Our ANZAC Day Senses activity is designed to help early learners develop descriptive language skills while deepening their understanding of ANZAC Day. Students will draw pictures on a poppy template to represent what they see, feel, hear and smell on ANZAC Day. They can then complete a written response based on their drawings. By engaging their senses, students can reflect on the experiences and emotions associated with this important day.

 

How to Complete

Begin by introducing ANZAC Day and its significance. We recommend reading ANZAC related picture books or showing age-appropriate photos or videos. Talk with your students about what ANZAC Day…

1. Looks like: soldiers, parade, medals, poppies, flags, wreaths etc
2. Feels like: pride, respect, peace, freedom, a little sad, cold (if attending a dawn service) etc
3. Sounds like: bugle, The Last Post, cheering, clapping, silence, gun fire, marching footsteps, national anthem etc
4. Smells like: flowers, Anzac biscuits, rosemary etc.

  Students can draw pictures to represent the senses on the poppy template and cut it out. Students can then write about their drawings on one of the writing templates. Encourage students to share their responses with peers to compare perspectives.   Please note that we have included a rounded writing template (which can be cut out and attached to the bottom of the poppy) and a worksheet template. Both templates have 24mm and 18mm line widths to suit the needs of your class.  

Additional Tips

1. Print the poppy templates on red or white cardstock. If printing on white, you might like students to add colour with paint or edicol dye.
2. Younger students may benefit from having the templates enlarged to A3. You might like to scribe their senses or allow them to simply complete the drawing aspect of the task.
3. Use word banks with sensory words to support vocabulary development.

 

Extension Ideas:

1. Poetry Writing: Have students turn their sensory reflections into a poem about ANZAC Day.
2. Personal Connections: Ask older students to write a short paragraph explaining how they or their family commemorate ANZAC Day.
3. Historical Perspective: Encourage older students to research first-hand accounts from soldiers or veterans to deepen their responses.

  This activity encourages empathy, historical awareness, and creative expression through structured prompts.   Be sure to check out our other ANZAC Day resources!