REMEMBRANCE DAY TEACHING NOTES

REMEMBRANCE DAY or ARMISTICE DAY - 11th November.

Children today might ask 'What relevance is this to me? It happened a long time ago - back in history'. But it is very relevant for pupils to learn about Remembrance Day.

War is certainly not a thing of the past and wars are unfortunately still being fought today. Troops are on duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other trouble spots around the world. Remembrance and the two minute tribute is just as relevant and important as ever.

Click the photo for a Remembrance Day Teaching Resource.

TEACHERS' NOTES:

You will see many people wearing poppies at this time of year. Why? Poppies grew in the fields of Flanders and are a memorial to those soldiers who died during the First World War, and later wars. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the guns of Europe stopped fighting. The war had ended. An Armistice was signed at 11am and the war was officially over.

Remembrance Day remembers all those who fought and died in the first two World Wars and in later conflicts. In the UK and other countries, a two minute silence at 11am on 11th November is observed at war cenotaphs, memorials, religious services and even shopping centres. Wreaths of poppies are laid around cenotaphs and memorials.


IN FLANDERS FIELDS - poem by John Mcrae, 1915
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Top Teaching Tools is back in action!

TOP TEACHING TOOLS is proud to introduce its new website. We have returned after a major technical hitch. It has taken five months to re-write the whole site and make significant changes, but we are very excited to have added a huge number of new downloadable teaching resources. There is even a display photos section now.

HUNGARIAN / ENGLISH RESOURCES

Szia! We are developing our new Hungarian section - for Hungarians learning English and for English speakers wanting to learn Hungarian. Our resources include flash cards - concentrating at present on classroom language and objects.

We have developed a useful bi-lingual Hungarian / English help mat with key words and greetings, numbers, colours and other important vocabulary. Ideal if you have a new Hungarian pupil starting in your class to teach him / her new vocabulary. The rest of the class can learn some Hungarian too! Likewise it can be used by English teachers working with Primary-aged pupils in Hungary.

Food and Drink resources, and larger number cards are coming very soon.
Viszontlátásra!

www.top-teaching-tools.com

CHINESE NEW YEAR TEACHING RESOURCES

Have you heard the news headlines? Mandarin may be introduced into UK schools? This is already happening at Primary School level at one school in Edinburgh. With CHINESE NEW YEAR coming soon, pupils will love to learn about the animal 12-year zodiac. One of the best activities I have done in the past with my pupils is to make an everlasting zodiac wheel. Take a circle and divide it into twelve parts. Stick pictures of the twelve animals onto the segments, or ask the children to draw them. Attach another wheel on to the front using a split pin. Turn this wheel round to reveal the pictures through its window.

What about teaching pupils more about China? Get your pupils to build the Great Wall of China and Save the Panda too.

WET PLAYTIME GAMES and NEW ESOL, EFL GAMES

Do you dread the thought of WET PLAYTIMES with your Primary pupils? Paper and pens everywhere, and over-excited children? One useful idea I have used with my classes are these popular games mats. Pupils will be totally engaged, whilst reinforcing their numeracy and literacy skills! Perfect!

I have included and adapted these games for ESOL / EFL / EAL / English pupils too. Games include Snakes and Ladders, Hangman, Squares, Noughts and Crosses, Battleships and Draughts.

IS THE ANSWER TO GLOBAL TERRORISM BOMBS AND BULLETS, OR IS IT EDUCATION?

ISLAM
At a time when security issues are to the fore, it is important that pupils of all faiths and of none have the opportunity to study and understand the major religions of the world, and to understand their differences and similarities.

Are you struggling to find attractive, accurate and comprehensive materials on the world religions for Primary and Secondary Religious Education teaching? I certainly was. Two workbooks called Islam are the first of the series. There are two levels available - for different age ranges or different levels, depending on your requirements.
Click HERE to view ISLAM.

Perpetual Calendar

Do you ever have a spare five minutes in class to fill, or the same pupils who always finish their work before the rest of the class? I find this resource really helpful and use it all the time:
PERPETUAL CALENDAR

New Year Teaching Resources

As the new teaching term looms, and the joys of Christmas are fading away, you are probably starting to think beyond the first INSET day to how you can get the New Year and beginning of term off to a good start with your classes.

We have just added a handful of seasonal teaching resources that you might be interested in:

1. We have New Year / Hogmanay writing mats for lower and upper primary pupils.
2. There are great writing prompt mats for Winter too.

Click here to view them.


We have now added a perpetual Calendar for January provides great fillers for everyday of the month.

February coming soon…

Happy New Year!
From
Top Teaching Tools