HASS · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Why Communities Remember: Anzac Day & Beyond

Active learning works well for this topic because students need to see, discuss, and create to understand why communities remember. Handling real memorials, designing monuments, and reflecting on traditions turns abstract ideas into concrete experiences students can analyze and own.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS3K01

• 15–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Memorial Analysis

Display photos of various Australian memorials, including cenotaphs, statues of local heroes, and First Nations plaques. Students move in small groups to note what they see, who is being remembered, and what emotions the memorial evokes.

Analyze the reasons communities choose to remember specific events from the past.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, move quietly between stations so students notice details and feel the solemnity of the memorials they are examining.

What to look for

Provide students with a picture of a local memorial. Ask them to write two sentences explaining what the memorial might represent and one reason why people visit it.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 60 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Designing a Community Monument

Students work together to identify a person or event from their local history that deserves a memorial. They must justify their choice and sketch a design that uses symbols to tell a story without using many words.

Evaluate the significance of Anzac Day and Remembrance Day in Australian culture.

Facilitation Tip

As students design monuments, ask guiding questions like ‘Who does this honor and why?’ to ensure their choices reflect deeper purpose.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Why do you think it is important for communities to have special days like Anzac Day and places like memorials?' Encourage students to share their ideas about shared history and values.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Meaning of Silence

Students reflect individually on why we use silence during ceremonies like Remembrance Day. They share their thoughts with a partner before discussing as a class how shared actions create a feeling of unity.

Compare how different memorials and monuments communicate community values.

Facilitation Tip

For the Think-Pair-Share on silence, invite students to share personal reflections first, then connect these to the broader meaning of ‘Lest We Forget’.

What to look for

Present students with a list of key vocabulary terms. Ask them to match each term with its correct definition or to use the term in a sentence related to commemoration.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic with sensitivity and respect for lived experiences. Avoid reducing commemoration to mere ritual by consistently linking symbols, traditions, and memorials to real people and events. Research shows that personal reflection and peer discussion strengthen understanding more than passive listening, so structure activities that require analysis, creation, and sharing.

Successful learning looks like students explaining the purpose of memorials, designing a meaningful community monument with clear reasoning, and articulating the significance of silence on days like Anzac Day. They should connect symbols and traditions to community identity and shared history.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk, watch for students who assume Anzac Day is solely about war. Redirect by asking them to focus on the emotions conveyed in the memorials and the language used in inscriptions.

  During Collaborative Investigation, remind students designing monuments that memorials honor more than soldiers. Use examples like pioneer memorials or First Nations leaders to prompt broader thinking.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share