- 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.
- 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.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- During the Second World War the experiences of men, women and children differed greatly.
- However, the great changes that the Second World War brought about affected a large number of people.
- Because of the global nature of the war British people were exposed to unfamiliar places, cultures and ways of life.
- The Second World War was a turning point for many women and for children because it changed their lives forever.
- 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.
To help you plan your year 6 history lesson on: How experiences differed during the Second World War, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 6 history lesson on: How experiences differed during the Second World War, 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.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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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.
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
6 Questions
Q1.What type of surgery was trialled on badly injured soldiers?
Q2.What is the name of the country in West Africa which was part of the British Empire during WWII?
Q3.How did Charles Drew help with treating civilians and soldiers on the battlefields?
Q4.Which statements are true about the role of nurses in WWII?
Q5.Match the name with the correct description of them in terms of their role in WWII.
a medical artist at Queen Victoria Hospital
a princess from Nigeria who trained as a nurse
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.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.True or false: life returned to normal for everyone after the war was over.
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.'
Q3.Which statements about women's roles in WWII are correct?
Q4.Complete the sentence. Millions of lives of children changed when they were from cities into the countryside.
Q5.Complete the sentence: A turning point in history is an idea, event or action that leads to change.
Q6.Match the group to the reason why the Second World War was a turning point for them.
They had travelled and met new people with different cultures.
They learned new skills and had proven they could do different jobs.
They grew up during the war and often missed years of school.