Children of World War II

Engage

What do you think life was like for children during World War II? Brainstorm for 5 to 10 minutes with a group your ideas on life during World War II.

When you are finished, share your group's ideas and theories with the entire class.

What are the similarities and differences among the group's answers?

You will be learning about the children of Great Britain during World War II. While you are researching, think about these questions:
• What hardships and sacrifices did the people of Great Britain go through during World War II?
• How is life for children different during war and peace time?
• How does war disrupt families?
• What are the consequences of war beyond the battlefield?

Explore

1. To complete this project, you'll need a computer with a PowerPoint, and Internet access.
2. Before you begin your research, you may want to review this site and hear some interviews with survivors of the holocaust.
• http://holocaust.umd.umich.edu/#interviews.
You may also want to explore this site and experience what a wartime home was like by going through the rooms of the house.
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2children/home.shtml
o Move the cursor over the objects and read the descriptions of each object. In the web site, you will learn about rationing by taking the "Rationing Challenge." You will have to shop for a meal in 1942. You will see what foods were available and what a meal would have looked like during the war. You will also read letters written by a girl who was evacuated from London to the countryside. The last thing you will visit is "The Research Room." You can view and learn about other aspects of civilian life during the war.
3. Now that you have been given some insight into life during World War II, you are ready to begin your own research. You will create a PowerPoint depicting the lives of children during World War II. Use the list below to begin your research. The web sites offer images and information.
Life during World War II
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/nettsch/time/wlife.html

World War II Casualties
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties
http://www.garrettsbridges.com/special8.html

The London Blitz, 1940
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/blitz.htm

 

If you are unfamiliar with how to use presentation software like PowerPoint, review the PowerPoint training videos from Nortel LearniT at:
http://www.nortellearnit.org/technology/PowerPoint_Presentations/

Explain

1. While researching your topic, keep in mind your first person narrative. The information you learn while doing your group presentations will be useful in writing your narrative.
2. Your teacher will work with your groups to make sure your group is making progress.
3. In addition to gathering information, each student will also be responsible for finding or creating images to help visualize this information.
Tip: When you decide what images (pictures), sounds or text that you want to use in your PowerPoint slide, be sure to check for a copyright notice. Some Web sites want you to use their materials for educational projects while other do not. A good practice for you should be to look for an email on the Web page you want to use materials from and use it to send a request for permission to use it in your class PowerPoint project.

It is also important that you identify materials that you use completely in your PowerPoint presentation. This is called "making a citation" of someone else's work. The format that is typically used is as follows:

Last Name, First Name of Author (if known). "Title of work/article/page." Title of Complete Document (if applicable). Date last modified. URL (date visited).

4. Work as a team to decide what information should be used and the best way to present this information. Consider the interests of your audience as you make choices.
a. Use the PowerPoint Storyboard to organize your slides.

PowerPoint Storyboard

Name:

Title of Presentation:

 

Slide #1 Slide #2 Slide #3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text: Text: Text:

 

 

 

 

Main Idea: Main Idea: Main Idea:

 

 

 

 

Slide #4 Slide #5 Slide #6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text: Text: Text:

 

 

 

 

Main Idea: Main Idea: Main Idea:

 

 

 

 

 

Elaborate

1. Each team member will complete their PowerPoint presentation on life for children during World War II. Remember to include photos, articles, letters, and other factual information as you present this information.

2. Before you begin creating your own PowerPoint slides, you might want to take a look at a Nortel LearniT video tutorial and get some good tips and tricks on making a great presentation.
http://tinyurl.com/m2m

3. Pictures and sounds will be very important in helping your audience understand what life was like for the children during World War II. Download images and sounds to your hard drive, or save the URL as a ‘Favorite' in your Web browser.

4. Put a descriptive title screen, credits and references at the end of the PowerPoint presentation. Using the multimedia (pictures, images, sounds, etc.) throughout the presentations will help you communicate your key information.

5. When you have finished creating your team PowerPoint, your group will present it to the class. Take notes on the other teams presentations. Once all the groups have shared, you will begin your first person narrative as a child of Great Britain during World War II based upon your research.

6. Before you begin your narrative, you might want to review the sites below

http://www.engl.niu.edu/wac/narr_how.html

http://www.essortment.com/hobbies/howwriteperson_scmg.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-person_narrative

7. The final step in your project will be to create a digital book of your narratives and share them with another social studies class to help another class understand what you have learned.

Use the resources below to help in the creation of your book.

• http://www.nortellearnit.org/technology/Imaging/
• http://www.nortellearnit.org/technology/PowerPoint_Presentations/