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Learning Together Joyfully: Welcome back educators, care-givers, parents and care-givers! November has arrived, the leaves are falling, temperatures are dropping, the holiday season is rapidly approaching and  just like that, 2023 is just over the horizon. Pumpkin spice lattes, anyone?  Remembrance Day on November 11, 2022, is an opportunity to teach our children about our history in the wars, to honour the bravery of our veterans, and to reflect on the importance of peace. As we ask children to think about such serious matters, it seems appropriate to focus on how best to incorporate critical thinking skills into children’s lives in the classroom and at home. Never has critical thinking been more important. Children need to learn to think critically if they’re going to be successful in today’s complex world as they grow and mature and encounter peer pressure and analyze what “fake news” is or isn’t! . Learning to think critically may be one of the most important skills that today’s children will need for the future. In today’s rapidly changing world, children need to be able to do much more than repeat a list of facts; they need to be critical thinkers who can make sense of information, analyze, compare, contrast, make inferences, and generate higher order thinking skills. However, according to Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, young children are concrete thinkers until the age of 12 years. They learn mostly through a trial and error approach and are unable to think ‘critically’ unless explicitly taught.  While young learners may not have the brain circuitry in place to think critically, a guiding caretaker, an encouraging parent and an educator can certainly make a difference in wiring them to problem-solve and think logically at an early age. As we encourage children to remain in the moment and think, yoga books and activities can be a great stress release.  Let’s support our children to think critically so they can survive the challenges of the future as we play, learn, grow, together!. 

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1. Read and Sing Together
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1. Read and Sing together 📚

Reading books to stimulate conversations about peace and humanity with children can offer new perspectives and discussion points for difficult topics. These conversations can help kids better understand complex subjects and offer parents and educators an opportunity for deeper critically thinking conversations. With November 11 approaching, here are some recommended titles for younger readers. If your child is sensitive you may wish to preview some titles by clicking on the titles where readings are provided for each book.

REMEMBRANCE DAY BOOKS:

• What is Peace? By Wallace Edwards.  Beautiful, whimsical artwork is combined with reflective questions about peace.  Through a series of linked questions, the concept of peace is picked up, shaken, turned all around, and carefully examined from every angle. Is peace strong? gentle? Innocent? wise? This engaging picture book provides a perfect foundation to discuss peace with children, exploring what it means to them, what it looks like in their everyday life, and what it means to those around the world.  Children experience stress, even violence, at home and sometimes at school and bear witness to news stories and family histories. This book engages readers to think about peace in their day-to-day lives, and around the world.

• Peaceful Pieces: Poems And Quilts About Peace by Anna Grossnicle Hines. This collection of short but powerful poems explores various notions of peace, ranging from resolving sibling squabbles to ending global wars. The exquisitely beautiful quilted illustrations add an emotionally stirring aspect to this book. Parents and educators should read this collection all the way through before sharing with their children — it might be a good idea to pick and choose appropriate poems and then talk about ways to build and maintain peace together.

• Proud As A Peacock, Brave As A Lion by Jane Barclay. A beautiful picture book about a grandfather sharing what it was like to serve in the war and the importance of Remembrance Day. This tender story is accompanied by brilliant artwork that enriches the story with its animal imagery and childlike wonder. This story may remind adults of attending the annual Remembrance Day celebrations as a child, soaking in the somber energy as those fought in war, were remembered while the trumpet hauntingly played The Last Post. Children learning about war and Remembrance Day will finish this book with a better understanding of both.

• A Poppy Is to Remember by Heather Patterson. Remembrance Day can be an overwhelming topic to explain to younger children — which information do you focus on and how do you start? This book provides a gentle introduction, focusing on the symbolism of poppies and why we wear them every year. At the back of the book, there is more information about the poppy and Remembrance Day, making it a rich book for older children as well. This book provides the history in a format accessible to young children. 

