LKS2 Topic Overview: WW2: A Child’s Eye View from the Home Front

Prepare for the 70th Anniversary of VE day celebrations at the end of World War 2 in Europe by studying the start of the war, the Dunkirk rescue, the Battle of Britain, the D-day landings and finally the end of the war, all from a child’s perspective.

Block / Key N.C. Objectives / Main creative outcomes
Block A
WW2: How it began.
(3 sessions) / History,GeographyandEnglish
  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British and World history.
  • Address historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and significance.
  • Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debate.
  • Locate the world’s countries using maps to focus on Europe, concentrating on countries and major cities.
/ Introduce the historic events that led to the outbreak of the Second World War. Place events on a timeline that will grow throughout the topic and build understanding of the chronology of the war. Look at and experience through role play the early events of the war from a child’s perspective.
Block B
Dunkirk and the Little Ships
(3 sessions) / History,Geography, D&T andComputing
  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Study an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066 – a significant turning point in British history (Dunkirk).
  • Locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe.
  • Name and locate some counties and cities of the United Kingdom.
  • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose.
  • Select, use and combine a variety of software or a range of digital devices to accomplish given goals.
/ Learn about the Dunkirk evacuation, inspired by the story of ‘The Little Ships’ by Louise Borden. Learn what it means to be heroic and finally film a small world Dunkirk rescue, using the model and vessels made over these sessions, and share the films with an audience of family members.
Block C
The Battle of Britain
(4 sessions) / HistoryandD&T
  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British and World history – the events that led to The Battle of Britain.
  • Address historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and significance.
  • Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making.
/ Learn about the threat of German invasion in the summer of 1940 and how this led to the Battle of Britain that raged over the coast of England between July and October of that year.
Block D
Evacuees
(3 sessions) / Historyand D&T
  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Study an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066 – a significant turning point in British history (the Battle of Britain).
  • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose.
/ What would it have been like to be an evacuee during World War 2? Learn the reasons why evacuation happened in WW2 and where children were sent to live; discover what children were told to pack and how they prepared for life as an evacuee. Explore their experiences during their evacuation and their return.
Block E
Rationing
(3 sessions) / History, Science, English,Computing, Geographyand D&T
  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British and World history.
  • Address historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and significance.
  • Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content.
  • Describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water.
  • To identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat.
  • To write for a range of real purposes and audiences as part of their work across the curriculum.
  • To understand and apply the principals of a healthy and varied diet.
  • To prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques.
  • To understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.
/ Gain a good understanding of how the rationing of food, the need to Dig for Victory and the directive to ‘make do and mend’ impacted on children and their families during World War 2. Learn about the reasons for rationing and the make do and mend culture promoted during the war.
Block F
Victory
(3 sessions) / History, Geography, Englishand D&T
  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British and World history.
  • To ask and address historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and significance.
  • Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate and describe features studied.
  • To discuss what they are learning and to develop their wider skills in spoken language, becoming confident in using language in a greater variety of situations, for a variety of audiences and purposes, including through drama, formal presentations and debate.
  • To develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently.
/ Learn about the significance of the D-Day landings and the events leading up to the end of the war.Write coded messages and make a World War 2 final timeline display.Present all your World War 2 models and make a special exhibition as you recreate VE day street parties with flags, songs and party food.

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We refer you to our warning, at the foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.