The Victoria Cross was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1856 to recognize and honour exceptional acts of bravery. Although 619,636 Canadians enlisted in WWI, only 70 Canadian servicemen received the Victoria Cross. Only two men of The Royal Montreal Regiment (RMR) received Victoria Crosses.In this activity, students will reflect on the meanings of words like “courage” and “bravery” in the context of war.
Part One: Virtual Exhibition
Students can find preliminary information on the RMR and Victoria Cross recipients through exploring our virtual exhibition here.
Part Two: Essay question
Is there a distinction between “ordinary heroes” and Victoria Cross recipients? What is heroism? Students can now complete a short essay on the merits and acts of bravery of war and the Victoria Cross. A related activity in which students compare VC recipients with other soldiers can be found here.
There is no need to print this activity, as it can now be completed directly from your computer! To use the fillable function, be sure to download the PDF.
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Replica Uniforms
Get the chance to interact with our replica uniforms from the Great War. We lend both the soldier’s and the nurse’s uniform so that students can picture how people dressed during wartime. The uniforms offer a small insight into the daily lives of the ordinary people who participated in this unprecedented event.
Reflection on WWI’s Aftermath
Students will write an essay on the lessons learned during the First World War and include their thoughts on bravery and on the sacrifices that were made to win the war.
Visit One of Our Partner Museums!
Nothing compares to a visit to our partner museums for students to directly interact with history. Guided museum tours and complementary activities make history come alive and will spark your students’ interest!