• If You Plant A Seed by Kadir Nelson. In this beautiful, allegorical story — perfect for younger children — a rabbit and a mouse plant seeds in their garden. When birds expect to share in the bounty, a messy battle ensues. Once the mouse understands there is enough for everyone, the two sides come together in the spirit of cooperation and sharing. This story presents a powerful metaphor for young children to understand the roots of conflict, as well as the paths to peace. This picture book works on multiple levels. Very young children will simply enjoy the story of how two groups of animals fought and then reconciled, while older children can be involved in discussions about what it takes to find peace and equity.

• A Bear In War by Stephanie Innes and Harry Endrulat. During World War One, a young girl slips her teddy bear into a care package for her father, a medic posted to the trenches of France. Although her father dies in the battle of Passchendaele, his belongings are shipped back to his family, along with the toy bear, which today sits in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. In 1915, 37-year-old Lawrence Browning Rogers enlisted in the Fifth Canadian Mounted Rifles, leaving behind his wife, two children, and their farm in East Farnham, Quebec. Over the next two and a half years, the family exchanged hundreds of letters and daughter Aileen sent her beloved Teddy overseas to keep her father safe. Teddy returned home safely, but Lieutenant Rogers did not. Eighty-five years later, Lawrence’s granddaughter found Teddy, the letters, other war memorabilia packed away in a briefcase discovering a moving story of one family’s love and sacrifice. This is a story shared by many families of soldiers who have lost their lives in the defense of their country. Accompanied by family photographs and Brian Deines’ poignant art, this book is a gentle introduction to war, to Remembrance Day, and to the honor of those who have served their countries.

• Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsey Mattick. During World War I, Captain Harry Colebourn, a Canadian veterinarian on his way to serve with cavalry units in Europe, rescued a bear cub in White River, Ontario. He named the bear Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war. Harry Colebourn’s real-life great-granddaughter Lindsay Mattick recounts their incredible journey, from a northern Canadian town to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England . . . and finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made a new friend: a boy named Christopher Robin. Gentle yet haunting illustrations by acclaimed illustrator Sophie Blackall bring the wartime era to life and are complemented by photographs and documents from the Colebourn family archives.

• Bunny the Brave War Horse by Elizabeth MacLeod. This poignant picture book is based on the true story of a police horse named Bunny and his riders, brothers Bud and Tom Dundas, who were sent to the European front in World War 1. This quiet, powerful tale explores many of the hardships soldiers endured, but by focusing on the tender relationship between Bunny and the brothers, the author makes the finer details easier for young readers to absorb.

CRITICAL THINKING BOOKS

During reading, critical thinking is a valuable skill and one that young children should be actively taught. The best way to teach this to young children is through discussions when reading stories. Perhaps the most important skill of a critical thinker is the ability to solve problems. A good problem solver makes decisions, clarifies, pays attention to detail, and evaluates. Ask children to define the problem (s) and how the character (s) might solve the problem. As you discuss the story, keep the “E’s and P’s” at the back of your mind. In this way, you can help children to exercise critical thinking skills and deepen their understanding of the story:

E’s and P’s – How to Support Your Child to Think Critically When READING

• If interested, read the full article  Building the Thinking Skills from the Canadian not-for-profit Hanen centre whose mission is to provide parents, caregivers, early childhood educators and speech-language pathologists the knowledge and training they need to help young children develop the best possible language, social and literacy skills. This includes children who have or are at risk for language delays, those with developmental challenges such as autism, and those who are developing typically.  

• Experiences — Connect the story with your child’s knowledge and experiences
  • Relating what you’re reading to something children already know or has already experienced  helps them to better understand the characters’ perspectives and why they think and act the way they do.
• Explain — Why do things happen?
  • It’s important for children to understand not only what is happening in a story, but why it’s happening as it  builds their understanding of cause-and-effect, as well as understanding the motivation of characters.
•  Problem-solve — How to solve the problem in the book
  • To understand a story, children benefit from problem-solving skills. Support them to recognize the problem, understand the problem must be solved, and then have them think of possible solutions.
• Predict — What will happen in the future
  • Good readers use knowledge and experience to predict what will happen in a story. Encouraging children to think about what will happen next, gets them into the habit of searching for meaning, which is really what reading is all about.

