Anzac Day
April 25th
Embedded Files
Find out why we wear poppies on Anzac Day.
You might like to make your own to remember someone in your family who fought.
You could place a poppy in your window since we can't go to services this year.
Did someone in your family fight in WWI, WW2 or any other war? What do you know about them and where they fought? Could you find out anything more? Make a presentation to tell us about them. You could make slides, a doc, a video, or write about them.
Read the story of the Anzac Biscuit and then try making some!
What can you find out about our Napier War Memorials? How many do we have? Where are they? What happens at them on Anzac Day?
Tell us what you find out - you can choose how to share it.
You could draw one of them.
Write your own prayer service for remembering the fallen soldiers. Gather your family and light a candle.
What can you find out about the animals that were part of WWI? Animals in service, working animals and animal mascots.
You can decide how to share what you find out.
Torty, the Lucky Tortoise-JJ48 L2 2014.pdfRead Torty, the Lucky Tortoise. You can play the audio track while you read along.
How cool that he lives near Napier! What other interesting things did you learn from the stories? You might like to investigate some of the new words you didn't know before.
Listen to The Last Post. How does it make you feel? Can you find out why it is played at an Anzac Service?
This is Mrs Levy’s brother, playing the last post. My brother has done this for many years and prior to this my Dad played it for many years at many Dawn parade services. He is carrying on our family tradition.
What was life like after WWI and II? How did life change? Can you decide how times then are the same or different from our lockdown? How did the war effect the families back home?
You could write a letter pretending you are writing to your son or husband fighting, or your sister or wife working as a nurse on the frontline.
Make your own egg carton poppy wreath.
RTR-Dawn Parade-Online.pdfWhat do you think about Leo's early morning?
Have you ever been to a Dawn Parade? What was it like for you? Tell us the story.
If you have never been to a Dawn Parade would you like to? Why or why not?
Look carefully at the picture. What do you think?
You could write a prayer for this man.
Creative Anzac Day Activity Challenge Cards.pdfPick one of these activities to try.
Choose a poem about the Anzacs (you can google search them or you might have one in a book) and learn it off by heart. Video yourself reciting the poem. Can you do it off by heart?
Picture yourself as a soldier stuck in the trenches. It is wet, miserable, muddy, rats running around, Turks firing at you. You need to write a letter home. What would you say?
Think about the structure of a letter.
Anzac Battles
The Anzac’s were involved in many battles. Gallipoli is our most remembered. Can you find out more about the battle of Gallipoli? Can you find out about other battles?
Can you plot these battles on a world map?
Diorama
Can you make a model of the trenches at Gallipoli? What will it need to include? What materials will you need? Draw a plan first.
Write an acrostic ANZAC poem that shows your understanding/thoughts of ANZAC. Write full sentences. Can you add a simile or metaphor?
A-Z Anzac Day
Think of words connected to Anzac Day for every letter of the alphabet!
Check out these amazing views from around Gallipoli.
Think about how different it looked when the soldiers were there.
Click of either of these slides and choose a word problem to think about. You can draw it, use numbers or write it. You might need to find objects at home to count with. You can work it out with some people in your bubble. Share your working with us.
World War Two 28th (Māori) Battalion
World War Two 28th (Māori) Battalion
Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū (the warriors of Tūmatauenga, the Atua of war)
Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū (the warriors of Tūmatauenga, the Atua of war)
Following the effects of colonisation and the New Zealand Land Wars it’s fair to say that not all Māori were keen to volunteer for the British Empire. Leaders such as Te Puia Hērangi were very hesitant, while Sir Aparina Ngata believed participation was exceptionally important and in line with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Supported by iwi leaders and Māori politicians, many young Māori came forward as volunteers and the 28th (Māori) Battalion was formed as an all Māori infantry unit.
The 28th (Māori) Battalion was arranged into Companies A, B, C and D. These were predominantly made up of iwi such as:
A Company were mostly from Ngā Puhi
B Company were mostly from Ngai Tūhoe
C Company were mostly from Ngāti Porou and Rongowhakaata
D Company were mostly from Waikato, Heretaunga (Hawkes Bay), Taranaki, Ngāi Tahu and the Pacific Islands
The New Zealand 28th (Māori) Battalion fought in many of the most extreme battles of the Second World War across Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy. There are many accounts of the Battalion’s extraordinary heroism, humour, optimism, unity and musicality. They became internationally famous and by the end of the Second World War in 1945, they were our most celebrated infantry. They were also our most decorated, with the 28th (Māori) Battalion receiving 99 honours and awards – the highest of all New Zealand infantry battalions.
Famously, German General Siegfried Westphal, Field Marshal Rommel's chief of staff, stated "Give me the Māori Battalion and I will conquer the world."
Sadly, the Māori Battalion’s casualty rate was 50% higher than the average over all the New Zealand infantry battalions. This, and their noted recognition are a mark of the extreme battles they fought and risks they were prepared to take. NZ Division Commander General Freyberg famously said: "No infantry had a more distinguished record, or saw more fighting, or, alas, had such heavy casualties..."
The Māori Battalion are a great source of pride to our country and our Second World War allies. We know they are also a great source of pride to the many whānau and tamariki who have descended from them.
Members of the Māori Battalion who had fought in Greece perform a haka for the King of Greece at Helwan, Egypt in June 1941.
A group of Māori Battalion soldiers drive along a street in Sora, Italy in June 1944.
Watch the 28th Māori Battalion entertain the US Allies in Italy.
Use this picture frame to draw a picture of one of the soldiers in the Māori Battalion or another soldier you might like to remember.
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