Animals in War

Overview

This 45-minute lesson for Years 3-4 explores the role of animals during WWI and WWII, focusing on messenger pigeons and horses. Students will investigate how these animals contributed to the war efforts and how they are remembered today. This lesson is Lesson 5 in the "ANZAC Stories and Sacrifices" unit and aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, specifically the Social Sciences learning area (Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories strand) and integrates English oral language competencies.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand the roles animals played during WWI and WWII, specifically messenger pigeons and horses.
• Describe how these animals made contributions to war efforts.
• Explain ways animals have been remembered and honoured for their service.
• Communicate ideas clearly about historical events using narrative and descriptive language, supported by visual and oral scaffolds.

Alignment with New Zealand Curriculum Refresh

• Learning Area: Social Sciences (Years 3-4)

  • Understand how people (and in this case animals as part of human history) have contributed to significant events and stories. (Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories strand)
  • Explore cause and effect, and contributions of different factors within historical events.

• English (Years 3-4)

  • Develop oral language skills by describing events using extended details and clear sequencing (Te Mātaiaho English).
  • Use visual supports and sentence stems to support verbal reasoning and storytelling.

• Key Competencies Developed

  • Thinking: Understanding historical contexts and contributions.
  • Using language, symbols, and texts: Expressing historical knowledge through oral and visual means.
  • Participating and contributing: Sharing ideas and listening to others in group discussions.

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Lesson Plan

Time	Activity	Description	Curriculum Links/Focus
5 mins	Engage & Connect	- Begin with a brief storytelling or picture book excerpt about animals in wartime (e.g., a story of a messenger pigeon or a war horse). - Use pictures and artefacts or digital images. - Ask students what they know about animals in war to activate prior knowledge.	Developing oral language and vocabulary; social sciences context introduction
10 mins	Explore – Role of Animals	- Presentation or interactive discussion with images detailing: • Messenger pigeons carrying messages. • Horses used for transport and cavalry. - Use simple cause-effect prompts: "Why were pigeons important?" "How did horses help soldiers?" - Include a simple categorisation activity (e.g., sorting animals by their wartime roles) with visuals or graphic organiser (Venn Diagram or chart).	Social Sciences: understanding historical events and contributions English: using classification language and describing similarities/differences
10 mins	Investigate – How were animals remembered?	- Show examples of memorials, stories, or medals recognising animal contributions. - Read or listen to a short poem or text about war animals. - Class discussion: How do we remember these animals today? Why is it important?	Social Sciences: Exploring historical significance and remembrance English: comprehending and recounting details using narrative language
10 mins	Activity – Creative Expression	- Students create a simple drawing or "Thank You" card to a war animal, thinking about what they learnt. - Prompt with sentence stems: "Thank you for...", "You helped by...", "I remember you because...". - Encourage students to share their work with a partner or group.	English: Providing opportunities to describe and explain, oral presentation practice Social Sciences: expressing understanding of historical roles and remembrance
5 mins	Reflect & Share	- Quick whole-class recap: What did we learn about animals in war? - Use question prompts to encourage verbal reasoning and memory. - Option: Use a simple Kahoot-style quiz or oral quiz for engagement.	Reinforcing learning, verbal reasoning and communication skills

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Resources Needed

• Pictures or artefacts of messenger pigeons, war horses, and war memorials.
• Short story or poem about animals in war (adapted for age appropriateness).
• Graphic organiser templates (Venn Diagram or sorting chart).
• Art materials: paper, crayons, markers.
• Optional: digital presentation or interactive whiteboard for images and media.

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Assessment and Evidence of Learning

• Formative Assessment through oral responses during discussions demonstrating understanding of animal roles.
• Observation of student participation in categorisation and sharing activities.
• Creative task outcomes (drawings or cards) showing comprehension of the animals’ contributions and remembrance.
• Use of oral language scaffolds and sentence stems will indicate developing communication skills aligned with curriculum expectations.

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Teaching Considerations

• Scaffold language by modelling sentences and providing prompts.
• Use visual and concrete examples to support abstract historical concepts.
• Provide varied ways for students to express learning (oral, visual, and written) to cater for different learning styles and needs.
• Connect with New Zealand’s own historical context romantically aligned with ANZAC stories, enhancing cultural understanding and identity.

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This lesson plan purposefully integrates the Social Sciences learning area with English language learning outcomes to support holistic development and align closely with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for Years 3-4 students. It includes explicit teaching, scaffolding, and assessment strategies tailored to students’ age and abilities while being engaging and interactive. This approach respects the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by recognising the importance of historical narratives in shaping identity and citizenship .