StoryBoardThat.com

Young children learn to think in new ways when they imagine, guess, describe, and wonder. They must also learn to  “read between the lines” to figure things out that are not actually stated in the text. Using critical thinking skills like problem-solving, predicting and explaining supports them to do this. Try these books to engage your children’s curiosity and to inspire them to see different views of the world. Books are kids’ best friends that can help in children’s emotional and mental health development. By reading these books with you, children can develop their vocabulary, stimulate their creativity and curiosity, and open their minds to new things. Here are some recommended books that you can borrow at your school or public library and follow along with the YouTube read-alouds below. 

• Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty. Ada Twist’s scientific curiosity leads her to questions, hypothesize, experiment and figure out how the world works. Inspired by real-life makers Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie, this beloved bestseller champions STEM, girl power and women scientists in a rollicking celebration of curiosity, the power of perseverance, and the importance of asking “Why?”  Ada Twist’s head is full of questions. Like her classmates Iggy and Rosie, Ada has always been endlessly curious. Even when her fact-finding missions and elaborate scientific experiments don’t go as planned, Ada learns the value of thinking her way through problems and continuing to stay curious. This book promotes themes of curiosity, inquiry, knowledge, and creative thinking.

• Going Places by Peter and Paul Reynolds. This book, written in a whimsical style, encourages creativity and self-love. In this story, written with his twin brother, Reynolds introduces us to another uniquely wonderful protagonist. Maya enters a go-cart competition and must create a winning vehicle out of one of the identical kits given to all contestants. Of course, Maya doesn’t think inside the box she’s given. This is another fun story with a great lesson. This sublime celebration of creative spirit and thinking outside the box—both figuratively and literally—is ideal for early learners, recent grads, and everyone in between.

• Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young. In this Caldecott Honor winner, seven blind mice try to determine the identity of an unfamiliar object. In Young’s take on the classic Indian tale, each mouse only gathers partial information. Of course, it takes the wisdom of the seventh mouse to put the pieces together and solve the puzzle. The author’s beautifully rendered version is a treasure to enjoy many times.

• Solutions for a Missing Shoe and Other Little Problems by Carey Sookocheff. Follow one little girl and her dog through the challenges of a normal day in this fun story. The girl asks lots of questions and persists when she encounters problems. This tale will inspire children to see problem-solving as a positive and necessary part of life.

• They All Saw a Cat by Brenden Wenzel. This book brilliantly executes a creative concept. Using strange and gorgeous illustrations, Wenzel depicts how differently individuals can perceive the same object. Consequently, readers are pushed to consider multiple viewpoints and how our perceptions color what we see. The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws . . . In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, the author shows us the many lives of one cat, and how perspective shapes what we see. When you see a cat, what do you see?

• Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty. One of the best books on critical thinking is about a girl, Rosie, who becomes an engineer and shows that everything is possible with creativity, persistence and learning to celebrate each failure on the road to achieving one’s dreams. Rosie Revere dreamed of becoming a great engineer. Where some people see rubbish, Rosie sees inspiration. Alone in her room at night, shy Rosie constructs great inventions from odds and ends. Hot dog dispensers, helium pants, python-repelling cheese hats: Rosie’s gizmos would astound—if she ever let anyone see them. Afraid of failure, she hides them away under her bed. Until a fateful visit from her great-great-aunt Rose (AKA Rosie the Riveter!), who shows her that the first flop isn’t something to fear—it’s something to celebrate. And you can only truly fail, if you quit.

