A princess in wartime Britain
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe what life was like for Princess Elizabeth during WWII.
Key learning points
- Elizabeth was a child when war began.
- London was dangerous.
- The royal family stayed to show courage.
- Elizabeth learned about duty.
- This was long before our families were born.
Keywords
Princess - a king or queen’s daughter
War - when groups of people fight one another
London - the capital city of the United Kingdom
Safer - less likely to be harmed
Courage - being brave
Common misconception
Pupils might think that Elizabeth fought in the war.
Remind pupils that when war began she was still a child; her job was to stay safe and learn how to be a future queen.
Teacher tip
When discussing air-raid shelters, reassure pupils this happened a very long time ago. Focus on how people kept safe and looked after each other, rather than dwelling on the danger.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Your great-grandparents were children ...
Q2.Match the word to the correct meaning.
something that happened before
something that is happening now
something that is going to happen later
Q3.Imagine a family. This family contains a baby, a mother, a father and a grandmother. Who is the youngest person?
Q4.Look carefully at this photograph. It was taken before you were born. How can you tell it was taken before you were born?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which family was Elizabeth born into?
Q2.As a child, Elizabeth lived in the capital city of the United Kingdom, which is called ...
Q3.What activities did Elizabeth like to do when she was a child?
Q4.Put the events of Elizabeth's life up to and including World War II in the correct order. Start with the earliest event.
Q5.Match the words to the correct definition.
a king or queen's daughter
when groups of people fight one another
less likely to be harmed
being brave
Q6.Did Princess Elizabeth fight during World War II?
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: A princess in wartime Britain, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: A princess in wartime Britain, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 history lessons from the Changes within living memory: what changed during Elizabeth II's lifetime? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.