A global war fought by an imperial army
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why the global nature of the Second World War had an impact on Britain.
Key learning points
- The Second World War was fought across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
- During the war, soldiers from all over the British Empire and Commonwealth fought against Nazi Germany and their allies.
- Before the war, most people in Britain would only rarely travel abroad or meet people from other countries.
- With large numbers of British soldiers mixing with Empire and Commonwealth troops this changed.
- In Britain itself, many people travelled from across the Empire to assist the war effort, bringing ethnic diversity.
Keywords
Empire - a group of countries ruled by one country or leader is called an empire
Allied Forces - the Allied Forces included Britain and those countries that fought with Britain in WWII
Ethnic diversity - ethnic diversity refers to many people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds
Common misconception
Some pupils may think that the fighting in the Second World War only happened in Europe.
Discuss how the fighting was global and happened across three different continents with millions of people worldwide involved.
Teacher tip
You could include geographical knowledge by using maps or an atlas to let students find some of the places mentioned.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
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
6 Questions
Q1.Complete the sentence. Forcing people to join the armed forces is known as ...
Q2.When did the British government introduce conscription for women?
Q3.Select the correct statements.
Q4.What were some of the roles women could do in the The Auxiliary Territorial Service?
Q5.What is the correct acronym for The Women’s Auxiliary Air Force?
Q6.The WRNS was the women's branch of the ...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The Second World War was only fought in Europe.
Q2.What did Britain have at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939?
Q3.Select the correct statements about who fought joined the British military service during the Second World War.
Q4.How many Indian men volunteered for service during the Second World War?
Q5.What does 'ethnic diversity' refer to?
Q6.Approximately how many languages were spoken in ‘The Fourteenth Army’?
To help you plan your 6 history lesson on: A global war fought by an imperial army, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 history lesson on: A global war fought by an imperial army, 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 2 history lessons from the Significant turning points: how did experiences differ during WWII? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.