• A Home for Bird by Philip Stead. This is a beautiful story of friendship and how critical thinking can be used not only to solve scientific problems but also to help a friend. A great book on various accounts – literacy, illustrations and the important lessons it delivers.

• Learning to Fly by Sebastian Meschenmoser. This is a story about an unlikely friendship between a man and a penguin, which believes it can fly! Together they question, design and build to discover the secrets of flying. They highlight and stress the importance of critical thinking. 

• The Thingamabob by Il Sung Na. This is a humorous book that is sure to inspire critical thinking in young children. Join the protagonist as it wonders what a thingamabob is and questions its own assumptions. What is a thingamabob? A thingamabob can be anything  -.  and so can you! An empowering picture book about self-discovery. In the beginning, the universe was one great big thing, but then that thing exploded into gobs and gobs of thingamabobs. All of the thingamabobs had a purpose . . . all except for one small, shapeless thingamabob. No one knew what it was for. It wasn’t this or that or here or there. What’s the use of this thingamabob? But everything changes for Thingamabob when he makes a friend in the park and  realizes that if you aren’t one thing . . . you can be everything!

• Ask Me by Bernard Waber. An inquisitive girl and her father walk through their local neighbourhood. She is full of questions for her father as they explore their world. A poetic picture book to explore asking questions and curiosity. 

• Avocado Asks: What Am I? by Momoko Abe. Avocado is feeling fine until a customer asks if it is a fruit or vegetable. Avocado has no idea how to respond and the question just won’t go away. This story reinforces a sense of identity, being positive in your own skin, and the importance of asking questions.

• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba. A severe drought in Malawi caused 14-year-old Kamkwamba to drop out of school to help save his family money. He researched how he could bring electricity to his village and built a working windmill from scraps. This  book promotes responsible decision-making, perseverance, a growth mindset, and social awareness.

• Cece Loves Science by Kimberly Derting. Cece’s parents say she was born curious. She asks: Why? How? What if? When her teacher, Ms. Curie, assigns a science project, She learns “scientific inquiry… can lead to a lot of fun and adventure” when her teacher sets a task to try an experiment, Cece knows just what to ask—do dogs eat vegetables? She teams up with her best friend, Isaac, and her dog, Einstein, to discover the answer. They investigate, research, collect data, and analyze, using Einstein  as their case study. Their final conclusion is surprising, and a lot of fun! Cece is full of questions and curiosity.  Through the process, she learns about asking questions, creative thinking and perseverance.

• Be a Maker by Katey Howes. Think about how you can make a difference by discovering how many things you can create in a day. Can you make a new friend, a change, a donation or a spaceship? Rhyme, repetition, and a few seemingly straightforward questions engage young readers in a discussion about the many things we make—and the ways we can make a difference in the world. This simple, layered story celebrates creativity through beautiful rhyming verse and vibrant illustrations with a timely message. Read to inspire curiosity, inquiry, creativity and inspiration.

• Beyond the Pond by Joseph Kuefler. Curious Ernest D dives into his pond and discovers an unexpected, fantastical world. When he returns to his ordinary life it doesn’t seem quite so ordinary anymore. Read to discuss curiosity and inquiry. 

• Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis.This book features simple line drawings that will spark  children’s imagination. In this book, a pig imagines his stick becoming a sword, a horse, and more. These books will inspire your child to consider many different ways to imagine and pretend. Experience the thrill of the moment when pretend feels so real that it actually becomes real! Following the critically acclaimed book Not a Box, this book proves that a stick is not always just a stick. Whether it’s conducting an orchestra, painting a masterpiece, or slaying a dragon—give a child a stick and let imagination take over and the magic begins.

• Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. In this funny book, two unseen characters disagree on what kind of animal stands before them. Is the creature a duck with a bill? A rabbit with tall ears? The answer is that it all depends on how you look at things. This clever book reveals that sometimes there really is more than one right answer.

