ANZACs at Gallipoli

Overview

This 45-minute lesson is designed for Years 3-4 students in New Zealand as lesson 3 in the unit "ANZAC Stories and Sacrifices." Its purpose is to introduce students to the historical context of the Gallipoli campaign during World War I, focusing on key battles and the experiences of ANZAC troops. Visual aids are used to support understanding, aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for social sciences and English learning areas, including oral language and storytelling skills appropriate to this age group.

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Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Social Sciences (Years 4-6, Phase 2: Expanding horizons of knowledge and collaboration)
Strands:

• Understand how people pass on and sustain culture and heritage (ANZAC history as a taonga tuku iho unique to New Zealand)
• Understand how the actions of people in the past shape the present (Gallipoli impact)

English Learning Area (Years 4-6, Phase 2)

• Develop oral language through recounting and narrating stories with detail and expression
• Use visual supports to comprehend and create texts
• Engage in collaborative storytelling and presentations
• Understand text purposes, audiences, and ideas within and beyond texts

Key Competencies Developed

• Thinking: Understand historical concepts and develop critical thinking about events
• Relating to others: Collaborate in discussions about history and perspectives
• Using language, symbols, and texts: Use oral language and visual aids effectively to communicate understanding

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Explain what the Gallipoli campaign was and why ANZAC troops were involved.
2. Identify key battles or events during the Gallipoli campaign.
3. Describe some experiences of ANZAC soldiers, including challenges they faced.
4. Use visual aids (maps, images) to support their understanding and retelling of ANZAC stories.
5. Participate in a group discussion sharing thoughts and respectfully listening to others' ideas.

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Resources

• Visual timeline of Gallipoli campaign
• Map showing the Gallipoli peninsula and troop movements
• Photographs or drawings of ANZAC soldiers and life in the trenches
• Short video clip or narrated slideshow (if available) depicting key Gallipoli moments
• Story map template (graphic organiser) for students to sequence main events
• Role-play props or simple costume items (optional, for reenactment)

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Lesson Structure

Time	Activity	Description	NZ Curriculum Reference
5 mins	Engagement Starter: Kōrero/discussion	Begin with a discussion: "What do you know about ANZACs?" Introduce the Gallipoli campaign as one important story. Show map of Gallipoli to place the event geographically.	Social Sciences: Explore places and stories to understand history impact; Oral language: introduce topic with confidence【14:Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】
10 mins	Storytelling & Visual Aids	Using images and timeline, narrate the sequence of key battles (e.g., landing, battles at Chunuk Bair and other key points). Show how the soldiers lived through these times. Use a story map graphic organiser to visually represent main events and ideas.	English: Use comprehension and storytelling strategies with visuals to support understanding; Social Sciences: situate events in time and connect to people【9:Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】
10 mins	Group Activity: Role-play & Discussion	In small groups (4-5 students), assign roles (e.g., soldier, nurse, family member) and encourage students to imagine what their character might have felt or experienced. After role-play, groups share a short recount of their character's story highlighting emotional or factual details.	English: Act out stories to internalise narrative structure and details; Social Sciences: empathy and perspective-taking on historical experiences【3:Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】
10 mins	Reflection & Critical Thinking	Whole class discussion: What surprised you? How do you think the soldiers felt? Why is it important to remember the ANZAC story? Discuss different perspectives using guiding questions.	Social Sciences: Explore perspectives and impact of history; English: Develop critical thinking and personal responses to texts【14:Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】
10 mins	Individual Task: Draw and Write	Students draw a picture of an ANZAC soldier or a scene from Gallipoli and write 2-3 sentences describing it in their own words, using sentence starters if needed. Share some examples aloud.	English: Writing to explain and narrate; reinforce language conventions and vocabulary; Social Sciences: consolidate knowledge by representing understanding【14:Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative: Monitor class participation in discussion and role-play to assess understanding of key events and empathy with the soldiers' experiences.
• Written Work: Review students' drawings and sentences for comprehension of Gallipoli context and vocabulary usage.
• Oral Language: Listen for use of expressive language and narrative details during group sharing and whole-class reflections.

Teachers should give positive feedback encouraging narrative detail and connections to New Zealand’s history, and support any students needing scaffolding in expressing ideas or retelling history through visual organisers.

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Teaching Considerations

• Language support using sentence stems (e.g., "The ANZAC soldiers felt ___ because ___.")
• Encourage all voices and perspectives, including understanding Māori and Pacific soldiers' contributions.
• Use movement and gestures during storytelling to engage different learning styles.
• Be mindful of sensitive content: focus on bravery, sacrifice, and respect, avoiding graphic detail inappropriate for this age.

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This lesson plan builds on the New Zealand Curriculum's emphasis on expanding learners' horizons through rich oral language, critical historical understanding, and applying multiple modes of communication including visual literacy and storytelling. It draws on the "Expanding horizons of knowledge and collaboration" phase for Years 4-6 and incorporates English oral language progression, ensuring students develop key competencies in an engaging, culturally responsive way【14:Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】.

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If you need suggestions on specific visual resources or scripted storytelling examples, please ask!