Learning objective
- To explain why some people remember those who keep the world safe.
EYFS outcomes
Development matters
Understanding the world
Children in reception will be learning to:
- Talk about members of their immediate family and community.
- Name and describe people who are familiar to them.
Creating and thinking critically
Children in reception will be learning to:
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Use pretend play to think beyond the ‘here and now’ and to understand another perspective.
See Development Matters (non-statutory curriculum guidance) – contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Early Learning Goals
ELG: Communication and Language Listening – Attention and Understanding
Children at the expected level of development will:
- Listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions, comments and actions when being read to and during whole class discussions and small group interactions.
ELG: Communication and Language Listening – Speaking ELG
Children at the expected level of development will:
- Participate in small group, class and one-to-one discussions, offering their own ideas, using recently introduced vocabulary.
ElG: Understanding the World – Past and Present
Children at the expected level of development will:
- Talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society.
See Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, 2021.
Before the lesson
Watch
Teacher overview video
Have ready
- Presentation: Special memories.
- Presentation: Who helps keep us safe?
- Presentation: Remembrance Day.
- Green A3 sugar paper.
- Red paint.
- Plastic plates or palettes.
- A green felt tip pen.
Teacher Notes
Lesson organisation
During the teacher-led activity, the children will create a whole-class painting of a field of poppies. Prepare a sheet of green A3 sugar paper by drawing a line halfway across the paper (landscape). The children will use their thumbs to print poppies near the line. After the lesson, once the paint has dried, stems should be drawn on the poppies with a green pen.
Cautions
- Keep the concept of remembrance simple and positive, focus on thanking people who help us and remembering kind actions.
- Avoid introducing the idea of conflict or death. If children raise it, gently steer the discussion back to helping and thanking.
- Some children may not observe Remembrance Day. Ensure the lesson is inclusive of all backgrounds and beliefs.
Activity
Reflection time
Display the Presentation: Special memories.
Presentation: Special memories
Click on each of the people and listen to their special memories. Explain that a memory is when we think about – remember – something that happened in the past. Ask the children to think of a special memory to share with the class.
Carpet time
Arrange the class in a circle and hold a soft, red piece of fabric (or another suitable object). Share a special memory with the children, starting with the words ‘I remember…’ Explain that the object will be passed around the circle. When it is passed to them, they should share a special memory, starting with the words ‘I remember…’
Explain that people like to remember times when they felt happy and safe.
Display the images on the Presentation: Who helps keep us safe?
Presentation: Who helps keep us safe?
Ask the children:
- Who can you see? (A firefighter; a doctor; a nurse; a police officer; a soldier.)
- How do these people help keep us safe? (The children’s answer might include: firefighters put out fires and help with emergencies; doctors help us get better when we are ill; nurses give us medicine and look after us; police officers catch people who break the rules; soldiers protect the country.)
- Why is it important to remember and say thank you to people who help keep us safe? (The children may suggest: because they work hard; they make sure everyone follows the rules and help people who are in trouble or lost; they keep us safe; they help when we are scared or hurt; they help protect us.)
Activity
Adult-led activity
Display slide 1 of the Presentation: Remembrance Day. Explain the photograph shows people at a train station on Remembrance Day, a special day each year to remember people who help keep us all safe. They are standing silently for two minutes. Discuss that being silent is something people often do when they want to remember and think about people they would like to thank if they could.
Presentation: Remembrance Day
Show the children the photographs on slides 2 and 3. Explain that the people are at Remembrance Day events.
- What are some people wearing on their clothes? (Flower; poppies.)
- What are some of the people holding? (Poppy wreaths.)
Explain that people wear a poppy (a flower) to remember those who have helped to make the world safer and to say thank you to them.
Explain that the children are going to be creating a picture of a field of poppies to remember people who keep the world safe. Place the sheet of green sugar paper and the plate or palette containing red paint on the table. One child at a time, ask the children to dip their thumb in the paint and make some thumbprints on the green paper near the pencil line. Repeat with all of the children.
Arrange the children into a standing circle on the carpet and ask them to close their eyes and remember a time when someone has helped keep them safe. Ask them to remain silent, and say thank you in their head.
Optional: take the children on a walk in nature, either on the school grounds or near the school. Ask the children to remain silent for a few moments.
Questions
How did you feel when it was nice and quiet outside? (Answers might include: it felt peaceful; it was calm; I could hear the birds.)
Support and challenge
- Support the children by allowing them to practise their thumbprint first on scrap paper.
- Challenge the children to give reasons why some people like to be silent when remembering those who keep us safe.
- Challenge the children to write a word that they think of when remembering people who keep the world safe, e.g. brave, thank you, etc.
Key vocabulary
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memory
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past
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poppy
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remember
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silence
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special
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thanks
