Chocolate brings comfort in wartime

Aim

Youth will learn about the impact of war on military members and civilians by exploring the role of chocolate as a source of comfort and care.

Objectives

Through this activity, youth will:

• learn about the scope of Canada’s military history, including its length, some of the conflicts and missions Canadians have taken part in and the many roles Canadian military members have played; 
• think about the impact of war on civilians and those who serve in uniform; and
• reflect on the importance of remembering and recognizing those who served.

Target Audience

This activity is aimed at youth 8 to 11 years old.

Activity sequence

• Introductory discussion
• Chocolate in Canadian military history
• Art activity: Make your own chocolate bar wrapper
• Presentations and display
• “Wrap-up” discussion

Materials

• Article: Chocolate in Canadian military history
• Optional: Chocolate bar label template
• Optional: One piece of chocolate per student (provided by the school/teacher)

Introductory discussion

Ask students if they like chocolate and what they associate chocolate with. You may ask what their favourite chocolate is and if there are special occasions when they normally eat chocolate.

Then, tell the class that today’s lesson will focus on chocolate and war. Can they think of ways that chocolate might have been used during wars?

Chocolate in Canadian military history

Have students read the article “Chocolate in Canadian military history”. You can have the class read the whole story and lead a debrief about what they have learned.

You can also divide the class into smaller groups, with each focusing on one section of the text (A taste of home, Chocolate is fighting food!, Feeding the hungry, and Saving lives). Each small group can then present their section to the class.

Ask students to reflect on the article. Here are some questions you may wish to explore:

• We learned about a lot of different roles that chocolate has played over the years. If you had to choose only one, which one do you think was most important?
• The handout talked about chocolate being a comfort to military members when they are far from home. Imagine being far away from your family. What other things do you think would be comforting? (Examples: communication with family, photos, a care package from home, games you can play with your friends, a favourite piece of clothing, etc.)
• We often think about members of the military fighting in wars, but they also do other important things to help Canadians and people in other countries. Can we think of any examples of this?  (Example: giving people food or medical treatment; helping respond to natural disasters like fires, floods, hurricanes or earthquakes; helping make sure elections are fair; negotiating or enforcing peace treaties, etc.)
• The military members in the story gave chocolate to people who were starving. They also ate chocolate when they were in danger. Why do you think chocolate is helpful in these situations? What other supplies might people in these situations need?
• It is important to remember and to recognize the people who have served in Canada’s military. They are called Veterans. What did we learn today about what Veterans did to deserve our thanks? (Examples: leaving their families, putting themselves in danger, helping people, etc.)

Art activity: Make your own chocolate bar wrapper

The class has learned a few ways that chocolate has been used by Canadian military members. Their mission now is to create a wrapper for a chocolate bar that promotes peace, remembrance and recognition. 

Before you begin, remind students about the importance of remembrance and recognition. Veterans worked hard to keep us and our world safe. They deserve our thanks. Symbols help us remember people we have lost and recognize the important work of those who have served in Canada’s military.

Make a list of remembrance and peace symbols. It could include:

• Physical symbols like memorials and monuments, wreaths, flags, or flowers like a poppy, tulip or forget-me-not. Peace symbols could include doves, peace signs, or an eagle feather.
• Symbolic acts, such as reading a poem like In Flanders Fields, saying thank you, or taking part in a remembrance ceremony.
• Words or phrases such as lest we forget; we will remember, thank you, remember, recognize, respect and peace. You could also encourage students to think about or research symbolic words from other languages, including Indigenous languages.

Invite students to imagine that they own a chocolate factory. They will be creating a new chocolate bar to honour Canadian Veterans. It needs a colourful label that will make it stand out! They will need to choose a name for their chocolate bar and illustrate the label with at least one symbol that relates to peace, remembrance or recognition. Labels can be drawn free-hand, created digitally or you can download our chocolate bar label template.

Presentations and display

Have students present their chocolate bar artwork to the class. Invite them to explain the name they chose and each element they considered when designing it.

Display the artwork in your classroom. We encourage you to take photos and share them on social media with #CanadaRemembers.

“Wrap-up” discussion

Chocolate isn’t always just a simple, sweet treat. Students have now learned that it has sometimes played an important role in the lives of people who served in Canada’s military and civilians they helped. This is a good opportunity to reinforce to students the importance of remembering and recognizing those who have served in Canada’s military. You can also use this opportunity to encourage them to reflect on the importance of protecting peace.

If your school allows, consider distributing chocolate to the class. Hopefully, the next time your students take a bite of a chocolate bar, they will think about Canadians soldiers and what they have done over the years to protect us.