 

YOGA BOOKS – Mindfulness, Being Present and Grateful Through Movement. Introducing movement using yoga is a simple strategy to include at home or during the school day. Children develop self-expression and self-confidence as they practice yoga with their chairs, in the gym, or outside. Using poses to introduce topics makes the motion relevant and meaningful for children. For example, if you’re studying animals, you could practice Downward Facing Dog Post,  Cat Pose (to be a lion), and Extended Child’s Pose (to be a turtle). Use some of these recommended yoga books to practice and then brainstorm yoga pose sequences that your children will move to and enjoy. 

• The Three Little Yogis and the Wolf Who Lost His Breath; A Fairy Tale to Help You Feel Better by Susan Verde & Jay Fleck. Once upon a time there lived a wolf who lost his huff and his puff. It was a BIG, BAD problem! One morning, the wolf came upon a peaceful little yogi doing sun salutations. The wolf wanted to huff and puff and blooow her hut down into a big pile of straw. But instead the yogi suggested, “Let’s meditate on that! Soon the wolf met a second yogi, and then a third. He may have lost his huff and puff—but with the help of three new yogi friends, can the wolf find his breath?

• Imaginations by Carolyn Clarke. Opening up worlds and universes with evocative stories and vivid details that simultaneously calm the mind, body and spirit, Clarke’s debut book is an extraordinary aid to help children not only tap into their inner calm, but to expand their imagination to its outer limits.. Intended as a tool to use with the children, it is so much more: they learn skills that they can used for the rest of their lives to improve, enhance, and maximize their quality of life. Stories include: A Day at the Beach, The Night Sky, A Hot Air Balloon Trip, Your Bubble, Making Friends with a Tree, If I Could Fly, Clouds in the Sky, A Trip in Your Spaceship, Enchanted Forest, Take a Hike, The Love Balloon, Under the Sea, My Tree House, Magic Flower Potion, Planting a Seed, Finger Lights, and Loving Kindness. After reading this book you may wish to share this Relaxation & Guided Meditation with your Children called  Your Secret Treehouse.

• Imaginations 2 Relaxation Stories & Guided Imagery FOR KIDS by Carolyn Clarke. This second book is a great resource for every parent and teacher who wants to help children learn to calm their bodies and relax their minds. Learning to relax is important for people of all ages, and children who can relax are more prepared to handle big changes in their lives. This book can also help ease symptoms associated with ADD, ADHD, autism, depression, and sleep disorders. Wildly imaginative beautiful illustrations accompany these whimsical stories. It teaches children a fun way to relax that makes their minds calm and their bodies feel good. This guide is a tool for children to learn that the most important spaces in life are often the quiet moments in between. A child’s ability to consciously relax their body and clear their mind can help address a myriad of issues, such as anxiety, stress, and excessive worry; sleep disorders, nightmares, and fear of the dark at bedtime, anger issues, focus and concentration issues, special needs, including ADD, ADHD, Aspergers, autism, and OCD, depression, low self-esteem; grief, and life changes such as moving, divorce, or changing schools.

• Justine and Joey at the Zoo by Giselle Shardlow. Join Justine and her brother, Joey, as they experience all the zoo has to offer. Kids will engage with this book as they watch the characters feed a giraffe, pose like a lion, and eat ice cream. This zoo yoga book includes a list of 14 kids yoga poses and a parent-teacher guide. As a follow-up activity after reading the book, you may wish to discuss Jon Kabat-Zinn’s quote from the book: “Wherever you go, be there.” Can they describe a time when their bodies are somewhere, but their minds are elsewhere? Make mini-posters with that quote and post them around the classroom as a reminder to live in the present moment. Also, talk about how our behavior affects the animals near us, like in the book. If you have an animal in your room, use it as an example to show the importance of being peaceful around animals.

