Students may find that hearing some of the stories of the Second World War is a way of bringing the essence of Remembrance Day to life.

Note: You may want students to use headphones if they are doing these activities independently. Alternatively, simply play the brief clips from war veterans over a pair of speakers.

ACTIVITY #1

Learning Outcomes:

1.    To appreciate the meaning of Remembrance Day by hearing a veteran's war story

2.    To share findings with classmates in a brief oral presentation

3.    To be able to take short notes

Pre-Discussion

Have a discussion with students before they begin their investigations

1.    Why do we have Remembrance Day?

2.    How much meaning does it have for you?

Find A Vet

Using the Memory Project's search function students find a veteran's story that is of interest to them. They might consider searching by the following categories:

• Hometown or home province
• Theatre of War
• A particular battle

Listen and Learn

Once students have chosen their veteran they can listen to the veteran's account of the war and consider the following:

1.    Who is the veteran you chose?

2.    Why did you choose him or her?

3.    What did you find interesting about his or her story?

Students can share their findings with the rest of the class.

Follow-up Discussion Questions

1.    Did learning about a veteran's contribution to the war give you a greater appreciation of Remembrance Day?

2.    Is it important to remember the sacrifices made in war?

3.    Do you think Remembrance Day will still be celebrated 50 years from now?

Further Resources

Remembrance Day (The Canadian Encyclopedia)