Anzac day is just over a month away, and people are already talking about what to expect for this year’s memorial. This will be the centennial commemoration of Anzac Day, so it’s going to be extra-special. If there was a better time for parents to teach their children about their heritage, few days can match April 25th.
Some parents may find the contents of that particular day in Australia and New Zealand’s history, which is understandable given the content of that history. But, they should consider whether they’d prefer that their kids learn about such sensitive subjects from them, or other people.
History isn’t an easy thing to explain to children; especially with all the nuances, different viewpoints, as well as socio-political issues scattered everywhere. This particular history lesson also comes with the possibility of potentially moulding your child’s views on the military, and its role in global security. Okay, so maybe they won’t get that far, but kids are smarter than most people give them credit for.
That’s a lot of information for parents to consider, especially for something that seems as simple as Anzac Day. Fortunately, there are materials available from online resources such as R.I.C. Publications that have educational materials dedicated to Anzac Day. It should be a helpful visual guide for both you and your child to navigate through the events of that fateful day in Gallipoli, as well as how to interpret its memorial more than a hundred years later.
In addition, it also makes the actual teaching of Anzac Day easier because it covers all the major points. These include the Gallipoli campaign, the meaning of the ANZAC, the special place it holds in the history of both Australia and New Zealand, and even describes the country’s role in World War I.
These educational materials, of course, leave out the more complex content, and make them available for later learning.