Lest We Forget: Educating the Next Generation

Teaching children about the past and significant events in History in an engaging way can be difficult. I don't know about you, but I find it hard myself to go back to a time that I have never seen or experienced, so just think how hard it must be for a child to comprehend.

In the last 4 years of educating my two boys at home, we have covered a number of sensitive subjects from history, and after some trial and error I have come to the conclusion that being able to combine learning with hands on experiences is the key. Now I'm not saying that we should all pack up our children and take them on a road trip, but using resources that they can physically touch and hold can help to spark that interest and love of learning...

This is where the WW1 Memorabilia pack comes into its own...

Included in the memorabilia pack is a couple of stand out pieces that the boys found absolutely fascinating, which has since prompted them in doing some extra research, the first of which being a little book produced by a business notifying its staff what to do and where to go in the event of an air raid.

Another piece that sparked many questions was a recruitment poster asking men to enlist. This led to lots of discussion about how it would feel to be a soldier going off to war and saying goodbye to their loved ones and the use of advertising, which they then expanded by designing their own recruitment posters.

World War 1, also known as the First World War began on 28th July 1914 and lasted until 11th November 1918.. exactly four years, three months and 14 days...In this time, over 8 million soldiers died and 21 million were injured...

Using the time line posters, we tracked the major events that happened during the war, leading through to the morning of the 11th November 1918, when after more than 4 years of fighting, Germany signed an armistice which ended all fighting on the Western front.

Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. The day is also marked by war remembrances in several other non Commonwealth countries..

During the First World War, millions of soldiers saw the poppies in Flanders fields on the Western Front, with some even sending pressed poppies home in letters..

Over 100 years later, the poppy is still a world recognised symbol of remembrance of the First World War.