The Day Australia Stops Activity Pack - Foundation to Year 2
Support young children in developing a respectful understanding of ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day with The Day Australia Stops Activity Pack – Foundation to Year 2. Designed to accompany the We Remember Presentation, this engaging activity pack helps students connect remembrance with real people, local memorials and the promise to remember those who served.
Students complete meaningful drawing, tracing, matching and discussion activities, create a keepsake remembrance page, prepare a name card for school ceremonies and participate in a guided visitor session with a veteran or community member. Activities are carefully scaffolded so that reading and writing are never barriers to participation, making the resource accessible for all learners.
With built-in differentiation, teacher guidance, question cards and answer pages included, this resource creates a thoughtful bridge between classroom learning and school commemorative services while helping students understand that remembrance is about real people and real communities.
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 identify the ways we observe special events, e.g. birthdays, Easter, Ramadan, NAIDOC Week, ANZAC Day and why these events are important.
- 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).
- We are learning to identify how stories of families and the past can be shared, e.g. photographs, books, toys, medals, jewellery, artwork, stories, museums.
- We are learning to identify the ways we observe special events, e.g. birthday, Easter, Ramadan, NAIDOC Week, ANZAC Day and why these events are important.
- We are learning to understand how the past, present and future are signified by time, some of which have personal significance.
Curriculum alignment
AC9HSFK02
9
The celebrations and commemorations of significant events shared with their families and others
AC9HS2K02
9
How technological developments changed people’s lives at home, and the ways they worked, travelled and communicated
AC9HSFK01
9
The people in their family, where they were born and raised, and how they are related to each other
AC9HS1K02
9
Continuity and change between aspects of their daily lives and their parents’ and grandparents’ childhoods
ACHASSK012
8.4
How they, their family and friends commemorate past events that are important to them
ACHASSK030
8.4
Differences and similarities between students' daily lives and life during their parents’ and grandparents’ childhoods
ACHASSK013
8.4
How the stories of families and the past can be communicated, for example, through photographs, artefacts, books, oral histories, digital media and museums
ACHASSK029
8.4
How the present, past and future are signified by terms indicating time, as well as by dates and changes that may have personal significance, such as birthdays, celebrations and seasons
ACHASSK046
8.4
How changing technology affected people’s lives (at home and in the ways they worked, travelled, communicated and played in the past)
ACHASSK011
8.4
Who the people in their family are, where they were born and raised and how they are related to each other
HT1-3
old
Describes the effects of changing technology on people’s lives over time
HT1-4
old
Demonstrates skills of historical inquiry and communication
HT1-1
old
Communicates an understanding of change and continuity in family life using appropriate historical terms
HTe-2
old
Demonstrates developing skills of historical inquiry and communication
HTe-1
old
Communicates stories of their own family heritage and the heritage of others
VCHHK059
Differences in family structures of families and the role of family groups today, and what they have in common and how these have changed or remained the same over time
VCHHC053
Sequence significant events about personal and family history to create a chronological narrative
VCHHK062
How they, their family, friends and communities commemorate past events that are important to them
VCHHK061
Differences and similarities between students' daily lives and perspectives of life during their parents’ and grandparents’ childhoods, including family traditions, leisure time and communications
VCHHK058
Who the people in their family are, describe where they were born and raised and how they are related to each other and how their stories are communicated and shared
VCHHK060
How the present, past and future are signified by terms indicating and describing time
VCHHC055
Identify perspectives about changes to daily life from people in the past or present
VCHHC054
Identify the content features of primary sources when describing the significance of people, places or events
VCHHK065
The effect of changing technology on people’s lives and their perspectives on the significance of that change
Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.
Differentiation
Modifications
- Complete drawing tasks together before independent work.
- Scribe student responses where required.
- Discuss each activity orally before writing or tracing.
- Pair students to share ideas before completing pages independently.
Extensions
- Invite a veteran or community member to speak using the included question cards.
- Visit a local memorial and complete the name card activity.
- Display students' Promise Pages as a classroom remembrance display.
- Encourage students to discuss their keepsake with their families.
- Read age-appropriate ANZAC Day picture books alongside the activities.