World War II Beginnings

Overview

This 45-minute lesson introduces Year 6 students to the causes of World War II, focusing on the Treaty of Versailles and the rise of totalitarian regimes across Europe. The lesson leans on critical exploration and discussion, helping pupils understand how political decisions and ideologies led to conflict with significant global impact.

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National Curriculum Links

• History Programme of Study: Key stage 2
  Pupils should be taught to:

  • "study an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066"
  • "study the causes and consequences of significant events in the past"
  • "understand how events from the past have shaped the present"

• Skills developed:

  • Chronological understanding
  • Cause and consequence analysis
  • Empathy and historical perspective
  • Speaking, listening, and discussion skills

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Explain the key terms related to the start of World War II, including Treaty of Versailles, totalitarianism, and appeasement.
2. Describe the main causes of World War II with a focus on the Treaty of Versailles and the rise of dictatorships in Germany, Italy, and Japan.
3. Discuss the global impact of political decisions made after World War I and how they influenced the path towards World War II.
4. Engage respectfully in a class discussion, listening to other viewpoints and articulating their own ideas clearly.

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Large timeline poster (1918-1945) visible in classroom
• Image packs (Treaty of Versailles, political leaders – Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito)
• Short extracted text on Treaty of Versailles (age-appropriate)
• 'Cause and effect' graphic organiser worksheet (simplified)
• World map of interwar period
• Sticky notes for quick reflection

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (5 minutes)

What do you know? - KWL Chart

• On the whiteboard, create three columns labelled: What I Know, What I Want to Know, What I Learned (for later use).
• Ask pupils to call out what they already know about World War II. Capture key words and facts in the first column.
• Prompt them to say what they want to find out in this unit (second column).
• This activates prior knowledge and sets purpose for learning.

2. Introduction (10 minutes)

Brief Storytelling and Visual Timeline

• Show the timeline poster from 1918 to 1945.
• Explain the importance of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) as the concluding peace agreement of WWI and how it imposed heavy penalties on Germany.
• Use images to introduce key totalitarian leaders: Adolf Hitler (Germany), Benito Mussolini (Italy), Emperor Hirohito (Japan).
• Use a world map to highlight how these regimes affected different countries and regions.

3. Teacher-Led Explanation / Mini Lecture (10 minutes)

Causes of World War II

• Discuss the Treaty of Versailles’ main points: reparations, military restrictions, loss of territory.
• Explain how this created resentment in Germany.
• Define totalitarianism: control by a single party/dictator with no opposition permitted.
• Explore briefly how Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito rose to power by exploiting economic hardship and nationalism.
• Use the classroom map to show an overview of global tensions escalating.

4. Group Activity (15 minutes)

Cause and Effect Sorting with Graphic Organiser

• Split the class into 4 groups of 5 pupils.
• Provide each group with printed cause-and-effect cards (e.g., Treaty reparations, economic depression, propaganda, aggressive militarism).
• Groups discuss and place cards in the correct boxes on a graphic organiser: Causes, Effects, and Connections to WW2.
• Teacher circulates, scaffolding understanding and encouraging use of historical vocabulary.

5. Class Discussion and Reflection (5 minutes)

Discuss the Global Impact

• Bring the class back together.
• Facilitate a whole class discussion based on questions:
  • “How did the Treaty of Versailles sow seeds of resentment?”
  • “Why might people support dictators in difficult times?”
  • “How can decisions in one part of the world affect the rest?”
• Use sticky notes for pupils to write one new thing they learned and place on a board under What I Learned column of KWL.

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Assessment

• Formative: Observation during group activity and discussion assessing understanding of key concepts, historical terms, and cause/effect relationships.
• Outcome: Completed graphic organiser in groups, showing accurate connections between events and causes.
• Reflection notes: Individual sticky note reflections to check individual engagement and insight.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters and key vocabulary sheets for pupils with lower reading/writing ability.
• Challenge: Prompt higher ability pupils to explain why the Treaty of Versailles was controversial and to consider different perspectives (e.g., Allied vs German views).
• Use visuals and concrete examples to help EAL learners access the content.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• English: Developing speaking and listening skills through discussion and articulating historical viewpoints clearly.
• Geography: Locating countries involved and exploring the global scale of conflict.

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Extension Ideas for Homework

• Research a major leader from WWII and write 3 interesting facts about them.
• Create a poster that visually represents the Treaty of Versailles and its effects.

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This lesson sets the foundation for the understanding of World War II, meeting all key aims in the National Curriculum for History at Key Stage 2, while also fostering critical thinking and communication skills through active student participation.