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World War II: Battle of Britain

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General overviews

  • 8 Things You Need to Know About the Battle of Britain Overview from the Imperial War Museums of Great Britain.
  • 13 Hours that Saved Britain A 48 minute British documentary about the Battle of Britain.
  • BBC Radio 2: The Battle of Britain at 75 This page from the 2015 commemoration contains many links to interviews, photographs, and descriptions of life beneath the bombs.
  • What was the Secret to Winning the Battle of Britain? Information, photos and video clips from the BBC History site.

General primary source collections

  • Battle of Britain 1940 A collection of memoirs solicited by the BBC and made available to the public.
  • Battle of Britain Historical Society This organization preserves memories of the Battle of Britain and has links to many primary sources.
  • British War Blue Book Primary source documents from 1939 showing the buildup to hostilities between Britain and Germany.
  • The London Blitz, 1940 Eyewitness accounts of life in London and elsewhere during the German bombardment.
  • Second World War 1939-1945 Primary sources from the National Archives of Britain.
  • WWII Documents A collection from Yale University's Avalon Project.
  • 9 Iconic Aircraft from the Battle of Britain. Brief descriptions of some of the planes used.
  • The Battle of Britain The Royal Air Force website presents their account of the Battle of Britain.
  • The Battle of Britain, 1940 First person account from a pilot who participated in the battle.
  • British Aircraft Technology and the Battle of Britain Information from a course taught at Stanford in 2004.
  • How the Battle of Britain Changed War, and the World, Forever An article about the impacts of the Battle of Britain, from National Geographic.
  • How the Luftwaffe Fought the Battle of Britain Information from the Imperial War Museum.
  • The Nazi fighter Planes Silenced in Britain's Finest Hour An article from the Daily Mail with photos or German aircraft.

The German view

  • German Plans for the Invasion of England, 1940 Operation "SEALION" A declassified CIA report on Operation Sea Lion.
  • Operation Sea Lion: Hitler's Plan to Invade Britain Marked with Publication of Nazi War Charts An article from The Independent about a recently discovered Nazi map.

Communications

  • Radar: the Battle Winner? An article about the effectiveness of British radar.
  • Robert Watson-Watt: The Inventor Who Helped Win the Battle of Britain An article about the inventor of radar.

Bletchley Park

  • Bletchley Park Digital Collections Telegrams, letters and memos from the famed British intelligence site.
  • Breaking Germany's Enigma Code An article from the BBC.

Authoritative image sources

  • What’s included? Photojournalism and audio files from over 100 years of news coverage from the Associated Press. Articles are generally more than 10 years old.
  • What’s included? Over two million photographs, artistic works and political cartoons.
  • What’s included? In-depth overview articles, often with links to supporting primary source materials. Also includes a world atlas with statistical information on individual countries plus the ability to compare any two countries.
  • What’s included? Documents on a wide variety of political, religious and social issues.
  • What’s included? Archived newspaper articles from past issues of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune.
  • What’s included? This is a very large collection of tertiary, secondary and primary sources. Use the Advanced Search screen to narrow your search to a particular type of source.
  • Map as History This link opens in a new window Watch a short video that illustrates the Battle of Britain. The map number is #8.4.
  • What’s included? Reference articles and primary source documents from the Renaissance to the present day.

The Imitation Game

  • How Accurate Is The Imitation Game? An article from Slate magazine comparing the movie to the real history.
  • The True Story of The Imitation Game An article from Time magazine fact-checking the events portrayed in the movie.
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  • Last Updated: Mar 1, 2023 11:45 AM
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WW2 - The Battle of Britain

WW2 - The Battle of Britain

Subject: History

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Horseshoe Academics

Last updated

20 February 2024

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primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

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WW2 - Battle of Britain

This lesson will help children to understand the events of the Battle of Britain during the Second World War. They will learn who was involved, what caused the battle and the impact it had on the rest of WW2.

This resource includes:

PowerPoint detailing what happened during the Battle of Britain:

  • what it was, causes, who was involved, the four phases
  • Churchill’s speech (link to recording)
  • Real RAF pilots’ stories, impact etc. (link to recording)
  • Opportunities for partner talk/group work, timed activities to boost engagement.
  • Two independent tasks to complete. These can be given to all children, or can be used as differentiation depending on ability: Task 1 – present the events of the Battle of Britain in a style of their choice. Task 2 – Write a diary entry about the events of the Battle of Britain from the perspective of an RAF pilot.
  • Exit ticket to assess learning at the end of the lesson.
  • Lesson plan for teacher.
  • Sheet for group activity

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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

WW2 Unit Bundle (9 Lessons) KS2

World War 2 Unit Bundle - 9 Lessons -KS2 Everything you need to teach World War Two to your Key Stage 2 class! This bundle includes 9 lessons, each of which includes a detailed PowerPoint, a lesson plan for the teacher, differentiated and independent tasks for LA/MA/HA, scaffolding/models for independent tasks, starter activities and exit tickets, opportunities for partner talk/group work and links to relevant videos/audio where appropriate. **Lessons included: ** 1. How did WW2 start? 2. Areas of influence – Axis and Allied Powers 3. Dunkirk 4. Battle of Britain 5. The Blitz 6. D-Day 7. Rationing 8. Evacuation 9. Roles of women in WW2 All resources are fully editable so can be used as they are or tweaked to suit individual classes and learners. Hope you find these useful! Please leave a review - it would be very much appreciated!

