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This Second World War continues to have an impact on the people and places of the UK. This activity aims at investigating some of the long-term consequences of the conflict, and for pupils to consider how, individually, their lives have been touched by a War that ended 60 years ago.

Outcomes

• To recognize that the Second World War continues to affect us in UK
• That learning more about it helps us to understand the world today

Activity Description

Using the statement

Everyone you know has been affected by the Second World War

Ask the group(s): Who agrees? Disagrees? Doesn't know?

Use the Impact on UK Population set. Show the set to the group(s) and read through the information together, or divide the group into smaller groups, asking each smaller group to consider one poster.

Ask them: What do they think about the statement above now? Has any of this information made them think differently? Have they related any of this information to someone they know – friend or family? Have they connected this information to a place they know?

Now pass around the Images of the UK set, asking the group(s) to look at and discuss their content.

Ask them: What do they think about the statement above now? Has any of this information made them think differently? Have they related any of this information to someone they know – friend or family? Have they connected this information to a place they know?

Ask the group(s) to summarise what they have learned from this activity, and whether they have revised their opinion of the statement, Everyone you know has been affected by the Second World War.

Activity Extension

1) Ask individuals to set out evidence to support their opinion of the statement, Everyone you know has been affected by the Second World War. They could use some of the resources available on this website, such as the Personal Stories: 1-11, the Veterans Reflect set, and/or material that they have researched and generated themselves as evidence. How will they use their material to present their views persuasively?

2) Work with veterans and others who lived through the Second World War. Together, look at questions such as:

• Who do you know who lived through the Second World War? What is their story?
• What have you seen or used today that is linked to the Second World War?
• What proportion of people today lived through the War? Does this affect us?
• How would you cope with food rations? What food could you live without? What food would you miss the most?

What do these questions and answers tell about how people were affected during and after the war?

Now look at the Veterans Reflect set about the impact of war. If possible, compare these statements with what veterans think of the responses. How has this contributed to the group’s understanding of the impact of war?

Other Resources

Website

The Imperial War Museum website includes a section on War and Social Change, which contains interviews that can be listened to at http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/civilians/. The BBC’s People’s War website is a growing archive of memories, stories and images recounting personal experiences of the Second World War that can be accessed at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/.

Curriculum Links

ENGLAND

KS2

History

2 Knowledge & understanding

a) About characteristic features of the periods and societies studied
d) To describe and make links between the main events, situations and changes within and across the different periods and societies studied

4 Historical enquiry

b) To ask and answer questions, and to select and record information relevant to the line of enquiry

5 Organisation & communication

a) Recall, select and organise historical information

7 Breadth of study

11b) Britain since 1930

Citizenship

1 Developing confidence & responsibility

a) To talk and write about their opinions, and explain their views, on issues that affect themselves and society

4 Developing good relationships and respecting the differences between people

b) To think about the lives of people living in other places and times, and people with different values and customs

5 Developing knowledge, skills & understanding through

f) Developing relationships through work and play (for example, with the elderly)

KS3

History

2 Knowledge, skills & understanding

d) To identify trends, both within and across different periods, and links between local, British, European and world history

4 Historical enquiry

a) Identify, select and use a range of appropriate sources of information
b) Evaluate the sources used, select and record information relevant to the enquiry and reach conclusions

5 Organisation & communication

a) Recall, prioritise and select historical information
c) Communicate their knowledge and understanding of history using a range of techniques

6 Breadth of study

13) A World Study after 1900

Citizenship

2 Developing skills of enquiry & communication

b) contribute to group and exploratory class discussion and take part in debates

3 Developing skills of participation & responsible action

a) use their imagination to consider other people’s experiences and be able to think about, express and explain views that are not their own

NORTHERN IRELAND

KS2

History

Historical skills and concepts

b) A sense of the past and a range and depth of knowledge and understanding, by identifying

• Some of the characteristic features of past societies and some of the main events
• Some things which have changed and some things which have remained the same

c) Awareness of evidence, historical enquiry and interpretations by

• Using sources of information appropriate to their age and ability to gain information about an aspect of the past

d) Communication by

• Describing orally, and in writing, the main events of a story
• Constructing basic historical narratives

KS3

History

Historical skills and concepts

b) Range and depth of historical knowledge and understanding by

• Describing and explaining reasons for and results of some of the historical events and the changes in the periods studied

d) Historical enquiry by

• Identifying, collecting and recording information from a range of sources appropriate to their age and ability to investigate, with increasing independence, aspects of the period

Study Unit 4: The Twentieth Century World

a) The Impact of World War

• Either the First or Second World War, or a major event or turning point which illustrates the nature and impact of total war

SCOTLAND

5-14 Guidelines

Environmental Studies strands- People in the Past

Knowledge & understanding

Change and continuity, cause and effect

• Developing an understanding of change and continuity over time and of cause and effect in historical contexts (Levels C, D &E)

Skills

Carrying out and reviewing and reporting on tasks

• Selecting relevant information, processing information in a variety of ways
• Presenting findings in an appropriate and coherent way and presenting conclusions that are relevant to the given purpose or issue

Focus of study: The Twentieth Century

Personal & Social Development

Inter-personal relationships

• Communicate and interact with growing confidence within a wider circle of people

WALES

KS2

History

Area: Life in Modern Wales & Britain

2 Historical knowledge & understanding

1) About the characteristics of the periods studied and the diversity of experience within each one

4 Historical enquiry

1) Use a range of sources including representations, interpretations and, where appropriate, ICT to investigate historical topics
2) Ask and answer questions about the past

5 Organisation & communication

1) Select, recall and organise historical information
3) Present results with increasing independence in a variety of ways

Personal & Social Education

Skills

• Listen carefully, question and respond to others

KS3

History

Area: The Twentieth-Century World

2 Historical knowledge & understanding

2) Describe, analyse and explain the causes and consequences of the historical events, situations and changes studied
3) Make comparisons and connections between the main events and developments studied, both within and across periods

4 Historical enquiry

1) Investigate historical topics independently using a range of historical sources in their historical context,
2) Ask and answer significant questions

5 Organisation & communication

1) Select, recall and organise historical information with increasing independence and accuracy
3) Communicate with increasing independence in a variety of ways

Personal & Social Education

Skills

• Listen attentively in different situations and respond appropriately