• Mia’s Mountain Hike: A Forest Yoga Book for Kids by Giselle Shardlow. Experience the benefits of combining yoga and literacy while learning about mountain life. Join Mia and her aunt as they hike a mountain in Western Canada. Be a bald eagle, black bear, and bridge over a rushing river. Discover the forest, explore movement, and practice being mindful in nature. This forest yoga book includes a list of kids yoga poses and a parent-teacher guide. The storybook includes a list of kids yoga poses and a parent-teacher guide. These stories introduce readers to engaging characters who will get your child laughing, moving, creating and proving that reading is good for the mind AND body! The story links several yoga poses in a specific sequence to create a coherent and meaningful story. This forest yoga story is more than a storybook, it’s also a unique experience for children.

SONGS:

REMEMBRANCE DAY  November 11th is Remembrance Day in Canada. It is a day to remember those who have fought and died for our country. We pay our respects each year with a minute of silence at 11 a.m. and we each wear a poppy over our hearts. All BC schools have a special assembly the day before Remembrance Day to reinforce with children the importance of this day and so that they may learn about our history. Often  ‘In Flanders Fields’ by Sir John McCrae is read during the assembly. Many classes discuss and write about what Peace means to them. Some of the songs below are appropriate to learn and sing in class or for the choir to include at a school assembly.

• We Remember
• Remembrance Day Song: I’ve got Peace in My Fingers 
• The Poppy Story (good for younger children)
• The Little Red Poppy and lyrics – this song about remembering those who died is meaningful for older children. 
• A Song Of PEACE For Kids
• The Remembrance Day Song to sing in class or by Choirs
• Last Post and Reveille: Remembrance Day 
• In Flanders Fields by John McCrae

CRITICAL THINKING: Singing encourages children to work as a group or with a partner and collaborate. Being able to work with others, listen, use their memory, present and communicate through song is a key element to critical thinking. 

• How To Think:Thinking Song For Kids – Song for kids
• A Root Chy Cha – This is a song that will help children work on following directions and use their memory.
• Critical Thinking Skills for Kids: Ways to Enhance Critical Thinking in Kids
• Effective Tips to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills in Kids

YOGA:

• Yoga for Kids!
• Squish the Fish | A Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventure!
• Take children on a walk to reflect on a rainbow as they find objects the colours of a rainbow.

2. Create together: Puzzles, Crafts, Drawing and Constructing 🧩 

CRITICAL THINKING ACTIVITIES:

Research shows that children begin to think critically at a very young age. These skills develop during back and forth conversations children have with the important adults in their lives. As soon as children are able to speak in sentences, they’re ready for you − parent, caregiver or educator − to nurture their critical thinking skills to prepare them for success in life and in school. Whether you’re reading a book or taking a walk outside or creating crafts found below,  any time is a good time to play with children to build their critical thinking.

• Inspire Creativity: After reading Rosie Revere, Engineer ask children to reflect on how Rosie went about inventing and then have them create and share their ideas by drawing their own invention.
• Play Sorting Games – Classification and sorting skills are great for logical reasoning. Your young children will have fun playing this online pattern and sorting game OR this virtual online Matching Game.
• Share and Solve Riddles and Rebus Puzzles Together – These are great for problem-solving in kids. 
  • Funny Riddles 
  • Silly Math Jokes and Riddles
  • Rebus Puzzles – These puzzles are creative brain-teasers that give visual clues to a puzzle. To solve a rebus puzzle, you need to understand and decipher the picture puzzle to arrive at the correct answers. It’s a great way to improve kids’ literacy while working on problem-solving skills
• Ask children to think about Real Problem Pretend Play – Bring in a real world problem like water scarcity to “pretend play” and ask them to think of solutions. 
• Encourage your children to play with and be creative with Blocks.  Blocks are great at building logical skills. Read about multiple Block Activities to Engage Children.

