We Remember: ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day Presentation - Foundation to Year 2
Introduce young learners to ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day with this engaging ANZAC & Commemoration Presentation – Foundation to Year 2. Designed specifically for early primary students, this interactive PowerPoint helps children develop an age-appropriate understanding of why Australians pause to remember the men and women who have served our country.
Using simple language, engaging visuals and guided class discussions, the presentation introduces important commemorative symbols, explains why ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day are observed, and encourages students to think about remembrance, courage, service and community. Students participate in discussion, questioning and reflection while building empathy and historical understanding in a respectful and accessible way.
Perfect as an introduction to a commemorative unit or school service, this presentation pairs beautifully with the accompanying The Day Australia Stops Activity Pack – Foundation to Year 2, providing a strong foundation before students complete follow-up activities.
Learning goals
- We are learning to identify the people in our family, e.g. mother, father, grandparent, where they were born and raised and the relationships between family members.
- We are learning to understand the differences and similarities between students' daily lives and life during their parents’ and grandparents’ childhoods.
- We are learning to identify how changing technology affected people’s lives (at home and in the ways they worked, travelled, communicated and played in the past).
Curriculum alignment
Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.
Differentiation
Modifications
- Pause regularly to discuss new vocabulary and concepts.
- Use real photographs of local memorials to strengthen classroom discussions.
- Encourage students to share family experiences only if they feel comfortable.
- Provide sentence starters for students requiring additional oral language support.
- Complete the presentation over two shorter lessons if required.
Extensions
- Visit a local war memorial and discuss the symbols students recognise from the presentation.
- Read a picture book about ANZAC Day or Remembrance Day to reinforce key ideas.
- Complete The Day Australia Stops Activity Pack – Foundation to Year 2 as a follow-up activity.
- Invite students to create a class remembrance display featuring poppies and student reflections.
- Encourage students to interview a family member about why remembrance is important.