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Lower Key Stage 2 World War 2: A Child's Eye View from the Home Front
The Battle of Britain

Learn about the threat of German invasion in the summer of 1940 and how this led to the Battle of Britain that raged over the coast of England between July and October of that year.

Session 1 Hitler plans to invade Britain

Objectives

History

  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British and World history – the events that led to The Battle of Britain.
  • Address historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and significance.

Design and Technology

  • Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making.

Lesson Planning

Discover how Britain was on the brink of invasion in July 1940 as Hitler made plans for Operation Sealion. Learn what newly elected Prime Minister Winston Churchill planned to do about it. Create some model fighter planes from recycled materials.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To understand the events that led to The Battle of Britain.
  • To learn techniques of modelling with card and papier maché to join sections together create strong structures.

Children will:

  • Place significant events on a timeline.
  • Understand the events that led up to the Battle of Britain – the threat of a German invasion and Winston Churchill’s plans to defend Britain from attack.
  • Either investigate Hitler and Churchill’s plans in more detail or begin to model Battle of Britain fighter planes using drinks bottles and papier maché.

You Will Need

  • 500ml water bottles
  • Stiff card
  • Masking tape
  • Newspaper torn into strips
  • Pots of PVA diluted half and half with water

Session 2 Blue birds over the White Cliffs of Dover

Objectives

History

  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British and World history – The Battle of Britain.
  • Address historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and significance.

D&T

  • Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making.

Lesson Planning

Find out what part the Kent coastline played in The Battle of Britain and why it was so dear to the hearts of British people. Build a large 3D model of it from recycled materials ready to display the model fighter planes. Listen to Vera Lynn’s famous song.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To begin to understand the events that led to The Battle of Britain and the relative advantages and disadvantages of the combatants.
  • To learn techniques of modelling with recycled materials and papier maché to create a 3D model of a landscape.

Children will:

  • Understand the events that led to The Battle of Britain.
  • Begin to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the Luftwaffe and the RAF as the battle began.
  • Learn about the iconic significance of the White Cliffs of Dover for pilots defending Britain from invasion and in the hearts of British people.
  • Either create a large scale model the Kent coastline in papier maché and recycled materials or work on increasing knowledge of the fighter planes used by each side in The Battle of Britain.

You Will Need

  • A range of recycled packaging
  • Several pots of PVA glue diluted half and half with water
  • Chunky brushes
  • Plenty of torn strips of newspaper
  • Roll of kitchen paper

Session 3 Spitfires, Hurricanes and Messerschmitts

Objectives

History

  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British and World history – The Battle of Britain.
  • Address historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and significance.

Design and Technology

  • Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making.

Lesson Planning

Learn more about the fighter planes and their pilots and paint the models made so far.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To begin to understand the events that led to The Battle of Britain and the relative advantages and disadvantages of the RAF and Luftwaffe as the battle unfolded.
  • To learn techniques of modelling with recycled materials and paint to create 3D models.

Children will:

  • Learn how the Battle of Britain was fought and what advantages there were on each side.
  • Find out more about the fighter planes used by German and British pilots.
  • Paint either a Battle of Britain fighter plane or the model of the Kent coastline created last session.

You Will Need

  • Acrylic paints
  • Mixing pallets
  • Water pots
  • Sticky labels
  • Circular items of different sizes

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

Session 4 Britain is saved from invasion

Objectives

History

  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British and World history – The Battle of Britain.
  • Address historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and significance.

Design and Technology

  • Understand and use electrical systems in their products (circuits, switches and motors).

Lesson Planning

Complete your large 3D display of The Battle of Britain by wiring your planes with electrical circuits that power their propellers. Set them in dogfight scenarios in your landscape and reflect on Churchill’s famous words “Never … was so much owed by so many to so few”.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To begin to understand the significance of The Battle of Britain as our first victory in WW2.
  • To learn techniques of modelling with recycled materials and use an electrical circuit to drive a propeller inside a model Battle of Britain fighter plane.

Children will:

  • Wire up their model planes with electrical circuits containing a switch and power a propeller.
  • Arrange the Spitfires and Messerschmitts planes in the model of the Kent coastline as a Battle of Britain scene.
  • Hear Churchill’s famous words and reflect on the bravery and sacrifice of the RAF Battle of Britain pilots.

You Will Need

  • A large sewing needle
  • A knitting needle
  • Black masking tape
  • Propeller, a battery, a motor, a switch
  • A reel of insulated electrical copper wire
  • Wire strippers
  • Barbeque skewers
  • Sticky tack