World War 2 Lower KS2

This thoughtfully planned series of seven lessons will transport your children back to the time of WW2. Children will form a chronologically secure understanding of the WW2 timeline, including the events leading up to the start of the war, key turning points and factors that contributed to the end of war across the globe. Throughout the unit, your children will sharpen their historical skills by learning how to: create accurate timelines, analyse historical sources, examine cause and effect, summarise and organise historical evidence and draw informed conclusions.

Each ready-to-teach KS2 WW2 History lesson contains a detailed lesson plan with a range of supported and stretching activities, an engaging slideshow and printable resources to support the children's historical understanding and skills.

You may also like our World War 2 (LKS2) Topic Bundle for Year 3/4, with World War 2 lessons across a range of subjects to fully immerse your class in their topic. 

A Knowledge Organiser is available to support the learning in this scheme. It is included in the Complete Series download or can be purchased individually.

 

The Start of World War Two

This initial session looks at when and where World War Two took place, who was involved and why war broke out.

Children will learn key topic vocabulary and explore the historical and global context of the war before creating their own Knowledge Organiser. Alternatively, children take part in an activity carousel.

This lesson pack comes with everything you need to support your children's learning, including a detailed lesson plan, PDF lesson slides and printable resources.

View Lesson 1

The War Effort

In this second lesson, children will learn about the different organisations involved in Britain’s war effort.

Children will look at case studies of people from across the British Empire who worked in the armed forces and special operations and take part in a walk and talk to find out about their different roles, backgrounds and experiences.

This lesson pack comes with everything you need to support your children's learning, including a detailed lesson plan, PDF lesson slides and printable resources.

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The Impact of Rationing

Children move their attention to look at Britain’s home front and start by discussing what rationing was and why it was necessary.

They will investigate different historical sources to discover what was rationed and how the rationing system worked before bringing the process to life with an engaging rationing role-play activity.

This lesson pack comes with everything you need to support your children's learning, including a detailed lesson plan, PDF lesson slides and printable resources.

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Life During the Blitz

During this lesson, children will learn about the significance of the Blitz, including why Britain was targeted by the Luftwaffe.

Children will analyse photographs from the time to apply their learning and generate historically valid inferences and questions about the impact of the Blitz. Alternatively, children can create poems to express their understanding.

This lesson pack comes with everything you need to support your children's learning, including a detailed lesson plan, PDF lesson slides and printable resources.

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Evacuation Experiences

During this session, children will explore a range of sources to find out about Operation Pied Piper.

Children will then analyse oral testimonies from evacuees, parents and host families to look at people’s different experiences of evacuation. Alternatively, children can deepen their understanding of the tough decisions parents had to make by taking part in a Conscience Alley.

This lesson pack comes with everything you need to support your children's learning, including a detailed lesson plan, PDF lesson slides and printable resources.

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The Holocaust

This lesson explores how Hitler’s beliefs about race led to the persecution of the Jews across Nazi Europe, culminating in the Holocaust.

Children will use the story of Anne Frank and extracts from her diary to understand the impact of the Holocaust on the Jewish people in an age-appropriate manner.

This lesson pack comes with everything you need to support your children's learning, including a detailed lesson plan, PDF lesson slides and printable resources.

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Historical Research

In this final history lesson, children will use and apply the vocabulary, knowledge and skills they have developed during the unit to plan and carry out their own self-led research about the events leading up to the end of the war.

Alternatively, children undertake research to determine what their lives would have been like if they had lived at the time of World War Two. An End of Unit Quiz is also provided.

This lesson pack comes with everything you need to support your children's learning, including a detailed lesson plan, PDF lesson slides and printable resources.

View Lesson 7

This Year 3/4 History Knowledge Organiser has been created to complement our History 'Britain Beyond 1066' strand. It is designed to support your children’s understanding of key vocabulary linked to this scheme of work. Enquiry questions have been included to encourage your children to think like a historian within this topic.

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