Diary Entries: WWII

Overview

In this 30-minute session, the pupil will deepen their understanding of World War II by writing diary entries from the perspective of a child living during the war. This creative writing task builds upon prior role-play activities in the unit "World War II Explorers," enabling personal expression and empathy while reinforcing historical knowledge and literacy skills.

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National Curriculum Links

History

• KS1 History - Pupils should be taught to:
  • understand changes within living memory and where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life
  • a significant historical event, people and places in their own locality and beyond

English

• Key Stage 1 Writing - Pupils should be taught to:
  • write narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional)
  • plan or say out loud what they are going to write about
  • write sentences by: naming people, places and things; sequencing sentences to form short narratives
  • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils
  • use capital letters, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks to demarcate sentences
  • express feelings and ideas clearly

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, the pupil will be able to:

• Describe key experiences of a child during World War II using simple historical language (History L.O.).
• Write a short diary entry expressing feelings and thoughts from the perspective of a wartime child (English L.O.).
• Use basic punctuation consistently and sequence sentences to create a coherent diary entry (English L.O.).

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Success Criteria

• The diary entry includes at least three sentences describing life during the war from a child’s viewpoint.
• Feelings and personal thoughts about wartime experiences are clearly expressed.
• Sentences are correctly punctuated with capital letters and full stops.
• The diary entry is written in first person, present or past tense.

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Resources Needed

• Copies of a simple diary template page.
• Picture prompts: images of 1940s children, rationing, evacuation, air-raid shelters.
• Whiteboard and markers.
• Pencil and lined paper.
• Example diary extract read aloud by the teacher.

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Begin with a brief recap of previous lessons and role-play experiences exploring different perspectives of children in WWII (e.g., evacuees, children in London during air raids).
• Show images and prompt discussion: "How might a child feel during these times? What might they see and hear?"
• Explain today's task: writing a diary entry to share what they might have done or felt.

2. Modelled Writing (5 minutes)

• Read aloud a simple sample diary entry from a child in WWII, highlighting use of first person, feelings, and clear sentences.
• Write a short diary sentence on the board and demonstrate how to check for punctuation and clarity.
• Talk aloud as you write, showing the process of planning and sequencing sentences.

3. Independent Writing (15 minutes)

• Pupil uses picture prompts and their imagination to write their own diary entry on the template.
• Encourage them to include:
  • What happened that day
  • How they felt about it
  • Something that worried or excited them
• Teacher supports spelling and punctuation as needed, encouraging use of capital letters and full stops.

4. Sharing and Feedback (5 minutes)

• Pupil reads their diary entry aloud to teacher.
• Teacher provides positive, specific feedback linking back to the success criteria, e.g.: "I loved how you told me you felt scared during the air raid, and you used full stops really well!"
• Discuss any historical details the pupil included to reinforce learning.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Informal assessment during writing support and reading aloud (checking understanding of wartime experiences and narrative writing skills).
• Completed diary entry assessed against success criteria to ensure historical empathy, sentence structure, and punctuation are evident.

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Differentiation and Extension

• For additional challenge: Prompt pupil to include a question or exclamation in their diary entry.
• If struggling: Provide sentence starters, e.g., “Today I heard the siren…”, “I feel… because…”
• Extension: Draw a picture that matches part of their diary entry to link art and literacy.

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Reflection for Teachers

To wow your pupil with creativity, consider recording their diary reading and playing it back for them, thus building confidence in speaking and listening. This can also be presented to parents or displayed to showcase their empathy and historical understanding—bringing history vividly to life through personal storytelling!