Remembrance Day Activities for Secondary Students

Remembrance Day is a little over a month away but now is the time for teachers, homeschooling parents and youth leaders to begin planning activities to commemorate this special day. If your main experience with Remembrance Day at school consists of cutting out poppies with elementary students and reciting "In Flanders Fields," you may feel at a bit of a loss for activities to do with older students. Here are several free or low-cost ideas.

Order a learning kit
Veteran Affairs Canada offers a number of free educational resources, several of which include videos suitable for viewing in an educational or youth group setting. I recently reviewed Canada and the Great War 1914 - 1918: A Nation Born, which would be particularly well suited for Remembrance Day.

There are also learning resources for the Second World War and Korean War, as well as booklets that explain why we wear poppies on Remembrance Day. Teachers or students who have an interest in specific topics will find a large number of historical booklets and shorter historical background sheets that can be ordered or read online. Topics covered range from specific battles in wars of the 20th century, to both wartime and peacekeeping missions of the Canadian Forces abroad.

You can order free learning resources from the teachers' resources page of the Veteran Affairs web site. (Select "Order Learning Resources and Historical Publications" from the menu.) We received ours within a few days of ordering, but the web site specifies that delivery may take up to eight weeks.

Write "Postcards for Peace"
While they can't guarantee you any answer from a veteran or soldier, the Postcards for Peace program will send you free postcards and promotional materials to use with your students, cadets, scouts, guides or church group just before Remembrance Day. Young people use the postcard to write a message of thanks to a veteran, or they can opt to send the card to a serviceman or servicewoman currently deployed. Whenever I participate, I always order enough cards that I can give each young person two. This way they can write to both a veteran and a soldier.

A list of addresses for hospitals that house veterans and have agreed to distribute the postcards can be found on the web site. Cards for servicemen and servicewomen can be addressed to "Any Canadian Forces Member" and sent care of the specific mission. Young people can use postcards of their own choice if they want. If you opt to use the free postcards prepared for this activity, you must order by October 22nd to receive them by Remembrance Day. Young people wishing a response should include their first name & initial, and the contact information of the adult responsible for the activity.

Create a Remembrance Day mashup
Veteran Affairs is challenging youth to create a mashup, virtual scrapbook or web page to commemorate our veterans. They have made available photos and videos for download, and their Remembrance feed can be used to gain greater exposure for your students' creations. Don't forget to link back to the Veteran Affairs web page, and use your favourite social media network (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) to get the word out. Challenge other young people to participate too!