Remembrance Day lesson plans are important to add to your teaching plan at some point during the next month.
I feel so privileged to teach and live in a country where I’m free to go outside my home, have a job I love, and do the things I enjoy. This freedom was earned through the efforts of servicemen and women, but the fight for freedom still continues in other areas of the world. Their efforts are something worth remembering and appreciating. Unfortunately, there are still wars happening around the world that Canadian servicemen and women are involved in.
Remembrance Day in Canada is annually observed on November 11th. It is a reflective occasion dedicated to honouring the sacrifices made by Canadian military personnel and veterans who served in various conflicts throughout history. The day holds particular significance as it marks the armistice that ended World War I in 1918.
On this day, Canadians participate in ceremonies and events all across the country. In many places across the country, at 11 am, people stop what they’re doing and have a moment of silence to remember the end of the war and the people who died serving Canada. Remembrance Day serves as an opportunity for Canadians to come together and reflect on the sacrifices and contributions of military personnel. Teachers can help students learn about this important day by using Remembrance Day lesson plans.
The weeks around Remembrance Day are a great time to remember and acknowledge the contributions of veterans and current soldiers who fight in the name of freedom. I’ve built a unit to support you in teaching these important Remembrance Day lesson plans to your students. This Remembrance Day Unit helps our students further understand and appreciate the impact and legacy of war heroes.
This Remembrance Day unit plan comes packed with media analysis and opportunities for reading, speaking/listening, writing, and drama activities. Each lesson and activity comes complete with detailed lesson plans and step-by-step instructions for your classroom use. The graphic organizers and worksheets are open-ended to support all learners and include full answer sheets for your reference. I’ve also included instructions if you are in a paperless classroom.
The following Remembrance Day lesson plans are included:
What is Remembrance Day?
In this minds-on activity, students make connections to an included reading on Remembrance Day. Discussion prompts and graphic organizers are included and will serve to support further learning in this unit.
Music Lyric Analysis
Students use the included graphic organizer to analyze the meaning of a song of their choice. Links and resources for 5 modern songs are included to give students practice in their analysis skills before a final song analysis for assessment. Rubrics and feedback sheets are included in this assignment.
Poem and Song Analysis
Building on their analysis skills from the previous assignment, students will compare a song and poem surrounding the concept of peace as related to the overarching theme of War and Peace in Remembrance Day. After analyzing both pieces of work through the included worksheet, students complete a Venn diagram for a final assessment. Rubrics and feedback sheets are included for this assignment.
Video Analysis
In this assignment, students engage with another form of media, television clips and commercials. Building on their understanding developed in the previous tasks, students will analyze four media clips and have a final assessment of a television commercial analysis. Talking points for lessons and discussions, as well as assessment pieces, are included.
How Does the Poppy Relate to Remembrance Day?
Using multiple sources, students will learn about the history of the poppy and why it became so symbolic of Remembrance Day. Questions to guide thinking help support your students’ understanding are included.
World War 1 Trench Life Simulation
This optional activity uses an online simulation of life in the trenches to have students better understand the life of soldiers in World War 1. Links and assessment resources are included.
Choral Reading
This choral reading assignment has students revisit some of the poems discussed earlier and present the choral reading. Resources to support students in their practice, as well as the option for students to work independently on a dramatic task, are included.
Modern-Day Armed Forces
Students will take a look at the efforts and work of soldiers around the world today. Students will work individually to respond to video interviews with the Canadian Armed Forces and discuss their answers as a class. After understanding their modern-day efforts, students will complete an assessment piece on the Invictus Games using the included graphic organizer and checkbrick for assessment.
Opinion Writing
In this assessment paragraph, students will use their learning thus far to respond to a news article written on the importance and celebration of Remembrance Day. This task asks students to articulate their opinion of this article using their knowledge built throughout the unit. This assignment can be used as a cumulative task in their learning throughout the unit. A rubric for assessment is included.
Photo Analysis
Students will work in a jigsaw activity to look at and discuss 10 different images associated with War and Remembrance Day before writing their ideas down in a graphic organizer. After viewing and discussing all the images, students will select one that resonates best with them to develop a paragraph reflection for assessment. Images, questions, and rubrics for assessment are included.
I know your students will have meaningful discussions this Remembrance Day when completing the activities in this unit. These Remembrance Day lesson plans will provide resources, examples, images, and discussion points to make real-life connections to Remembrance Day for your students. Find this resource on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Additional Canadian History Resources
- Grade 7 Canadian History Bundle 1713-1850
- Grade 7/8 Canadian History Bundle 1713-1914
- Grade 8 Canadian History Bundle 1850-1914
- Canadian History Sub Plans – Parliament Hill
- Canadian History Sub Plans – Significant Moments
- Canadian History Sub Plans – Parliament Hill Cat Colony
- Canadian History Sub Plans – The Avro Arrow
- Grade 7 History Ontario Report Card Comments
- Grade 8 History Ontario Report Card Comments
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