Unit 1: What was it like to be a child in Britain
during World War II?
History
KS3
Y7-9
About the unit
Prior learning
Through this unit teachers can help pupils’ to continue to explore aspects of the passage of
time in the lives of human beings and to compare and contrast the lives of people in the
distant past with their own lives.
This unit builds on awareness of the passage of time in the history of Britain and the different
sights, sounds, smells and tastes of life in the past that was beginning to be developed in
KS2 .
Language for learning
Pupils will be encouraged to identify the differences between the lives of the children during
World War II and their own lives. They will be able to look at and touch the clothes worn by
wartime children and handle objects and toys used by children in the 1930s and 1940s. They
will also listen to sounds and music associated with life in Wartime Britain. They will be
encouraged to explore the sights, sounds and smells of life in Wartime Britain and use
words, pictures or symbols to tell the story of aspects of the lives of children during World
War II.
Through the activities in this unit pupils will be able to hear and understand and some pupils
will use words to describe the lifestyle of people in wartime Britain. They will communicate
through word, movement, sound or eye contact.
Resources
This unit will continue to support the development of thinking skills in sequence and change
and comparing and contrasting.
Resources include:

Examples of wartime toys e.g. marbles etc

A World War II evidence box

Website materials: bbc.co.uk/education/evacuation

Examples of wartime foods e.g. dried banana, powdered egg etc.
Where the unit fits in
Out-of-school learning
The unit is designed to help pupils to build on work done in KS1 and 2 on the experience of
childhood and helps pupils to become aware of the chronology of British history. The units
are designed to help the pupils’ gain an understanding of the passage of time and to
promote and strengthen an understanding of historical change.
Pupils and parents could:
Expectations
Future learning
At the end of this unit
All pupils will: begin to experience aspects of the lives of others in different periods in the
past. They will have the opportunity to experience a range of historical sources including
handling objects and tasting food.
Most pupils will: learn about aspects of wartime life and handle wartime objects and
clothing.
A Few pupils will: Select some differences between the lives of children in wartime Britain
and their own lives.
1


Watch wartime videos
Talk to elderly relatives
Pupils will go on to build on the skills and concepts developed in this unit throughout the key
stage and will continue to develop skills in recognition and sequencing of different periods in
British history through units 1 and 3. They will continue to focus on the lifestyles of people in
the past in comparison to their own.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
PUPILS SHOULD LEARN
POSSIBLE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
PUPILS
What was it like to be a child in Britain during World War II?


To locate on a timeline
the period when World
War II was taking
place
To investigate the lives
of children during World
War II
2


Have a class timeline showing the history of Britain – stick
pictures of people during WWII on to the timeline to show
when they lived. Start with the 21st century and physically
move the pupils back along the line to gain an impression of
when the war took place. Have on the line pictures from the
previous units of work on the Romans.
Look at pictures of children during World War II. Look at their
different clothing.

Experience the games children played then and compare
them with games played now

Handle WWII objects e.g. a gas mask begin to explore and
ask questions about the objects

With support some pupils will sequence a picture sheet
showing a typical day for a child being evacuated from his or
her home in the city

Experience the sights and sounds of the Blitz using an audio
tape of sound images.

Compare the sweets eaten by children then with now

With support some pupils will use an outline of an wartime
child and in words, pictures or symbols tell the story of some
aspects of the child’s life e.g. what they ate, what objects
would they use in everyday life etc.

Pupils show an ability to
recognize pictures of
the wartime children
and children today

Some pupils are able to
hold wartime objects

Pupils begin to show
recognition of the
differences between
aspects of wartime life
and life today

Pupils are beginning to
explore historical
evidence and make
simple comparisons
between the lives of
children in the past and
their own lives

Pupils begin to explore
objects and respond to
tastes and sounds

They are beginning to
develop an awareness
of the passage of time
POINTS TO NOTE