The guide addresses the following subjects:

• brief notes on Canadian military history and The Royal Canadian Legion;
• important Canadian symbols;
• Remembrance themes in stories, songs and poems;
• information about the annual Poppy campaign and how the money donated is used;
• information concerning our National Literary and Poster contests; and
• suggested school Remembrance activities.

This Guide to Remembrance has been created by The Royal Canadian Legion to assist primary and secondary school teachers to foster the Tradition of Remembrance amongst Canada's youth.

It is not the intention that Remembrance be a daily practice, but there is a need to ensure that today's youth have a fundamental understanding of what their great-grandparents, grandparents and in some cases their fathers and mothers were called upon to do to defend the freedom and democracy that we enjoy today. Also, it has often been said that those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

It is believed that most children, by the time they begin formal schooling, will have had some exposure to Remembrance Day through television, radio, movies, reading and through family observance of the day. The Canadian education system has a responsibility to enrich these early experiences so that each student may develop a real understanding and appreciation for Remembrance Day. Children new to Canada must also have an understanding of the sacrifices that many Canadians made to preserve and protect the way of life that they now embrace. In short, we must ensure that Remembrance Day is afforded the respect and dignity it rightly deserves and maintains its place among the great traditions of our country.

In addition to the information available in the guide, your local branch of The Royal Canadian Legion can be of much assistance. There are members at the branch who would be more than willing to share their time and experiences. The telephone number for the branch nearest you can be found in the white pages of the telephone book under the listing - Royal Canadian Legion.

It is our hope that you find the information both useful and meaningful. As you prepare for the Remembrance period please do not forget the assistance that is available at your local Legion branch.

This guide is a PDF file so that you may save the complete PDF or just some of the text and images onto your computer to use as aids for Poppy and Remembrance education. The file is fairly large (3.54MG) so it may take several minutes to open, then save on your computer.

Open Teachers Guide now