World War Two Special

Key Stage 2

Objectives

  • Understand how World War Two impacted the everyday lives of British citizens and how they kept up their moral through patriotism, duty, entertainment and community.
  • Develop an understanding of how the war was fought through the intelligence services.
  • Use objects to explain, compare, understand and study aspects of World War Two.

Experience World War Two through our half day World War Two Special! Children (and staff!) will be met by our Billeting Officer on arrival and inspected, giving children the opportunity to discover how evacuee’s found out where they would be staying and how that uncertainty would feel. Once billeted, the children will experience three different sessions:

Session 1: WW2 Object Handling – Led by one of our Learning Team, the group will have the opportunity to handle artefacts from the time period and learn more about rationing, the Land Army, air raids, gas masks, etc. Children will be encouraged to explore the objects, express their opinions and feed back to the group.

Session 2: Special Operations – Led by a Museum Educator in role, the children will learn about the role that spies, saboteurs and resistance groups took in World War Two by looking at some artefacts and objects that were used during the war, including Morse code and other secret devices, to communicate with each other. Children will then be given the opportunity to do some code breaking for themselves!

Session 3: Music, Song and Dance – Led by a Museum Educator in role, the group will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of music, song and dance during the war period and how it kept people’s spirits up. The children will learn a World War Two song and dance, but it might be interrupted by an air raid!

Session length: Each session lasts around 45 minutes and follow one after the other
Cost: £12.50 per child (which includes entry and use of the site, tram rides and the three WW2 sessions. Before the day, schools will be sent ID cards, ration books, luggage labels, templates for gas masks and box, costume ideas, so that they can really become immersed in the experience!

National Curriculum Links

History

Main History Aims:

  • know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
  • understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
  • gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts: understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales

Key Stage Two

  • a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
  • a significant turning point in British history, for example, the first railways or the Battle of Britain

Music

Main Music aims:

  • perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions
  • develop an understanding of the history of music.

Mathematics

  • Reason mathematically

Spoken Language (English)

  • ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
  • articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
  • give well-structured descriptions, explanations
  • maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations
  • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas
  • participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play/improvisations and debates
  • consider and evaluate different viewpoints

Crich Tramway Village is a brand name for the National Tramway Museum (Accredited with Arts Council England), solely owned and operated by The Tramway Museum Society, incorporated in England with liability by guarantee (no. 744229). Registered charity number 313615. Our ICO number is Z6700136.