Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
New
New
Year 6

How experiences differed during the Second World War

I can explain how the Second World War was a turning point in many different ways for the British people.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
New
New
Year 6

How experiences differed during the Second World War

I can explain how the Second World War was a turning point in many different ways for the British people.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. During the Second World War the experiences of men, women and children differed greatly.
  2. However, the great changes that the Second World War brought about affected a large number of people.
  3. Because of the global nature of the war British people were exposed to unfamiliar places, cultures and ways of life.
  4. The Second World War was a turning point for many women and for children because it changed their lives forever.
  5. A strong explanation of why WWII was a turning point in many ways will reference knowledge from across this unit.

Keywords

  • Conscripted - when people are forced to join the armed forces, they are conscripted

  • Civilian - a civilian is someone who is not part of the armed forces

  • Turning point - a turning point in history is an idea, event, or action that leads to permanent change

  • Permanent - something that is permanent will last a very long time

Common misconception

Pupils may think that life returned to normal for everyone after the war was over.

Emphasise how the changes brought by the Second World War were permanent.

Use the first learning cycle as an opportunity to activate the prior knowledge that pupils have built during this unit such as conscription, recruitment posters, women's changing roles, evacuation and immigration. Encourage them to recall information about the images on the slides without prompt.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
What type of surgery was trialled on badly injured soldiers?
Cardiovascular surgery
Correct answer: Plastic surgery
Orthopedic surgery
Neurosurgery
Q2.
What is the name of the country in West Africa which was part of the British Empire during WWII?
Ghana
Correct answer: Nigeria
Ivory Coast
Senegal
Q3.
How did Charles Drew help with treating civilians and soldiers on the battlefields?
He introduced and used plastic surgery to repair burns victims.
Correct answer: He discovered new methods to store and transport blood.
He discovered new methods to speed-up the repair of broken bones.
He introduced and used new medication to support soldiers' healing time.
Q4.
Which statements are true about the role of nurses in WWII?
They did not receive any extra training in preparation for bombing
Correct answer: They assisted with giving blood to patients on the battlefields.
Correct answer: Nurses received extra training to treat wounds and burns.
They only completing tasks such as cleaning wards and providing meals.
Q5.
Match the name with the correct description of them in terms of their role in WWII.
Correct Answer:Mollie Lentaigne,a medical artist at Queen Victoria Hospital

a medical artist at Queen Victoria Hospital

Correct Answer:Princess Omo-Oba Adenrele Ademola,a princess from Nigeria who trained as a nurse

a princess from Nigeria who trained as a nurse

Correct Answer:Sister Mary Meally,a nurse from Ireland who ran the burns ward

a nurse from Ireland who ran the burns ward

Q6.
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: Wartime nurses belonged to Queen Imperial Military Nursing Service.
Elizabeth’s
Charlotte's
Correct answer: Alexandra’s

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
True or false: life returned to normal for everyone after the war was over.
True
Correct answer: False
Q2.
Choose the correct word to finish the sentence: 'All men in Britain aged between 18 and 41 were to join the armed forces and left their families behind.'
asked
Correct answer: conscripted
encouraged
elected
Q3.
Which statements about women's roles in WWII are correct?
Correct answer: From 1941, they were conscripted for war work.
They all remained at home, looking after their families.
Correct answer: They could train as nurses and travelled across the globe.
Correct answer: They could join the ATS, WAAF or WRNS.
Q4.
Complete the sentence. Millions of lives of children changed when they were from cities into the countryside.
Correct Answer: evacuated, Evacuated
Q5.
Complete the sentence: A turning point in history is an idea, event or action that leads to change.
Correct Answer: permanent, Permanent
Q6.
Match the group to the reason why the Second World War was a turning point for them.
Correct Answer:men,They had travelled and met new people with different cultures.

They had travelled and met new people with different cultures.

Correct Answer:women,They learned new skills and had proven they could do different jobs.

They learned new skills and had proven they could do different jobs.

Correct Answer:children,They grew up during the war and often missed years of school.

They grew up during the war and often missed years of school.