On April 25, as a nation, we commemorate Anzac Day and honour those who had served or are serving our country, but if you’re a primary teacher, you might be pondering the best way to help students understand that this isn’t just a public holiday that means school is closed and they get extra sleep. How do you teach students about the importance of the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) and the significant roles service men and women of our nations have now and had during the war?
In preparation for this meaningful day, the teachers on the Teach Starter team have put together this guide to help you with your lesson planning! You’ll find tips on how to explain Anzac Day to kids, ideas for Anzac Day books of lower, middle and upper primary teachers to read in the classroom, and more — all put together by teachers, for teachers.
Short on time? Skip directly to our teacher-created Anzac Day printables and activities collection!
How Do You Explain Anzac Day to Kids?
No doubt your primary students have heard of Anzac Day, but you’ll want to be sure they truly understand it before you pull out any books or classroom activities.
This public holiday began as a way to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I, but now it is both a celebration and a commemoration.
To explain this to kids, you might want to highlight that Anzac Day is a time for Australians and New Zealanders to remember and pay respect to the brave soldiers who fought for their country and the values they held dear. It is also a time to reflect on the importance of peace and remember the impact of war on soldiers and their families.
You can also emphasise the values of bravery, courage, mateship, and sacrifice that the ANZACs embodied and how these values continue to be celebrated and upheld in contemporary Australia and New Zealand.
This video explains the day in a kid-friendly way appropriate for sharing with all year levels:
Planning a school assembly for Anzac Day? This 10-slide Anzac Day Assembly PowerPoint template is easy to edit and already includes an overview of Anzac Day to save you time! The teaching presentation covers the following key information:
- What is Anzac Day?
- What Happened on the First Anzac Day?
- Why is Anzac Day Important?
- How Can We Commemorate Anzac Day?
Anzac Day Craft Ideas for the Classroom
Here are just a few of our teacher team’s favourite craft ideas for Anzac Day in the classroom!
Introduce Students to the Poppy Symbol
The poppy is used around the world to symbolise the sacrifice of soldiers on the battlefield, and it has become a tradition to wear poppies on both Anzac Day and Remembrance Day. With that in mind, poppy craft is a good way to introduce this important symbol in a child-appropriate way.
Emphasise to your class that the poppy is a way to honour and remember the sacrifices of all soldiers and to pay respect to their service and bravery. By wearing a poppy, people show their support for those who have served their country and commemorate the losses and sacrifices that have been made in times of war.
One of our teacher team’s favourite poppy crafts involves creating an optical illusion in the form of an agamograph (also called a lenticular!).
You can download the colouring template for our Poppy and Soldier agamograph to print for your class.
Want another option for your students? Try this poppy and flag agamograph printable or a meaningful mosaic poppy art activity.
Create Anzac Day Wreaths
The wreath is a traditional tribute for Anzac Day services, and creating your own versions with your class is a wonderful way to pay tribute to our armed forces.
Anzac Day wreaths are traditionally woven with laurel leaves, which were used as a symbol of honour as far back as the ancient Romans to crown victors and the brave. The wreaths are also traditionally adorned with red poppies.
Download this Anzac Day Wreath template, and have students colour in the first template or they can colour the individual poppy, wreath, leaves and sign and stick it all together themselves.
You might also like to download this simple poppy template for students to colour in and turn into their own wreaths!
Anzac Day Books for Kids to Read in the Classroom
Picture books are a powerful way of introducing and explaining Anzac Day to children.
- Before reading an Anzac Day picture book to your students, start a conversation with them about what Anzac Day means to them and the significance they think it has to our nation.
- Whilst reading, stop and reflect on the events taking part along the way and imagine with your students how the characters may be feeling.
- After reading, identify the important message that the author has presented in the book, then engage students with an activity that connects the students with the author’s purpose or a personal experience they have had.
This picture book is about a boy and his grandfather who help the reader understand the significance of ANZAC Day. Lest We Forget by Kerry Brown is one of our top picks!
Here are a few more examples of books you may like to find to share with your students this Anzac Day.
Most of them can be found at your local library, or you may like to check with your teacher librarian for help to track them down. Perhaps some of these books are floating around your school library!
Lower Primary Anzac Day Books
- Anzac Ted by Belinda Landsberry
- The Anzac Puppy by Peter Millett
- The Little Stowaway by Vicki Bennett and Tull Suwannakit
Middle Primary Anzac Day Books
- Gallipoli by Kerry Greenwood
- My Grandad Marches On Anzac Day by Catriona Hoy
- ANZAC Biscuits by Phil Cummings and Owen Swan
- Lone Pine by Susie Brown and Margaret Warner
Upper Primary Anzac Day Books
- In Flanders Fields by Norman Jorgensen
- Memorial by Gary Crew and Shaun Tan
- Simpson and His Donkey by Mark Greenwood
More Anzac Day Learning Activities
Discuss Anzac Day Vocabulary
Anzac Day represents a good time to explore new vocabulary with your students including words like trench and battlefield. Why not create a visual reminder of the vocabulary your students learn with an Anzac Day Word Wall designed by our teacher team to help you to create a wonderful Anzac Day display?
Explore Anzac Day Writing Activities
Teaching new vocabulary is only half of the lesson! Challenge your young writers to put their new word knowledge into action.
You can use this Reflections on Anzac Day Template to help your students reflect on the meaning of Anzac Day to them or to put themselves in a soldier’s shoes by completing a Letter from the Trenches. Students can pretend to be a soldier or nurse, writing home to their loved ones.
For a historical twist, stain your letters with teabags after they’ve been written and display them in your classroom alongside your Anzac Day Word Wall!
Answer Common Anzac Day Questions
Over the years, our teacher team has encountered plenty of curious questions from kids on this important day. Here are some that we can recall, along with answers that will help you be prepared!
Why Do People Wear Rosemary on Anzac Day?
The herb rosemary is one of the many symbols that has been associated with this important day. But why rosemary? The tradition of wearing a sprig of rosemary in both Australia and New Zealand on this day is believed to have originated from the battlefields of Gallipoli during World War I. The reason goes back to a legend that the scent of rosemary was often present on the Gallipoli peninsula, and soldiers would sometimes place sprigs of the herb in their hats for good luck and as a reminder of home.
This is a good example of a story that has been passed down but may not be completely truthful, and you might use this as an opportunity to talk about primary and secondary sources of information!
Why Are Flags Lowered to Half Mast on Anzac Day?
Do you have a flag at your school that’s been lowered halfway? Students may notice it goes up and down and wonder why. Take the opportunity to explain what this is called and why it happens.
Flags are lowered to half-mast on certain days as a sign of respect and mourning for those who have lost their lives in war. This tradition is observed in many countries around the world as a mark of solemn remembrance for fallen soldiers.
On Anzac Day specifically, the flag is raised to the top of the flagpole at dawn and then lowered to half-mast until midday. The lowering of the flag symbolises the lowering of the colours in honour of the fallen. This is known as the Dawn Service. It’s a significant part of the day’s commemorative events.
Fabulous resource. Thank you.
Thanks so much, Andrea. We are glad you're finding these ideas and resources helpful.
Excellent resource
Thank you so much, Te Aroha! We're glad you liked this blog and its resources!