ANZAC Day is commemorated nationwide on April 25. On ANZAC Day, we recognise the contributions and sacrifices made by members of the Australian and New Zealand armed forces and remember the victims of wars and conflicts. The day marks the first major military action of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, when troops landed at Gallipoli, Turkey during World War I in 1915.
In the classroom, ANZAC Day is an opportunity to teach our students about the significance of the day, engage in thought-provoking discussions, make links to families and cultures and create beautiful commemorative artworks. We’ll be using today’s blog to talk about some of our favourite ideas, resources and tips for getting the most out of ANZAC Day for both you and your students 💛
In the early years, planning for ANZAC Day is all about engaging students with activities that begin to develop recognition of the day in an age-appropriate manner. Here are some of our favourite tasks you can use to get your students involved! 🇦🇺
💛 ANZAC Day Stained-Glass Craftivity: This gorgeous display piece is the perfect flexible craftivity to introduce the poppy iconography associated with ANZAC Day. With multiple creation options available, you can get as creative as you like with this resource or keep it super low-prep.
💛 ANZAC Word Wall STATE FONTS: Introduce important vocabulary with this eye-catching word wall resource. Use it to prompt whole class discussion, encourage questioning or as a reference point for a simple writing task such as the ANZAC Day Let’s Write activity.
💛 ANZAC Day Wristbands: Print these wristbands for students to wear on ANZAC Day or during whole-school commemorative ceremonies. You could even have students decorate them prior to the ceremony to truly make them one of a kind. Plus, wearing these wristbands home will encourage further discussions with parents and families long after the school day is over!
In Years 1-3, students begin to develop a clearer understanding of ANZAC Day’s meaning and importance. Tasks for these year groups should focus on using language, art and discussion to learn more deeply about why we commemorate ANZAC Day and who is being recognised.
💛 ANZAC Ted Reading Response: Ideal for Year 1s, this activity is designed to be used after reading the storybook ANZAC Ted by Belinda Landsberry. Featuring a variety of activity options including writing prompts, a labelling task, a word search and more, this pack is super adaptable and great for a classroom with diverse needs.
💛 ANZAC Day Biscuit Procedure: This English task asks students to read and answer questions about a procedure to bake ANZAC biscuits. Afterwards, students use the recipe to bake their own batch of biscuits, then cut and paste the images in order to recount the sequence of baking. This hands-on activity covers multiple English learning areas and gives students a tasty treat to take home when they’re finished! 🍪
💛 On ANZAC Day Writing Prompt: This collection of open-ended writing prompts allows students of every ability level to write about what they do on ANZAC Day and why. Featuring multiple template options and line widths, this activity is perfect for when you need something flexible and adaptable. You can have students colour in the soldier image, draw or glue themselves into the face template, or cut out and trace it for an easy craftivity (pictured above).
By Years 4-6, students have a clear idea of ANZAC Day’s meaning and purpose. As teachers, this gives us the opportunity to delve more deeply into discussion and questioning to explore the history and importance of the day and date, while still continuing to engage students with fun and thought-provoking tasks.
💛 ANZAC Day Scavenger Hunt: Hide these task cards around any space of your choosing and have students explore to discover the questions and record their answers. You might like to give students access to tablet devices to use for more in-depth research.
💛 ANZAC Day Flip Book: Perfect as a long-form research task or after a whole-class discussion to check for understanding. Students will compile facts and information about ANZAC Day, research important symbols and heroes, discover fun facts and create a poem to commemorate the day. Once decorated and assembled, these flip books make for an eye-catching classroom display!
💛 Poppy Panorama Collaborative Art Project: In this whole class art tasks, students create individual poppies to combine together with a sunset background to build a decorative poppy field. Use this task as a springboard for discussions about the Gallipoli landing and the importance of poppies as a symbol of ANZAC Day.
Still stuck for ideas? Check out our 2022 ANZAC Day blog post for ideas of story books to use in collaboration with our resources to create an engaging ANZAC lesson.
We’d love to see what you create with our content in your classrooms this year! Don’t forget to tag us @topteacher to show off all your hard work 💛