While the conflict in Iraq may be half a world away, war can be a scary concept for children of all ages. At many schools across Canada, teachers have chosen to add war discussion to the classroom curriculum.

The complexities of children's concerns will differ depending on the age of the child. Preschool children may be frightened by the images of war on television. They see pictures of bombing and soldiers and may wonder about the possibility of conflict in their own country -- and may wonder if they are going to die.

School-aged children may have more factual questions. They might want to know who is involved in the conflict, and when and where the fighting will take place. Adolescents are going to have tougher questions that go beyond the basic facts of the conflict. They may want to consider larger issues, like the ethics and morals surrounding war.

Children who have been victims of violence, war or similar tragedies may have more trouble than other children handling certain news events. They may also struggle if they have relatives or friends living in the affected area, or if they have family in the military or in emergency-response professions.

In Lloyd Kornelsen's World Issues class in Edmonton, the 16 and 17 year-old students have questions, and more important, according to their teacher, they have opinions.

"I think that the gift youth gives us is an important one. That's idealism. They can imagine a better place," says Kornelsen.

Vancouver-area children's anxiety counselor Danielle Aldcorn says parents and teachers need to be vigilant, to watch for signs of anxiety and stress.

Muscle tension, trouble sleeping, and loss of appetite and acting out are all signs suggesting kids may be having trouble coping.

Limiting exposure to information about the war is also important, but Aldcorn cautions against cutting it out all together.

"Their imagination might really cause them to be more stressed out and more anxious about what's going on because they really don't understand it," says Aldcorn.

She adds that its important for parents to keep their own worrying in check, as children have a keen sense of their environment and can pick up on the anxiety and tensions of the people around them.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario has built a website offering suggestions about how teachers can talk to kids about war. In Winnipeg, in a similar initiative, administrators are e-mailing teachers guidelines for the classroom on what to discuss, and what to avoid.

The Media Awareness Network recommends that older children be encouraged to learn how to interpret news reports and become aware of media biases. Teens should learn to compare the coverage by Canadian, American and other international media and note the differences in how various media approach the same event.

Cathy Loblaw of Concerned Children's Advertisers recently spoke to Canada AM and offered these tips on talking to your child about war:

Help children understand that they are safe, and that the conflict is happening in a different part of the world.

• Respond in an age appropriate manner; use language they can understand. Younger children respond best to short and simple answers
• Parents can act as a filter by helping children understand what they see and hear through discussion
• Let the children be the guide for questions. Avoid giving them too much information without them requesting it. Let them know there is no such thing as a "stupid" question.
• Some children may not want to talk about war at all. In that case, it's best to tell them that's fine, and not talk about the events.

With files from CTV's Deborah Shiry, Jill Macyshon and Canada AM