Through Their Eyes

Overview

This 50-minute lesson is designed for a Year 8 English class (Key Stage 3, ages 12–13) and focuses on developing empathy and perspective through the study of the poem The Evacuee by Arthur King. As part of a wider Empathy Writing Unit, students will explore how writers convey different viewpoints during historical events—in this case, the evacuation of children during World War II. The lesson is rooted in National Curriculum for England: Key Stage 3 English objectives, with particular emphasis on understanding how writers use language, form, and structure to convey meaning and fostering greater emotional literacy through creative outcomes.

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Curriculum Links

National Curriculum for Key Stage 3 (England) – English

• Reading comprehension and critical reading: Students should be taught to read and appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage.
• Writing: Students should plan, edit, and proofread writing that is imaginative, thoughtful, and insightful.
• Spoken English: Students should participate in formal and informal group discussions and perform/recite text with understanding and purpose.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify and analyse emotive language and poetic techniques used in The Evacuee.
• Understand and articulate the emotional experience of a child during WWII evacuation.
• Craft a short piece of empathetic writing from the perspective of the protagonist in the poem.
• Use historical context to inform the tone and content of their writing.

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Prior Knowledge Required

• Basic understanding of WWII and the concept of child evacuation in Britain.
• Familiarity with poetic devices (e.g., imagery, simile, metaphor, personification).
• Ability to write in first-person narrative voice.

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Resources Needed

• Copies of the poem The Evacuee by Arthur King – one per student.
• Extracts from letters written by real evacuees (printed as role-play prompts).
• Paper luggage label templates (replica of evacuee labels).
• Lined writing paper or exercise books.
• Whiteboard and markers.
• Mini suitcases/props (optional, for immersion).
• Classical/period appropriate background music (optional – e.g. Vera Lynn).

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Differentiation and Inclusion

• SEN: Provide scaffolded sentence starters for the writing task; offer text with enlarged font and provide one-to-one support where needed.
• EAL: Use visuals to explain historical context; provide key vocabulary translations where applicable.
• High achievers: Encourage extension task – include a metaphorical object in the evacuee’s suitcase and write about its memories/significance.

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Lesson Breakdown (50 Minutes)

Starter: Soundtrack to a Memory (5 Minutes)

Activity: As students enter, play soft WW2-era music. On the board, display this reflective question:
“If you had 10 minutes to pack one suitcase and leave your home, never knowing when or if you’d return, what would you take and why?”

Students write a quick response on a post-it note and attach it to a cardboard ‘evacuation suitcase’ near the front of the class.

Purpose: Empathy spark. Promotes personal connection and sets emotional tone.

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Reading: The Evacuee (10 Minutes)

Activity:

1. Read The Evacuee aloud with passion and pause deliberately for effect. Encourage soundscape: footsteps, whistle, train, etc.
2. Hand out printed poem. In pairs, students annotate with coloured pens:
   • Blue = feelings of the child
   • Red = sensory imagery
   • Green = questions or confusions

Teacher Tip: Ask students to circle three lines that made them feel something – not necessarily what, just anything they connected with.

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Mini-Discussion: Stepping Into Her Shoes (7 Minutes)

Whole-class activity:

Pose these reflective prompts:

• What is the girl most afraid of?
• Where do we see evidence of confusion, hope, or loss?
• How does Arthur King help us feel what she’s feeling?

Accept short student responses. Focus on drawing out emotive and sensory language.

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Creative Writing: Her Voice (20 Minutes)

Main Task: Students write a diary entry from the point of view of the young girl in The Evacuee, the night before she leaves or the first night in the countryside.

Constraints:

• Must use at least three sensory descriptions (smell, sound, sight).
• Include specific references to her emotions drawn from the poem.
• First person – present or past tense.

Optional props on tables: a toy rabbit, ration booklet, gas mask box—which they imagine she’s taken with her.

Support:

• Provide sentence starters:
  “I can’t stop staring at…”
  “Mum didn’t cry until…”
  “The train smelled like…”

Extension: Introduce a twist—she receives a letter from her mother (students write both parts).

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Plenary: Luggage Label Reflection (5 Minutes)

Activity: Provide each student with a small, paper ‘luggage label’ tag.

Prompt: “In just one sentence, what memory or emotion is she carrying with her?”

Students write reflectively (e.g., “I carry the warmth of Mum’s scarf”). Hang all labels on a string line at the front = "Memory Line".

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Assessment for Learning

Students will be assessed via:

• Quality and emotional depth of annotated poems.
• Diary entries that demonstrate empathy, perspective and link to poem’s themes.
• Spoken contributions during whole-class discussions.
• Luggage label reflection sentence.

Teacher will circulate, engaging with students through questioning to extend thinking.

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Homework/Extension Task

Title: "Dear Mum..."

Write a letter back home from the evacuee. Include what she sees, hears, feels, and misses. Encourage inclusion of a metaphor or symbol that carries emotional meaning (e.g. a scarf, a ribbon, the smell of London fog).

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Wow Factor & Immersion Ideas 🌟

• Use small brown tags and tea-stain them in advance for authenticity.
• Set classroom scene with a platform sign (“Platform 1 – Children to the Countryside”), hats/coats on pegs like a wartime cloakroom.
• Invite students to sit in 'train compartments' (small rearranged desks) during the writing task.
• Consider inviting a grandparent or local historian to speak in future lessons.

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Reflection and Next Steps

Use students’ luggage labels to compile a class poem titled "What We Carried". This could be displayed alongside their diary entries or used for a spoken word performance.

In the next lesson, introduce a contrasting perspective: A host family receiving an evacuee, to deepen empathy and explore different voices involved in the same historical moment.

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Final Thoughts

This lesson doesn’t just teach poetry—it opens a door to the past and invites students to walk in another's shoes, using language as both lens and bridge. By combining rich literary analysis with immersive creative writing, the lesson fosters deep understanding and emotional growth.