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Key Stage 1 Beyond Living Memory: Commemorating History
Remembrance Day

Children reflect on their own memories and think about the meaning of symbols, in particular the Remembrance Day poppy. Explore the ways that Remembrance Day is marked in Britain and other countries.

block outcomes

Session 1 I remember when....

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Objectives

History

  • Develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time.

Art and Design

  • Use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination.

Lesson Planning

Children reflect on their memories – birthday celebrations, family holidays, significant faith days, funny things, trips and treats. Is there a special something that you and their family always remember and celebrate?

Teaching Outcomes
 To recall events past from their own lives, describe what happened using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time and why that event was significant to them.
To use drawing to develop and share their experiences.

Children will:

  • Reflect on the past events and special memories they recall from their own history.
  • Talk about, describe and explain these special memories, especially any items that help recall these special times.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • A personal, treasured item with special memories to share with children
  • Flip chart
  • Small white boards and pens

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

Session 2 Symbols help us to remember

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Objectives

History

  • Know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.
  • Use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms.
  • Understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

Art and Design

  • Use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination.

Lesson Planning

On everyday items symbols represent and signify things we want to identify and/or remember.

Teaching Outcomes
 To use examples from their own lives to describe the passing of time; to use symbols to represent these events and look at symbols in use generally today; to start a time line.
To design and draw an appropriate symbol to represent their special memory from S1

Children will:

  • Understand how a timeline works.
  • Recognize and identify symbols in everyday use.
  • Design own symbol.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Items which symbolize important events, e.g. wrist bands, pin badges
  • Zig zag book for each child already folded
  • Small square of white card to design own symbol and pens
  • For time line: long line suspended safely across classroom and pegs
  • Cards for time line: current year and photo of current class, year current class born

Session 3 Poppies part 1

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Objectives

History

  • Know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.
  • Use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms.
  • Understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

Art and Design

  • Develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
  • Learn about the work of a range of artists, and make links to their own work.

Lesson Planning

Poppies as symbols of Remembrance.  Combine story ‘Where the Poppies Now Grow’ with contemporary artists Scarlett Raven, Paul Cummins and Tom Piper. (Continue into Session 4).

Teaching Outcomes
 To recognise the poppy as a symbol representing Remembrance and to begin to understand what is being remembered and why.
To design, paint and model their own creative work.

Children will:

  • Recognise the poppy as a symbol of Remembrance and begin to understand the reasons why the poppy is used in this way.
  • Use the work of modern day artists to inspire their own creative work.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Cards depicting symbols created in Session 2
  • A poppy as worn on Remembrance Sunday, or image
  • Where the Poppies Now Grow by Hilary Robinson & Martin Impey
  • Gather together as many images and items using poppies, including real poppies if possible
  • Resources for art work
  • Information books and stories appropriate for KS1 about WW1 and Remembrance Day, e.g. Beginning History Remembrance Day by Liz Gogerly
  • Photo from WW1 and dates 1914-1918 for timeline

Session 4 Poppies part 2

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Objectives

History

  • Know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.
  • Use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms.
  • Understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

Art and Design

  • Develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
  • Learn about the work of a range of artists, and make links to their own work.

Lesson Planning

Learn when Remembrance Day takes place. Complete Art work and listen to poem ‘Poppies for Remembrance’. (Continued from Session 3).

Teaching Outcomes
 To recognise the poppy as a symbol representing Remembrance and to begin to understand what is being remembered and why.
To design, paint and model their own creative work.

Children will:

  • Begin to learn about Remembrance Day; why, what and how we remember.
  • Experience different techniques, approaches and tools to create 2D and 3D Art work depicting poppies.
  • Suggest how to display completed work.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Copy of poem Poppies for Remembrance by Moira Andrew
  • Books and poppy items as with Session 3
  • Paper plates
  • Poppy red, green, black tissue paper and crepe paper
  • Green playdough

Session 5 Memorials, parades and poppies

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Objectives

History

  • Ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events.
  • Understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

Art and Design

  • Develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
  • Learn about the work of a range of artists, and make links to their own work.

Lesson Planning

Class visit to local memorial. Do we recognize any of the surnames listed? For wider context, consider Britain's national memorial: The Cenotaph, Whitehall, London; Remembrance Sunday; and Menin Gate, Ypres.

Teaching Outcomes
 To learn about the different ways the UK commemorates Remembrance Day; to make their own individual response.
To design and make their own memorial or sculpture.

Children will:

  • Locate and visit local memorial, make observational sketch and compare with national memorials such as The Cenotaph and Menin Gate.
  • Create own model memorial using junk modelling, construction kits or playdough.
  • Record in writing own thoughts about Remembrance and/or hopes for the future.

You Will Need

  • Copy of poem Poppies for Remembrance by Moira Andrew
  • Clipboards to sketch memorial
  • 3D materials to create memorials: playdough, construction kits, ‘junk modelling’
  • A4 red card poppy petal
  • Black felt tip pen, black card circles to make centre of poppy display by arranging 4 petals together with 1 black circle

Session 6 Around the world

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Objectives

History

  • Ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events.
  • Understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

Art and Design

  • Use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination.

Lesson Planning

Is Remembrance Day only a national event or is it global? What do other countries do?

Teaching Outcomes
 To find out whether the national act of remembrance is also global.
To use various creative activities to present findings from their investigations and research.

Children will:

  • Investigate whether acts of remembrance are global or only national.
  • Present their findings to an audience.

Provided Resources

  • Information sheet on suggestions for group resources and activities

You Will Need

  • Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush by Sophie Fatus & Fred Penner
  • Globe or map of the world
  • Resources required for children’s investigations

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