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Kindergarten to
Grade 3 - Teacher's Guide
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 Dear Teacher;
Thank you for your participation in this Veterans' Week activity. Veterans Affairs Canada applauds your efforts to help students learn more about the service and sacrifice of Canada's veterans and peacekeepers.
This guide is intended to help you and your class get the most from this activity. We encourage you to check out the rest of the Veterans Affairs' Web site for more information Canadian veterans' wartime experiences, and for a wide array of teaching resources. Visit the Youth Site for other features of special interest to students.
As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions. Please take a moment to send us your comments.
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Take Time to Remember
Historical Background
The First World War
Canadian troops fought on the battlefields of Europe in trenches filled with water, mud, and rats. Soldiers wore masks to protect themselves against a deadly new weapon, poison gas. Canada's greatest victory was the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France. Both French and British troops had already tried and failed to capture this important hill. But on April 9, 1917, Canadian troops swept forward to victory through sleet, wind, and snow.
The Second World War (1939 to 1945)
Canadian troops saw combat in Europe, Africa and Asia for six long years. In the Battle of the Atlantic they fought German submarines to prevent the sinking of Allied ships. I Italy and at Dieppe in France, many were wounded, died, or taken prisoner. Canadians were in the front lines at D-Day, the great invasion that helped win the war. They went on to free most of the Netherlands. At home, Canadian men and women built tanks, ships, planes, guns, and ammunition.
The Korean War (1950 to 1953)
Canadians fought through heavy rain and snow alongside other United Nations forces in the mountains, swamps, and rice fields. At Kapyong, Canadian soldiers were surrounded by North Korean troops, but they bravely held on and turned back the enemy. For this, they were awarded a special honour for bravery.
Peacekeeping
After the Korean War, Canadians looked for new ways to prevent conflict. They continued to help build the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations which had been established in 1945. Since then Canadian peacekeepers have worked all over the world. They bring supplies and medical care to those in need, help rebuild war-torn areas, supervise elections, and clear away land mines. Most importantly, they try to prevent the outbreak of war.
DID YOU KNOW? |
| More than 1,500,000 Canadians served in the First World War, Second World War, and the Korean War. More than 116,000 gave their lives in the struggle for peace and freedom. |
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was placed at the National War Memorial in May 2000. An unknown Canadian soldier is interred in this special tomb and represents our country's commitment to peace and freedom in the past, in the present, and in the future. |
| The First World War came to an end on Monday, November 11, 1918 at 11:00 a.m. - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Remembrance Day has taken place throughout the Commonwealth on the same day ever since. |
The names of Canadians who fought and died in wartime have been collected in the Books of Remembrance. Each day another page is turned. |
| During wartime, thousands of Canada's Nursing Sisters volunteered their services to tend to the sick and wounded. Nursing Officers, as they are now called, continue their dedicated service today. |
The Merchant Navy was made up of vessels that were used for shipping in peacetime. During the First and Second World Wars, they moved millions of tonnes of food, munitions, petroleum, and troops. |
| Canadian women played an increasingly important role, both at home and abroad, during the Second World War. Their contributions were essential to the success of Canada's war effort. |
Lester B. Pearson, Canada's 14th Prime Minister, is known as the Father of Peacekeeping. In 1956, he suggested that the United Nations send troops to prevent war in the Middle East. For his efforts he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. Just over three decades later, Canadians shared another Nobel Peace Prize when all UN peacekeeping forces were awarded the honour in 1988. |
Other Activities
Veterans' Visits
Contact your local Royal Canadian Legion to invite a veteran to visit the classroom and share stories of his or her wartime experiences with the children.
A Memorial Wreath
Start with a large cardboard wreath painted green. Add a "Thank You" sign at the top of the wreath. Give each child a small poppy shape to cut out and colour. Invite students to print their names on the poppies and glue them to the wreath. Display the wreath in the classroom or send it to your local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
Poems for Peace
Write a class poem about war and peace. Print it on the wings of a large white paper dove suspended from the ceiling. Or encourage each child to write a rhyming couplet on a strip of paper. Attach the strips to a paper banner held aloft by a dove of peace.
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