WW2 Australia Roleplay

Lesson Overview

This 50-minute lesson uses drama-based roleplay to deepen Year 10 students’ understanding of Australia’s involvement in World War II. Through immersive roleplay, students will explore the social, cultural, economic, and political aspects of the war, developing empathy and historical inquiry skills aligned with the NSW History Curriculum.

Curriculum Links

NSW History K-10 Syllabus (Stage 5 – Year 10)

• Historical knowledge and understanding: Explain causes and effects of major events in 20th century Australia, including Australia’s role in WW2.
• Historical skills: Formulate historical questions, locate and use primary and secondary sources, analyse perspectives and interpretations, and communicate historical understanding.
• Cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities: Critical and creative thinking, ethical understanding, personal and social capability, and literacy (listening, speaking).

(See the Year 10 History Achievement Standard for detailed competencies: students explain causes, effects, roles of individuals/groups during WW2 and use evidence to construct historical explanations and arguments.)

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson students will:

• Describe key aspects of Australia’s involvement in WW2 including military, home front, and diplomatic roles.
• Demonstrate understanding of diverse perspectives during WW2 through role play of historical figures/groups.
• Analyse cause and effect relationships related to Australia’s war experience.
• Collaborate and communicate historical ideas clearly through drama performance.
• Reflect critically on how historical empathy helps understanding of past events.

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Lesson Structure

Time	Activity	Details
5 min	Introduction to WW2 Context	Brief recap/overview by teacher covering Australia’s role in WW2 (Europe, Pacific, home front). Use map and timeline visuals, and ask students prior knowledge questions to activate thinking.
5 min	Role Assignment & Preparation	Assign each student or group a WW2 role/persona representing a different perspective, such as:

• Australian soldier in Europe/North Africa
• Nurse on home front
• Indigenous Australian serviceman/woman
• Australian factory worker
• Immigrant impacted by war
• Politician or military leader (e.g., John Curtin)
  Provide short role cards summarising key facts and viewpoints. Students quickly read and prepare to ‘become’ their roles. | | 25 min | Roleplay Activity | Students enact a “WW2 Town Hall Debate” or “War Council Meeting” where each takes turns expressing their perspectives about the war's challenges, motivations, sacrifices, and outcomes.
  Teacher facilitates, prompting questions to deepen discussion:
• What motivations drive your character?
• What challenges and fears do you face?
• How does your role contribute to the war effort?
• How do you view Australia’s involvement?
  Encourage use of historical terms/concepts. Peers listen actively to compare perspectives. | | 10 min | Class Debrief and Reflection | Conduct whole-class discussion reflecting on what was learned from each perspective. Highlight different experiences and the complex nature of war history.
  Ask students to link roleplay to historical facts and causes/effects.
  Review how empathy and imagining past viewpoints enrich historical understanding. | | 5 min | Assessment and Wrap-Up | Quick written or oral reflection:
• “What is one new understanding about Australia in WW2 you gained from your role?”
• “Why is it important to learn history from multiple viewpoints?”
  Teacher collects for formative assessment aligned with historical inquiry skills.

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Resources Required

• Role cards for each persona (including context and viewpoints).
• Brief WW2 timeline and map visual aids.
• Optional: props (e.g., hats, badges) for role immersion.
• Whiteboard or screen for summarising key points.

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Differentiation and Extension

• Support students with reading difficulties by pairing with stronger readers or allowing oral preparation.
• For advanced learners, challenge them to incorporate primary source quotes into their role statements.
• Extension task: Students research their character’s real historical counterpart for homework and present findings next lesson.

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Teacher Notes

• Maintain a respectful and safe environment during sensitive roleplay topics.
• Emphasise that roleplay is a learning tool—not a reenactment of conflict.
• Connect activities explicitly to historical evidence and inquiry to meet syllabus requirements.
• Use the drama achievement standards for Year 9-10 to guide assessment of performance and communication skills if desired.

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This interactive roleplay lesson blends history knowledge and drama skills to provide an engaging, curriculum-aligned experience that fosters critical historical understanding and empathy among Year 10 students studying Australia's involvement in WW2.