Task 1- What was the cause of WW2?
Golden Nuggets-
WW2 began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1st 1939
The UK declared war on Germany on September 3rd 1939
The German army was led by Adolf Hitler and they aimed to take land from Poland
Listen to this radio recording from 1939:
Task 2- Which countries were involved and why?
Golden Nuggets:
The original countries involved in the war were Germany, France, UK and Italy
Countries can be split into two ‘sides’, the Axis and the Allies
The main Axis countries were Germany, Italy and Japan and the main Allied were the UK, the US, France and the Soviet Union
Read through the PowerPoint below then use the key to complete the map showing the countries that were involved in World War 2
Task 3- Who was Anne Frank and why is she so famous?
Golden Nuggets:
The Nazi party persecuted the Jewish people so they began to flee from Germany
Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl who had move to the Netherlands
Anne Frank kept a diary which spoke about her going into hiding when the Germans invaded
Research Anne Frank- https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/46972704
Complete the 2do 'All About Anne Frank' on Purple Mash
Task 4- What was evacuation and why did it happen?
Golden Nuggets:
Evacuation was introduced to move children out of cities to the countryside to protect them from bombings
1.5 million people were evacuated in just 2 days in 1939
By the end of the war, 3.5 million people (mainly children) had been evacuated
Listen to this video from the Queen who was just Princess at the time
Research what evacuation was and why it happened.
Children were evacuated to the countryside areas and often had to travel a long way. Can you complete the activity below, plotting the counties of the UK
Task 5- Why did rationing take place during the war?
Golden Nuggets:
The government had to cut down on the amount of food it brought because supply ships were attacked
Rationing made sure everyone got an equal amount of food each week
Rationing lasted for 14 years and ended on July 4th 1954
Research rationing- what it was and why it had to happen. Then below is a worksheet for you to work out how much your family would've spent if you had to ration!
Task 6- What are the differences between going to school in the war compared to now?
Golden Nuggets:
Children had regular gas drills at school
Schools had air raid shelters
Children had to carry gas masks with them to school
Read through this account of somebody who started school in the middle of WW2- https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/91/a1979391.shtml
Do some of your own research about schools in WW2 and then fill in the following sheet:
Task 7- What was the Coventry Blitz and how did it affect the city?
Golden Nuggets:
The Coventry Blitz was a number of bombing raids that took place on Coventry
Coventry was targeted because of its factories and industry
Many buildings were destroyed, including the Cathedral which can still be seen today
Research about the Coventry Blitz, what it was and why it happened.
Watch the video below which shows some of the devastation that occurred:
Imagine you were alive in the time of the Blitz- how would you feel?
Complete the writing activity below
Task 8- What was the Battle of Britain and how did it impact on the war?
Golden Nuggets:
The Battle of Britain was an air battle that took place in 1940 for 3 months and 3 weeks
It was the first big defeat for Germany during the war
It was a significant victory in the war and inspired the USA to join forces with Great Britain
Research the Battle of Britain and complete the 2do on Purple Mash.
Task 9- What were conditions like for soldiers?
Golden Nuggets:
In 1940, 2 million British men were ordered to fight
Soldiers were deployed all around the world in a range of different climates, living in barracks, tents and fox holes
Keeping fit was very important for the army and training would have been difficult
Research what life would have been like for soldiers in WW2- watch the video below to help:
Task 10- How did the D-Day Landings help Britain to win the war?
Golden Nuggets:
D Day took place on 6th June 1944
It is the biggest sea invasion in history with over 150,000 soldiers making up the force
By June 17th over 500,000 Allied troops had arrived to push Germany out of France
Read through the PowerPoint below to learn about D-Day
Read the following text and answer the questions below
Task 11- What is VE Day and why do we celebrate it?
Golden Nuggets;
VE Day was called by Winston Churchill and it celebrates the end of WW2 on May 8th 1945
Street parties were held all over Britain to celebrate
This wasn’t the end of the war in other parts of the world- Japan and USA were still fighting
Your task is complete for this one! Hopefully you watched the news on VE Day and maybe even took part in a socially-distanced street party!
Make sure you know all about VE Day and why it is important to celebrate it!