WWII Child Experience

Overview

This 30-minute session is lesson 3 of 6 in the "World War II Explorers" unit. It will engage one Year 2 pupil in an immersive and empathic role-play experience, designed according to the National Curriculum for England (History). The pupil will explore daily life as a child during WWII through interactive scenarios, deepening historical understanding and emotional connection.

National Curriculum Links

History: Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2)

Pupils should be taught to:
- Understand events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally (e.g., World War II)
- Use stories and role play to develop an understanding of the past
- Ask and answer questions about the past
- Develop awareness of the lives of people in the past and compare to today

Learning Objectives

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

Describe aspects of daily life for a child during WWII through role-play.
Demonstrate empathy by imagining feelings and experiences of children from that era.
Retell and sequence events or routines from a WWII child’s perspective.
Use historical vocabulary such as “evacuation”, “rationing”, “air raid”, and “Anderson shelter”.

Resources

Dress-up items (e.g., flat cap, scarf, coat, simplified gas mask replica)
Replica WWII ration book and labels
Simple props: tin cup, lunchbox, evacuee label badge
Visual timeline and photos of children in WWII settings
Printed scenario cards (e.g., evacuating, air raid alert, at school, rationing food)
Quiet space arranged to resemble parts of a WWII home/shelter

Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Details	Curriculum Focus
0-5 min	Introduction & Context Setting	Discuss briefly who children in WWII were, touching on evacuation, rationing, and air raids. Use pictures and simple language. Introduce key vocabulary: evacuation, ration, air raid, shelter.	Historical knowledge; developing chronological understanding
5-15 min	Dressing Up & Role Assignment	Help the pupil dress up as a WWII child evacuee. Assign short scenarios for role-play: e.g., receiving a ration book, preparing for an air raid, writing a letter home. Encourage use of vocabulary during acting.	Use stories and role play; asking/answering questions about the past
15-25 min	Role-Playing Experience	Guide the pupil through each scenario with props and conversation prompts:

Evacuation: packing a suitcase, saying goodbye (explore feelings)
Air raid alert: finding the Anderson shelter and practising blackout rules
School day: learning under wartime constraints
Pause for reflective questions such as “How do you feel right now?” or “What do you think children missed most?” | Empathy & emotional connection; sequencing events; applying historical vocabulary | | 25-30 min | Recap & Reflection | Sit with the pupil and discuss what they learnt and felt. Ask them to recount a “day in the life” of the WWII child they played. Note vocabulary usage and accuracy. Log achievement against curriculum objectives. | Historical interpretation; communication; reflecting on past and present |

Assessment

Formative: Observation of pupil’s engagement and use of vocabulary during role-play.
Oral assessment: Ability to describe experiences and emotions in character.
Teacher feedback: Provide positive reinforcement and link learning back to the bigger picture of WWII’s impact on children.

Differentiation & Support

Provide sentence starters for the pupil if needed, e.g., “I feel scared because…”
Use visual aids frequently to support comprehension.
Allow the pupil to pace the role-play according to their comfort.
Encourage open-ended imaginative responses, embracing creativity.

Extension Ideas

Create a simple diary entry as “a WWII child” after the session to reinforce learning.
Listen to period-appropriate music or air raid sirens and explore how sound affected daily life.
Use the ration book to plan a mock shopping trip with limited food items.

WOW Factor

To deepen understanding, guide the pupil to create their own evacuee label badge during the role-play and keep it as a “historical souvenir.” Consider playing authentic sounds softly in the background during air raid role-play (e.g., sirens, distant planes) to heighten realism and empathy — giving a fully immersive sensory experience tailored for one-to-one engagement.

This lesson balances curriculum demands with imaginative, emotionally resonant learning, designed to captivate a young historian’s mind and heart.

Teaching Instructions