Engaging (and free!) learning resources from Veterans Affairs Canada
In Canada, we are fortunate to live in peace, thanks to the service and sacrifice of those who have served in uniform across our military history. Leading up to Veterans’ Week (November 5-11), help your students better understand the present by examining the past. Our free print and online resources are designed to help students of all ages remember and recognize Canada’s Veterans.
Here’s a snapshot of our new materials…and some favourites:
Free print materials
Each fall, we offer new versions of our popular:
- Take Time to Remember activity booklet (K-2)
- Tales of Animals in War newspaper (Grades 3-6),
- Canada Remembers Times newspaper (Grades 7-12)
- Poster and bookmarks, and
- Veteran recognition cards
Each product encourages students to explore Canada’s military history and Veterans’ stories. Our special Veteran recognition cards help students thank Veterans in your community. The enhanced digital editions feature integrated videos and Veteran interviews, bringing the stories to life.
Featured activity: Don’t forget to remember
Turn remembrance into action! Have students create a mosaic poppy in your classroom. They can remember the fallen or recognize a Veteran by writing messages of gratitude on red sticky notes. Order your free red sticky notes while supplies last!
Educational videos
Lesson plans and activities complement each video. New for 2026 are:
- The National Monument to Canada’s Mission in [C(1] Afghanistan – Join designer Adrian[C(2] Stimson from the Siksika (Blackfoot) Nation for an inside look at the new monument Canada is building to honour those who served and sacrificed in Afghanistan.
- Her story: Canadian women in uniform – Explore how the roles of women in the Canadian Armed Forces have evolved over time.
- Every memorial tells a story – Our animated animal characters visit memorials in Canada and France to learn how they help us remember.
- Who is a Veteran? – Veterans aren’t just in history books, they’re our neighbours, family and friends. Play this animated video on its own or before a guest speaker visits.
Lesson plans and special collections
Choose from over 100 lesson plans, or discover four new curated collections to help you teach about:
- Canada’s mission in Afghanistan
- Canadian women in uniform
- the contributions of Indigenous Veterans, and
- the roles memorials play in helping us remember
Some activities your students can do this year include:
- One poem, many voices – Let the poem In Flanders Fields and the Remember Flanders Memorial inspire students to turn art into action. Includes video, audio and written poem translations in dozens of Indigenous and international languages.
- Every memorial tells a story unit – Help your students learn the stories memorials tell us about history and those who made it. Five lesson plans explore local, national and international memorials.
- Women in uniform video analysis – Take a deep dive into the changing roles and views of women in Canada’s armed forces. Students will compare and contrast our new video Her story: Canadian women in uniform with the 1940s recruiting video The proudest girl in the world.
- Artificial intelligence and remembrance – Explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in learning about war and remembrance. Is there a difference between sharpening a photo and animating a fallen soldier? Students consider ethics, authors, and audience as they create guidelines on the ethical use of GenAI in commemoration projects.
Plan a Remembrance Day ceremony
We have the videos, music, readings, presentations and MC notes you need! This one-stop shop is a partnership between The Royal Canadian Legion, the Canadian Armed Forces National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program and Veterans Affairs Canada
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