Hammy the Hero
Aim
To increase youth awareness of the end of the Second World War, and remember the sacrifices and achievements made by brave Canadians like Robert Hampton Gray.
Objectives
Youth will be expected to:
- develop a basic understanding of the Canadian efforts in the Second World War;
- learn about Robert Hampton Gray of British Columbia who was the last Canadian awarded the Victoria Cross during the Second World War, and
- develop an awareness of the importance of remembering the sacrifices and achievements of those who served and died in the war.
Target audience
This activity is suitable for ages 8 to 12.
Sequence of events and anticipated time frame [40 minutes]
(This activity can be modified to fit available time.)
- Introductory discussion [10 minutes]
- Hammy the Hero read aloud [10 minutes]
- Hammy the Hero word search [10 minutes]
- Wrap-up discussion [10 minutes]
Materials
Introductory discussion [10 min]
Have a brief discussion with your students about what makes a person a friend. Discuss sharing, playing together, helping, etc. Then shift the conversation to what they think a whole country could do to be a friend.
Provide the youth with a bit of an understanding about the Second World War, where Canadians fought in many difficult battles. Talk about how the war began in 1939, well before their grandparents and even some great-grandparents were born! Look at a world map and locate Japan. See if they can spot their own province or territory on the world map, and then see if they can find France, England and Germany. Discuss how far away from each other these places are from their province in Canada.
Mention that the Second World War started when some countries were “bullying” some other countries. In many places, people and families lost their homes and even their lives. Canada decided help stop the bullying, and they sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to help.
Some of these brave people were fathers or young sons. Mention that many women also served. It was hard for them to leave their families in Canada and go so far away to risk their lives. What would their families be feeling? What would the young service member feel? Does any child in the class have a parent who has to travel far away for civilian work or military duty? If so, how does it make them feel? Or how do they think it would make them feel?
Hammy the Hero read aloud [10 minutes]
Share copies with your students or read aloud the handout ”Hammy the Hero” to help youth understand how some Canadians, like Robert Hampton (nicknamed “Hammy”) Gray, served and sacrificed during the Second World War.
Talk to your students about how many service members lost their lives (some 45,000 Canadians during the Second World War). Ask them to think how the families back home in Canada would have felt about having lost a father, a son or daughter, a brother or a sister.
Ask them about their thoughts on what Robert Hampton Gray did. Discuss bravery and loyalty.
War is dangerous and everybody had to overcome their fears to do their job. Many Canadians received medals for their bravery during the war.
The highest decoration for bravery a Commonwealth service member could receive in the Second World War was called the Victoria Cross. Robert Hampton Gray was the last Canadian to receive it and, sadly, one of the very last Canadians to die in the conflict.
Hammy the Hero Word Search [10 minutes]
Provide students with the Hammy the Hero word search. You might want to refer to the answer sheet.
Wrap-up discussion [10 minutes]
Ask your students if they have ever witnessed a brave action in their school or community. Should the person receive a medal for that action? If they were to create a decoration for bravery in the school, what would they name it? What design would they make for it?
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