REMEMBRANCE DAY ACTIVITIES: Red Poppies are a symbol of remembrance and hope in Canada and other Commonwealth Countries. The poppy is a symbol to honor the dead and pay respect to those who have fought in war. It is important for children to understand the sacrifices of our veterans and to feel gratitude. That’s why every year leading up to Remembrance Day, we see people wearing the red flower over their heart. This is also a good time to discuss the importance of peace.

• Watch this video The Poppy Story  explaining why the poppy is so significant and how it became a veteran’s symbol since the first world war and Flanders Fields. 
• Read the book A Poppy Is to Remember to give children a better understanding of the significance of the poppy and then create some of the following crafts.
  • Poppy Suncatchers – children can create their own template or download this template to have a better idea of size. Have children tear or cut the red and green tissue paper. Finally, add a layer of glue on top of your tissue paper. (redtedart.com)

• Handprint Poppy Wreath – On card, make lots of red handprints on the paper. When the paint is dry ask children to add the black centres in the palm of the hand. Next, ask children to cut out the hands and arrange them into a wreath with fingers pointing out. Next glue hands onto a firmer piece of cardboard or simply stick them together. These are great decorations for the classroom and/or great to hang on the front door at home. (RedTedArt.com)

• Download a Take Time to Remember  which is an activity booklet for young children created by the Government of  Canadian Veterans that introduces concepts of remembrance in an accessible and interesting manner. Brightly illustrated, it contains six activities: Remembrance maze; Connect the dots; Let’s colour; Spot the differences; Word search; and a Remembrance puzzle. You may also wish to share some Tales of Animals in War.
• Complete a downloadable Remembrance Day Word Search.
• For older children consider completing and/or discussing some of the following questions about Remembrance Day:
  • When and What is Remembrance Day?
  • What and Who are we remembering on Remembrance Day?
  • What was the Armistice? (The Armistice was the ceasefire that ended hostilities between the Allies and Germany on the 11th of November 1918. The Armistice did not end the First World War itself, but it was the agreement which stopped the fighting on the Western Front while the terms of the permanent peace were discussed. The Treaty of Versailles formally ended the War after more than half a year of negotiation.) World War II in Europe came to an end on May 8, 1945.
  • What piece of music marks the start of the two minute silence? You may wish to play Last Post and Reveille: Remembrance Day.
  • Why do we wear poppies on Remembrance Day? 

CRITICAL THINKING ACTIVITIES & SUGGESTIONS FOR EDUCATORS AND PARENTS:

• Inspire imagination and creativity. Provide opportunities for play and invite children to engage in topics they find interesting. 
• Pretending and acting out roles with friends or family, or playing board games all build children’s critical thinking skills. During class or family discussions, games, or activities, it’s important to connect different ideas together to see the relationships that exist between them. Playing games. encourage kids to try to understand other players’ points of view which helps them learn to think critically and be more compassionate and empathetic towards others. 
• Pause and Wait provides children ample time to think, attempt a task, and give a response. They have a chance to reflect on their response and refine their response, rather than responding with their very first gut reaction.
• Provide challenges to grow. Create an atmosphere where kids aren’t afraid to be wrong and can learn from mistakes. When children know they are cared for, they are willing to take risks, think deeply and volunteer ideas and answers. 
• Ask open-ended questions rather than giving answers to the questions children ask, help them think critically by asking questions in return: “What ideas do you have? What do you think is happening here?” If you disagree you could say, “That is interesting. Tell me why you think that.”
• Help children develop hypotheses during play is a critical thinking exercise that helps develop skills. Try asking your child, “If we do this, what do you think will happen?” or “Let’s predict what we think will happen next.”
• Encourage thinking in new and different ways to help them develop creative problem solving skills. Ask questions like, “What other ideas could we try?” or encourage your child to consider other options by saying, “Let’s think of all the possible solutions.”
• Teach Cause and Effect by letting them explore and test independently in a safe environment. Ask “If we do this, what will happen?” Guide children to create their own questions to help them think more deeply.
• Let Them Hypothesize when reading a story, stop midway and ask them “What they think is going to happen?” “How is the story going to end?”
• Promote Collaboration in the classroom or at home by having them work with a friend or family member so they consider others’ viewpoints or thoughts. Two brains are better than one!

