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WW2 Teacher's Notes - Scotland鈥檚 Home Front - Episode 3

Curriculum for Excellence information:

• Through art and design, learners have rich opportunities to be creative and to experience inspiration and enjoyment. EXA 2-02a, EXA 2-13a
• Learners should experience activities which enable them to develop the skills and attributes they will need if they are to achieve and sustain positive destinations beyond school. HWB 2-08a
• Our ability to use language lies at the centre of the development and expression of our emotions, our thinking, our learning and our sense of personal identity., LIT 2-02a, LIT 2-04a, LIT 2-05a, LIT 2-06a, LIT 2-10a / LIT 3-10a, LIT 2-15a, LIT 2-23a, LIT 2-24a
• Through social studies, children and young people develop their understanding of the world by learning about other people and their values, in different times, places and circumstances. SOC 2-01a, SOC 2-03a
• The technologies provide frequent opportunities for active learning in creative and work-related contexts.TCH 2-02a

Curricular area

  • ICT research
  • Listening
  • Talking

Theme

Local Defence Volunteers

Activity

  • What is the other name the LDV were known by?
  • Why were they formed ?
  • Who joined the LDV?
  • How did they get equipment and training?

Watch an episode of Dad’s Army

Curricular area

  • ICT personal research
  • Writing
  • Reading

Theme

Anthony Eden

Activity

Personal research - Why did Anthony Eden resign in 1938?
Find out about some of the differences between British politicians which existed over foreign policy before the outbreak of the Second World War.

Curricular area

  • Listening and Talking
  • ICT Research
  • Reading

Theme

Missing in action

Activity

  1. What was the significance of the telegram?
  2. How would they feel when it arrived?
  3. What is meant by ‘Missing in Action’?

Why are some soldiers known as “unknown soldiers”?

Research : can you find where the tombs for other countries unknown soldiers are - United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, United States
How would you commemorate the unidentified soldiers?

Curricular area

  • Listening and Talking
  • ICT research
  • Geography

Theme

Military hospital

Activity

  • How would they feel receiving a letter from the military hospital?
  • “Somewhere with a lot of sand” research maps and using war knowledge – where could Dad be?
  • What does a “blighty wound” mean?
  • Why does it not matter that the Dad is injured?

Curricular area

  • Drama
  • Art and Design
  • Listening and Talking
  • Reading

Theme

Welcome home

Activity

  • What do you think the banner would say? Make a “welcome home” banner
  • How would the family feel waiting for Dad at the train station – role play activity
  • When they see Dad how do they feel?

Curricular area

  • Health and Wellbeing
  • ICT research
  • Listening and Talking
  • Reading

Theme

Injuries and suffering

Activity

  • Mental scars, the 'stranger in the house', invisible wounds
  • How did WW2 affect the whole family?
  • How did Davey and his family deal with his homecoming?

WW2 affected soldiers physically through severe injuries and often left them traumatised with ‘shell shock’ by the things that they had seen like. Shell shock is an emotional shock; brought about by the many horrors that men heard and saw.
This experience of war is revealed in the verse of the poem Dulce et Decorum est (1917) by Wilfred Edwards.
Read and discuss

Curricular area

  • Listening and Talking
  • ICT research

Theme

Military medal

Activity

  • Why did Davey receive the military medal?
  • Compare and contrast – how did the family feel/ how did Davey feel?
  • What is the highest military honour available? How many have been awarded since the end of WW2?

Curricular area

  • Listening and Talking

Theme

Lizzie’s diary

Activity

  • Lizzie’s diary conveys her thoughts and feelings and is full of emotion. Can you recall some of her statements?
  • Why do you think Tommy was crying in his sleep?
  • What is Auntie Jean doing? Where has she gone? Why has she gone there?

Women ambulance workers played a vital role during WW2 taking the wounded to the hospitals. What other skills would they need ?

Curricular area

  • Writing
  • Listening and Talking
  • Reading

Theme

Diary

Activity

Imaginative writing – what would you say in your diary? Choose appropriate words and phrases to write in a diary (Think about…who, what, when, where, why, how?)
Describe feelings and emotions in depth . It is important that this activity is based on factual information so that the children create a rich and reliable account of a child’s life during WW2.

Examples of true life accounts from people who lived during the war-

How did Lizzie’s diary affect her Dad?

Curricular area

  • Drama, music
  • ICT research

Theme

Home Front Heroes

Activity

  • Why were the soldiers named Home Front Heroes?
  • What does the term home front mean?

The Secretary of State for War, Anthony Eden's call to the country to do "whatever was needed" actually meant so many people's day to day lives changed forever. Can you recall how all their lives had changed during the War years?

What tunes would the band play? Can you sing any wartime songs?