If you want to teach your kids some Remembrance Day Lessons, here is a great list of resources for you.
Personally, I’ve found this time of year hard to talk about with my kids. So I’ve been looking for a way to share that with my boys – who, even when they were little, have tended to think of war as video game like – cartoons throwing bombs at each other and then getting up and going again. Trying to explain the reality being much grimmer is hard to do, and teaching them to be thankful for the work that was done long before they were born is challenging.
Today, my first resource for my fellow Canadians is from the Canadian War Museum. This site has many resources for learning about and honouring Remembrance Day.
The War Museum Website has a lot of other great learning tools as well, including interactive games and lessons to expand on our military history. One game that really brings the era of war to reality for kids is a game about life in the trenches of World War I called Over The Top – a “choose-your-own-adventure” style game, where the decisions the kids make while playing it directly affect if your character lives or dies. My boys really liked this game.
Another great resource is The Royal Canadian Legion, which provides a website with not only information on the Poppy Campaign, but also a discussion guide for leader and students, and a teaching guide full of information about the wars Canada has been in as well as details of things like how many soldiers died in each war, information about the legion, crafts & activities (like how to make a paper poppy), explanations of the poppy and its importance, and much more.
Honouring Bravery is a Canada Company Military History Learning Program (MHLP). From their website: “Our aim is to bring engaging content about Canada’s military history to classrooms across the country….The program is built around fact-based storytelling, focusing on authentic stories of diverse military heroes from across Canada. This approach helps ensure that students not only gain a deeper understanding of Canada’s military history, but also foster empathy and respect for all of those who have served.” They have resources in both English and French.
For the younger crowd, there are lots of Remembrance Day crafts and printables from DLTK. They also have a great collection of Remembrance Day colouring pages on another one of their sites.
We have also rounded up 5 book recommendations for Remembrance Day for elementary students! We have grouped the recommendations into ones for early and older elementary students.
Veteran’s Affairs Canada has a whole section for youth and teachers that includes a lot of great materials – games, suggestions on activities to do to keep Remembrance Day a part of our lives, teacher’s guides to two main stories : animals in war and Canada Remembers Times, other teacher resources, and more.
Another very important thing to consider is how Indigenous Veterans were treated. Indigenous Veterans day is a separate day from Remembrance Day. It is held annually on November 8th. I You can read more about it and watch a video in the article Indigenous Veterans: Equal on the Battlefield, but not at Home. You can also learn more about the Indigenous People’s long and proud tradition of military service to our country with this article and video.
Historica-Dominion Institute has several lesson plans:
- Remembering through a Student Minute (high school)
- Memories, Letters, Sacrifice (Gr 4-12)
- Remembrance: Understanding Canadian History Through Literature (high school)
- Remembrance Day: Integrated Arts Lesson Plan (Gr 4-8)
Reading and Remembrance is a great site with lesson plans and ideas (in both English and French!)
For older students (Grade 5+), this QR code worksheet will help you learn more about the Aboriginal Veterans.
If you go to the page The Little Red Poppy, click Teacher’s Resources and scroll to the bottom to find a downloadable activity pack that includes a word search, crossword puzzle, reading passages, and more.
The Memory Project also has a big collection of lesson plans and other resources.
More Resources:
- Remembrance Day Bookmarks to Colour from Ms. Artastic
- In Flander’s Fields Poem & Reflection from Lifelong Learning
- Lest We Forget Craftivity from Curious Cat Was Here
Today, as we pause to remember those who have been a part of war, to thank those who continue to serve, and pray for the world, may we be able to teach our children why and never have a need to experience it ourselves.
~Lest we forget. I remember.~
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Thank you for all these helpful links.
FYI the links for the Canadian War Museum have all come up with “Page not found”. Just thought I would let you know.
oops – thanks for letting me know!
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/remember/flandersfields_e.shtml
This link works for the war museum
Great. 😀 Thanks. 🙂
We have been remembering this last week. We have been watching Wartime Farm on youtube…farmers in England during WW2. Very interesting! Also the rations they had in England and here in Canada. The struggle on the homefront. Valiant by Disney on youtube is great for the younger set. We also made a WW1 cake as well eating klik. There are some great sites for WW2 food. We have a local CFB that has a museum (Shilo) that gives tours. Thanks for a great Canadian resource!!
We have been remembering this last week. We have been watching Wartime Farm on youtube…farmers in England during WW2. Very interesting! Also the rations they had in England and here in Canada. The struggle on the homefront. Valiant by Disney on youtube is great for the younger set. We also made a WW1 cake as well eating klik. There are some great sites for WW2 food. We have a local CFB that has a museum (Shilo) that gives tours. Also a great read aloud is “Scout The Secret of the Swamp” by Piet Prins. Takes place during German occupation of Holland. For ages 10+.Thanks for a great Canadian resource!!
Thank you! I have been trying to decide the best way to approach Remembrance Day and wartime.
I agree, it is difficult to teach on the realities of war. With all the videogames destroying the realities of the permanence of death, the resulting destruction and aftermath and the changed lives of survivors and families, how do you help kids understand?
Hopefully, some of these resources and the YouTube videos mentioned by Sheila will help!
Thank you for this remembrance day post. I appreciate the reminder to never forget the sacrifices made by our military.
Such a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by so many. Your reflections on the importance of remembrance resonate deeply. Thank you for sharing these valuable lessons. Lest we forget!