Box 31 World War II Family

This box contains a variety of objects associated with life in Britain during the Second World War. The costumes and artefacts included can be used a discussion points for the differences between life in the 1930s/40s and pupils’ homes today. You may want to use the costumes as part of a role play exercise encouraging children to think like a child from WWII and talk about blackouts, air raids and evacuation.

Ideal for use with Key Stage 2, Years 3 and 4
Also useful with Key Stage 3, year 9

Key Learning Objectives

• History: To enable pupils to explore what life was like in the Second World War by handling artefacts and clothing and by taking part in group activities.

Key Stage 2 - Links to unit 9 of the QCA scheme of work: what was it like for children in the Second World War?
Key Stage 3 – Links to unit 18 of the QCA scheme of work: Hot war, cold war why did the major twentieth-century conflicts affect so many people?

• Speaking and Listening: To encourage pupils to work effectively as a member of a group, using speaking and listening skills.
• Literacy: To explore what life was like for people living in War torn Britain using a variety of different resources.
• Citizenship: To understand the idea of human rights and the difference between wants, needs and rights.

Key Stage2 – Links to unit 7 of the QCA scheme of work: Children’s rights – human rights
Key Stage 3 – Links to unit 3 of the QCA scheme of work: Human Rights

Box Contents

• Costumes include a wartime family consisting of a mum, dad, boy and girl.
• Artefacts include a gas mask (not to be tried on), household objects, sewing and knitting artefacts, coins and military artefacts.
• Resources include booklets, teacher’s notes, posters, photographs, newspaper cuttings and wartime leaflets.