3. Explore, Engage & Interact together 🌍

REMEMBRANCE DAY:

• Consider taking your family to the Remembrance Day Ceremony at Victory Square. The Remembrance Day ceremony at Victory Square usually takes place at the Cenotaph at 200 West Hastings Street between Cambie Street and Hamilton. In years when there isn’t a pandemic, the ceremonies start at 9:45 am and go until about 11:30, after which time the parade begins. Check this year to confirm if the ceremony and parade will occur. Following this activity you may wish to engage your child in the following Peace activities.
• Read and discuss What is Peace? and then ask children to write about and discuss what Peace means to them. (Proudtobeprimary.com)

• Children could write a letter to thank those who have helped protect us. In Canada, here is a link to where these letters can be sent. 
• In the classroom or at home, create a template and have each child print what they are thankful for. You could hang these and create a banner for the classroom. This could also be done before Thanksgiving dinner where everyone tells what they feel grateful for. (Momsandmunchkins.ca).

• Have children create a Dove Peace Poem: Brainstorm peace ideas and then ask children to write poems in the shape of Dove about what Peace means to them. Attach pieces of tissue paper in rainbow order to the bottom of the doves and display them. (proudtobeprimary.com)

STRATEGIES TO BUILD FLEXIBLE THINKING SKILLS FOR YOUNG LEARNERS:

• Ask “How many ways…? ”Gather different objects like beads, crayons, and buttons. Then ask, “How many ways can we make the number 10?” Take turns picking objects to show different combinations that equal 10 — like two beads, five crayons, and three buttons. (understood.org.)

• Play “Yes, and….” One partner sets the scene with a statement like “It’s a cold day here in the mountains.” The next person adds on to it: “Yes, and I can’t seem to find my winter boots.” Go back and forth making “Yes, and…” statements until the story ends. (understood.org.)

• Pretend what objects can be. Take a regular object and help kids see how many things they can pretend it to be. For example, a funnel could be a party hat, a trumpet, and a unicorn horn. A whiteboard eraser could be a phone, a microphone, and a mustache. (understood.org.)

• Play Fannee Doolee. In this word game, Fannee Doolee likes words that have double letters. For example, Fannee Doolee likes bees but not bugs. She likes jelly but not jam. Take turns coming up with pairs of words Fannee likes and dislikes. (understood.org.)

4. Healthy Living: Movement & Nutrition 👭

 

MOVEMENT: 

• Read the The Three Little Yogis and the Wolf Who Lost His Breath and then have children focus on their breath by doing these two Yoga poses:  buzzing bee breath, or the deep belly breathing. This mindful focus on the breath relieves anxiety and gently brings our awareness to the present.
• Read Justine and Joey at the Zoo and practice all the animal poses found in the book or try these 5 Zoo Animal Poses for Kids.
• Read the book Mia’s Mountain Hike and link the poses in the book to recreate the story.
• Balance poses require focus and concentration. For most children, simply standing on one leg in tree pose will require their full attention. In doing this, they will need to be fully present and conscious of their own body.

NUTRITION: It is apple season and no doubt you and your children have cravings for pumpkin!

• Have your children join in to help make this Mini Apple Pie Recipe. (mumsandmunchkins.ca)

Mom&Munchkins.com

• Poppy Cookies for Remembrance Day – bake and decorate these cookies with your children. (redtedart.com)

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• With so many pumpkins around have your child join you in making some moist and tasty Pumpkin Loaf. (mumsandmunchkins.ca)

5. Reflect: Thoughts of the Day about Learning 💭

CRITICAL THINKING & INSTRUCTION STRATEGIES:

 YOGA: Read more about How Yoga promotes mindfulness for children