Monday, April 18, 2011

ANZAC Day

This year ANZAC Day falls right at the end of the NSW school holidays;
of course we will commemorate the day at our annual ANZAC Day assembly, however this year it will held on the first day of Term 2!

Unfortunately that leaves us very little time to remind our students of the ANZAC story and to answer the important questions that so many students seem to have.

So I have pulled together some interesting resources your child may like to explore if they wish to deepen their knowledge about ANZAC Day and the Australian contribution to war.

Firstly, I have found this very simple explanation of ANZAC Day which makes it very easy for us all to understand! The (gulp) wikipedia entry can be found here.

The amazing 'Australians at War' website is perfect for a Year 5 or 6 student to explore.

'What Happened to Smithy?' Is an interactive history mystery game where the player explores and discovers more about the famous Australian, Charles Kingsford Smith.

There are also the 'Symbology' games (army, navy, airforce) where the player has to use their knowledge of military symbols and code breaking to complete a successful mission. An online 'war aptitude test' is also available where players can test their knowledge.

The Australian War Memorial has an excellent 'Kids HQ' website where online activities are available for students to explore.

There is also this terrific 'Soldier's Slang' website where the language of Australian soldiers at Gallipoli is explored and explained.

An explanation of the 'rising sun badge' that all members of the Australian Forces wear can be found here.

Here is a New Zealand TV article about a school student that became involved in the commemoration of ANZAC Day. It focuses also on the contributions of Pacific Islander people to war.



Here is some actual footage of Gallipoli from the Auckland War Memorial Museum, along with dramatic music and explanations in text!


I also need to insert my warning here that the comments section of YouTube may contain nasty language - you may like to check before showing footage to your child.

A list of books about ANZAC Day can be found on the goodreads website (although they are generally aimed more at younger children, some wonderful illustration though!)
A more thorough list of ANZAC Day books (including adult titles) can be found here.
Some books for young adults include:
- Scarecrow Army: The ANZACS at Gallipoli by Leon Davidson
- A Rose for the ANZAC Boys by Jackie French

On ANZAC Day we wear a sprig of Rosemary to commemorate the day, an explanation can be found here. If you have some rosemary at home, you should bring some sprigs along to wear to our ANZAC assembly!

Lest we forget.