Let’s Remember

Remembrance Day is on 11 November

by Hannah Taylor

Suitable for Key Stage 2

Aims

To reflect upon the people who have fought for our country, and consider how they have shaped the world today.

Preparation and materials

• You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Let's Remember) and the means to display them.
• Have available the YouTube video ‘Learn about Remembrance Day - CBeebies’ and the means to show it during the assembly. It is 3.08 minutes long and is available at: https://youtu.be/kni91fHqi50

Assembly

1. Show Slide 1.
   
   In the days leading up to Remembrance Day on 11 November, we will see many people wearing a red poppy.
   
   
2. Show Slide 2.
   
   Ask the children, ‘Can anyone tell me what wearing a poppy signifies?’
   
   Listen to a range of responses.
   
   Wearing a poppy helps us to remember all the special people who have helped to protect our country during wars.
   
   We use the poppy flower to symbolize this because huge numbers of poppies grew on the battlefields after the First World War ended.
   
   Nowadays, every time we buy a Remembrance Day poppy, the money is used to help members of the armed services and their families.
   
   
3. Show the YouTube video ‘Learn about Remembrance Day - CBeebies’ (3.08 minutes long).
   
   Ask the children what they learnt from the video.
   
   Listen to a range of responses.
   
   
4. Encourage the children to ask their families if any family members were involved in the First and Second World Wars.
   
   Many of these people will have passed away now, but their medals and stories may have been passed down through the generations.
   
   
5. Show Slide 3.
   
   Point out that over the years, many writers have chosen to show respect to those who have fought in wars by creating poems and songs.
   
   In the spring of 1915, shortly after losing a friend in battle, a man called John McCrae wrote a famous poem after seeing poppies growing on the battlefield.
   
   Read out the poem, or part of it.
   
   
6. Unfortunately, the Second World War was not the last ever war. There is still fighting in many parts of the world today.
   
   
7. Explain that even if we feel powerless to stop wars, we can still make a difference by helping to bring peace to the situations in which we find ourselves.
   
   Encourage the children to think about how they can bring peace to the classroom, school, playground, home and so on.
   
   Pause to allow time for thought and discussion.

Time for reflection

Let’s all close our eyes and take a minute to reflect.

Let’s think about all the people who gave freely in the hope of peace during the First and Second World Wars. Let’s quietly say thank you for their fight for our freedom.

Let’s remember all those who have given themselves to bringing peace in more recent wars.

Let’s remember those who are facing war today.

Let us all pray for peace.

Prayer
Dear God,
We pray for peace in this world.
We pray for all those who are facing war at this time.
Please bring peace.
We thank you for people who have given their lives in battle.
We thank you for their families, and pray that you will be close to each of them.
Please help us to set good examples of love, kindness and bravery.
Amen.

Extension activities

1. Ask the children to write a poem or song about their feelings about war.