see a change in the color of the stone partway up where building began again with stone from a different quarry.
Others are quiet and personal. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, designed by Maya Lin when she was a 21-year-old architecture student and opened in 1982, is a low black wall carved with the names of more than 58,000 people. Visitors see their own reflection among the names.
Real world Changing memories
What a community chooses to remember can change. Some statues and monuments have been moved or explained with new signs, because people today see the people or events they honor differently. Deciding who to remember, and how, is a conversation every generation has.
Art In this artwork
This illustration shows a tall stone obelisk in a small paved plaza with planting.
Look closer
- Find the obelisk shape. Where else have you seen one?
- Where could people stand or sit to remember?
Think about it
- What would you want your town to remember, and how?
- Why might people disagree about a monument?
- Is a tall monument or a quiet one more powerful? Why?
Key words
- Obelisk
- A tall, four-sided stone pillar with a pointed top.
- Memorial
- Something built to remember people or events.
- Remembrance
- The act of remembering, often together.
Sources
The facts on this page are based on these sources:
- National Park Service, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Washington Monument
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Vietnam Veterans Memorial" and "Washington Monument"
