Red Poppies
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Approach:  One to one
ACCESS
Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: How community activities reflect heritage  
Resources:
Red poppy
172Kb
Questions/instructions:  

Hand student red poppy.


   
 
% responses
2009 ('05)
y4
y8
1. When do lots of people wear these red poppies? ANZAC Day/Anniversary of Gallipoli 49 (39) 89 (91)
  Armistice Day 1 (0) 0 (0)
If student does not know, answer with “ANZAC Day (April 25)”.    
2. What important event does the red poppy remind us of?
  New Zealand soldiers who died fighting in wars 23 (18) 39 (37)
war mentioned 40 (42) 51 (51)
3. Why was the red poppy chosen as the symbol for this important event?    
Poppies grew on the Western Front:
[on the Western Front, the war churned up the soil causing dormant poppy seeds to bloom. This was particularly true near Ypres, in Flanders, Belgium. German use of chlorine gas killed allied soldiers but caused the poppies to bloom in abundance]
  good description of above 0 (0) 1 (1)
some description of above (Flanders fields) 3 (1) 15 (11)
Poppies grew where the soldiers fought 18 (7) 44 (38)
Poppies represent the blood of the soldiers 7 (13) 7 (14)
ANZAC Day started way back in 1916, yet lots of people are still showing interest in the special ceremonies held on ANZAC Day.    
4. Why are people still so interested in going to ANZAC Day ceremonies?
to commemorate people who died fighting for New Zealand
22 (22) 56 (58)
people have relatives/ancestors who died in wars
25 (29) 41 (37)
to honour returned soldiers 4 (4) 6 (7)

Total score:
6–11
2 (0) 10 (7)
4–5
21 (18) 54 (53)
3
19 (19) 22 (24)
2
17 (18) 9 (10)
0–1 41 (45)
5 (6)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4


Year 8


Commentary:
Year 8 students generally had a stronger understanding than year 4 students about the significance of red poppies and what they represent. Almost all year 8 students and about half of year 4 students understood the significance of ANZAC Day ceremonies. Slightly more year 4 students in 2009 than in 2005 understood the significance of red poppies and there was no meaningful change for year 8 students.