The princess who spoke to the nation
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Elizabeth used the radio to comfort children during WWII.
Key learning points
- Elizabeth first spoke on the radio in 1940.
- Her message comforted children away from home.
- People listened to the radio but could not see her.
- Her words and voice showed care for her future subjects.
- Speaking like this was part of her duty.
Keywords
Evacuee - a person (often a child) sent away to safety
Duty - an important job a person has to do
Broadcast - a message sent to many people using radios or television
Radio - a machine for hearing voices
Voice - the sound we make when we speak
Common misconception
Pupils might think that people could see Elizabeth during her broadcast.
Remind them that television was not ubiquitous at this time in Britain, and the radio broadcast only delivered sound.
Teacher tip
To fully bring home the 'feel' of Elizabeth's message, play a short, appropriate 1940s radio clip; pupils could even record or perform their own “message of hope”.
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.Put the family members in order from oldest to youngest.
Q2.What happened to Elizabeth's home, Buckingham Palace, during World War II?
Q3.How did people try to make themselves safer during World War II?
Q4.What job did Elizabeth do when she was in the Army?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the object to the way it delivers information.
information is heard
information is seen
information is read
Q2.Why were children evacuated from cities at the beginning of World War II?
Q3.How old was Princess Elizabeth when she delivered her first radio broadcast?
Q4.Put the events in the correct order.
Q5.Match the word to the correct definition.
a machine for hearing voices
a message sent to many people using radio or TV
a person (often a child) sent away to safety
an important job a person has to do
the sound we make when we speak
Q6.How did Elizabeth's radio broadcast help evacuee children feel better?
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: The princess who spoke to the nation, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: The princess who spoke to the nation, 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.