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Remembrance Day in the classroom

Remembrance Day in the classroom

Remembrance Day in the classroom

The 11th of November, Remembrance Day, falls on a Monday this year. While students may be familiar with the eleventh hour’s minute of silence and the sight of poppy lapel pins, Remembrance Day is often given only a passing mention in the classroom in comparison to the focus that Anzac Day receives. Take the opportunity this year to help students understand that Remembrance Day is also an important time to reflect on and be thankful for Australian soldiers past and present.

 

What is the difference between Anzac Day and Remembrance Day?

 

Anzac Day, celebrated on 25 April, marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during World War I. At dawn on 25 April 1915, these forces landed on the shores of Gallipoli. That date has since become synonymous with Australian and New Zealand soldiers, and both countries use it to commemorate and thank all those who have served their nation.

 

Three and a half years later, on 11 November 1918, the Western Front fell silent. That morning, an armistice had been signed to cease the fighting. Although World War I would not officially end until 28 June the following year with the Treaty of Versailles, 11 November was seen as the beginning of the end. The date calls for reflection and gratitude for all those who lost their lives on the battlefield in numerous countries, including Australia, the UK, Canada and South Africa. While initially used to commemorate WWI alone, Remembrance Day has since come to represent fallen soldiers from all conflicts. The red poppy is used as the symbol of Remembrance Day across the world.

 

Where does the red poppy come from?

 

The famous poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae is not merely referencing the poppy as a remembrance flower—it is the inspiration for that meaning itself. After McCrae wrote the piece, it found its way into the hands of Moina Michael, an American who found the poem so powerful that she vowed to always wear a red poppy to remember those who had died in the field. She soon began selling fabric poppies to raise funds for veterans. Eventually her symbol spread across the world and became associated with 11 November.

 

How can I bring Remembrance Day into the classroom?

 

Thanks to its ties with Australian history, Remembrance Day creates the opportunity for many cross-curricular classroom activities to be employed. In particular, the activities below can give your class the chance to discuss history, geography, English and the arts. Given the subject matter, some activities will suit older students better than younger ones.

 

1. Lesson starter: What is Remembrance Day?

A great way to start class is with this short, easy-to-follow video by Behind the News. Share this with your students to give a basic but engaging background to Remembrance Day (in case they’re unfamiliar with its history). Just like the children do at the end of the video, invite students to say if Remembrance Day means anything to them personally.

 

2. The eleventh hour’s minute silence

Make sure to remind everyone about the minute of silence that is observed at 11 am. You can turn this reminder into a class discussion about respect—why do we stay silent during that time? What might it be good to reflect on during that minute? Who are we remembering on this day?

 

3. A classroom poppy flower

This simple activity requires a sheet of red card for every student and a large circle of black card to make the centre of the flower for the whole class.

If you’re wearing a poppy for the day, show it to the class. If not, show a picture of a poppy on an interactive whiteboard instead. Explain that wearing poppies is one of the ways we ‘remember’ and show our gratitude on Remembrance Day. Ask the class to think about what they’re grateful for, especially in Australia. Next, hand out sheets of red card and ask students to make outlines of their hand. Inside the handprint, they can write the list of things they thought of. Once finished, each student cuts out their handprint. You can stick these around the black circle of card to make a remembrance poppy display for class.

Download a free poppy craft template here.

 

4. Read In Flanders Field

For older students, introduce the lesson by reading In Flanders Fields aloud. Invite the class to discuss the poem. What kind of scene does it represent? Why might this poem have become so famous when it was shared with the world?

Afterwards, type ‘Flanders Fields’ into an online image search to show students fields of poppies. Ask them to write a short passage about what being at the field might have been like for a soldier in World War I, using both the poem and photos as inspiration.

 

5. Where is Flanders?

Place an interactive map on the classroom’s smartboard. Make sure you pick one that gives you the ability to zoom in and out. Start off showing the Flanders region and slowly zoom out. Ask students to try to figure out which country it’s in. As you zoom further out, eventually show where Australia is in comparison and how far away the Australian soldiers were. Ask students to discuss how far away they think that is, and how soldiers might have travelled that distance during the 1910s.

Alternatively, students can perform their own online searches and map exploration to answer these questions.

 

6. Making poppies

A more artistic activity is for students to make their own poppies following this tutorial. The only necessary equipment is tissue paper and pipe-cleaners. If you add safety pins, the students can use their creations as their own remembrance flowers for the day.

 

How will you be commemorating Remembrance Day in your classroom?
We'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

 

References

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