I have to teach a mixed Y1/2 class about remembrance day in a couple of weeks- does anyone know a nice story I can tell at the end of the lesson about why the poppy was chosen as the symbol of remembrance? or even any nice ideas for activities- I'm a bit stumped as to how to make this subject meaningful for small children
Thank you.
2006-10-26 08:03:49 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Teaching
We're lucky at out school because we have a war memorial on the wall in one of our halls, has a plaque and some pictures of poppies. We explain to the children about rememberance day, for which we always have a minutes silence, show them the memorial and talk about the poppies. The children then draw large poppies in their books and collage them with tissue paper. They finish of by writing a simple sentence about remembering people who have died in the wars.
2006-10-28 03:58:18 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What a boring subject to teach kids (I know it's not your fault! it's the crumby National Curriculum!)
As someone has already said - the poppies were used to represent the blood and the battlefields were strewn naturally with poppies!
WWI gave a certain amount of freedom to women! You could look up some poems but they're probably bleak! There were a few WWI poems by men actually on the battlefield!
I'm not sure there are any nice stories - it was an horrific war :( There were survivors - that must be positive! We have a certain amount of freedom in this country!
2006-10-26 08:16:55 · answer #2 · answered by Home_educator 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How about.....
A long time ago before you were born, a lot of people got into a big argument. So the important people that run the country decided that the only way to sort it out was to fight about it! (here, explain the evils of fighting and that things can be sorted out in other ways) Explain that.... A lot of people died during the fight but they did it so that you and i can live the way we do today... go to parties, go shopping, live in nice houses etc., So every year people get together to remember the people that died by wearing a red poppy and saying prayers for them.
That's the sort of thing i would say and teach 2 1/2 to 5 year olds.
You can always elaborate and extend it into discussion!
A nice activity is rounds of red tissue paper that they cut out themselves held together by a black circle of construction paper.
Good luck!
2006-10-27 03:18:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't like the poppy, as its more than just a remembrance of those who died, its a tacit approval of the wars that they died in, and the acceptance that they died for something glorious, when war is a waste of humanity, and should not be glorified. WW2 was a necessary evil, when faced with the spectre of Nazism, but say WW1 that was merely a chess game by the imperial powers of Europe, in which ordinary people were just the disposable pawns, and shouldn't be glorified
2016-03-19 00:17:51 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Enjoy your half term!!!!
I've always found that children like reality and that 'nice' stories are never remembered.
Tell them the real deal -you could look at the royal british legion website.
2006-10-26 08:15:36 · answer #5 · answered by blah blah blah 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the poppy reresents the fields of red (blood)... evidently flanders and the somme became decorated (naturally) by wild poppies after teh end of WW1.. something to do with the blood iin the soil.
let the kids watch blackadder 4. you'll cry... i think everyone felt sorry for darling, as melchit sends him to the front, for the big push... its funny, and very emotional..
war is hell.
2006-10-26 08:10:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i supose you could say,
there was like a big fight, and were the battle was the poppys grew afterwards and we rebmeber the people who faught in the war by wearing a poppy
2006-10-26 08:17:39 · answer #7 · answered by sharky_roks 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
so what are we remembering?
2006-10-26 08:11:22 · answer #8 · answered by daniel b 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