Remembrance Day

Resource type: Event

Price band: Free

Key stage: KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4, KS5

Region(s): All of UK

Armistice Day is celebrated across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth on 11th November. The Armistice – an agreement to end the fighting of the First World War – began at 11.00am on 11th November 1918. To this day, we mark Armistice Day with a Two Minute Silence at 11am and remember all those who have given their lives in service to their country since 1914.

The Royal British Legion provides free cross-curricular resources to support the Teaching of Remembrance from KS1 through to KS5. The resources are linked to the National Curriculum and include:

Remembrance Assemblies for all ages.
Lesson plans, short activities and whole school projects to explore Remembrance through poetry and story, art, music, original photographs and film, including Book Club resources for KS2 and KS3.
Sounds of Remembrance project – a whole school primary project to create an audio time capsule that records the ways people in the community take part in Remembrance.

All the resources are also available in Welsh.

Cost: Free with registration.

About The Royal British Legion: The Royal British Legion was set up in 1921 as a national network to support the Armed Forces community in the UK. They provide support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families as well as coordinating the annual Poppy Appeal.

Further resources:

Watch and listen

Join poet Alan (Kurly) McGeachie to explore the emotional and historical significance of Remembrance through poetry with two workshops aimed at pupils aged 7-9 and 9-11 on 29th September. Download the accompany learning sequence, which includes a link to a How to Teach Remembrance training video for teachers. Available with free NLT membership.
Sign up for a free online assembly from the National Literacy Trust in partnership with the Royal British Legion for pupils aged 9-14 on 11th November that will include the Two-Minute Silence to mark the Armistice.

Teaching and learning

Poppyscotland has created a range of teaching resources to support all levels of the Curriculum for Excellence. These include original photos, veteran films, assemblies, interactive activities, and teaching notes to accompany a range of thought-provoking reads developed in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.
Explore the history of WWI and Armistice Day with the news-based Remembrance and Armistice Day resource pack from First News. There is a video to watch, a themed news report and comprehension, and a WWI Special Edition with teaching resources. Suitable for pupils 9+. Free with registration.
Explore the Remembrance Day resources for primary and secondary schools from BBC Teach, including a recording of the Remembrance Live Lesson 2023 created in consultation with the Imperial War Museum.
Best-selling author Tom Palmer has created a range of resources that can be used to help mark Remembrance Day, including a three-part, read aloud story with accompanying resources about the Barnbow Lasses who worked in a munitions factory in Leeds during the First World War and downloadable resources to accompany many of his popular WWI and WWII stories.
Artist Darrell Wakelam has a simple but very effective art project for an Egg Box Poppy. Find instructions here.

Reading recommendations

Explore the poems in the First World War Poetry Showcase on the Poetry by Heart website. The collection covers a wide range of experiences and voices. Each poem comes with notes and many also feature readings by young people.
Find fiction and non-fiction book recommendations for pupils aged 7-11 covering World War II from the experts at Books for Topics.
See the Remembrance Day booklist from the team at Toppsta, the book recommendation site powered by reviews by young people.