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primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

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Second World War Primary resource

Discover how wwii changed society in britain at the time.

This primary resource explores some of the significant events of the Second World War and what life was like on the home front. Discover how WWII changed society in Britain at the time, and the different roles that people had to take on. Why were children evacuated? How did women’s roles change during the Second World War? What was a ‘blackout’?

Pupils will learn about the war effort at home and how air strikes affected life in Britain at the time in our National Geographic Kids’ History primary resource sheet.

The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for a simple overview of World War II. It can be used as a printed handout for each pupil to read themselves, or for display on the interactive whiteboard, as part of a whole class reading exercise.

Activity:  Ask the children to choose one of the areas of World War II discussed in the comic (e.g. the evacuation of children, air raid shelters, blackouts, women at work, The Battle of Britain, etc.) and create their own comic strip specifically about this topic. They could use the resource as a starting point for their own research. Pupils could compare life in Britain during the Second World War, with life at home during the First World War, using our First World War comic  to help them. What might the main differences have been?

N.B.  The following information for mapping the resource documents to the school curriculum is specifically tailored to the  English National Curriculum  and  Scottish Curriculum for Excellence . We are currently working to bring specifically tailored curriculum resource links for our other territories; including  South Africa ,  Australia  and  New Zealand . If you have any queries about our upcoming curriculum resource links, please email:  [email protected]

This History primary resource assists with teaching the following History objectives from the National Curriculum :

  • Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative  
  • 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.

National Curriculum Key Stage 1 History objective:

  • Pupils should be taught: significant historical events, people and places in their own locality

National Curriculum Key Stage 2 History objective:

  • Pupils should be taught a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066

This History primary resource assists with teaching the following Social Studies First level objective from the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence :

  • I can compare aspects of people’s daily lives in the past with my own by using historical evidence or the experience of recreating an historical setting.

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Third level Social Studies objective :

  • I can describe the factors contributing to a major social, political or economic change in the past and can assess the impact on people’s lives.

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Fourth level Social Studies objective :

  • I can describe the main features of conflicting world belief systems in the past and can present informed views on the consequences of such conflict for societies then and since.

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The National Archives

Food production, Dig for Victory, 1939-1949 (INF 3/96) View in image library

The Home Front

Lesson at a glance, how did people prepare for the war at home, teachers' notes, external links.

Britain started to prepare for the Second World War at least a year before it actually started.

In 1938, the government began to build new warships and increase its armaments. However, this war would not just involve soldiers. The government expected the war to disrupt and threaten the lives of civilians left at home. This happened in a variety of different ways, from cutting down railings to be melted down and used in munitions factories, to rationing and evacuation plans.

Between 1938 and 1939, the government thought of all the possible dangers and difficulties the Home Front would face during war, and started to take precautions. People were needed on the home front to help with all sorts of things. They were encouraged to plant vegetables on any spare land they had to supplement the rationing, but people were also recruited into a variety of essential positions such as Air Raid Wardens and the Home Guard. People were also encouraged to think about their safety, and the government spent a great deal of time educating people on what to do in situations such as an air raid, or a gas attack, as well as providing information on how to make rations stretch further and how to keep yourself healthy. Use this lesson to work with original documents on how the British were encouraged to prepare for the Second World War.

1. Look at Source 1. This is one of a series of posters designed to encourage people to grow their own food.

  • Why did the government want the Home Front to ‘Dig for Plenty’?
  • If the Home Front had not organised growing more of its own food, what would have happened?
  • Would a poster showing what would happen if people did not start to ‘dig’ have been more or less effective? Explain your answer
  • How has does this poster use words and pictures to get its message over?
  • Now look at the’ Dig for Victory’ poster at the start of the lesson. (a) What are the similarities and differences between both posters? (b) Which one has makes its message in the best way? Explain why.

2. Read Source 2. This is a government poster about evacuation.

  • Who is the ghostly figure whispering ‘Take them back!’?
  • Where is he pointing?
  • What does he want the mother to do and why?
  • Why might this mother be tempted to ‘Take them back’?
  • What is the message of this poster?
  • Why were children evacuated during the Second World War?

3. Look at Sources 3 a, b and c. These were leaflets produced during the war.

  • Who produced these leaflets?
  • What dangers are these leaflets about?
  • How many different types of gas masks would the government have to provide?
  • How useful do you think the advice offered in these leaflets is?
  • get people to take notice?
  • educate people?
  • reassure people?

4. Look at Source 4. This poster shows a woman slapping Hitler in the face.

  • What type of war work does this poster advertise?
  • What is happening in this poster?
  • Can you explain the double meaning behind the caption?
  • Why was the work of part-time women workers an essential part of defeating Hitler?
  • How might this poster encourage women to contribute to the war effort?

5. Look at Sources 5 a and b. These are wartime warning posters.

  • What dangers do these sources warn the public about?
  • Who was the local air raid warden for Drypool Green?
  • What was the air raid signal for ‘all clear’?
  • In the months leading up to September 1939 many towns practised their air raid signals and taking shelter. Why do you think this was necessary?
  • likely to follow?
  • likely to ignore?
  • Look at Source 5b. Read all the labels. How would each precaution help save lives if there was an air raid?

6. Read Source 6. This is a telephone conversation between Mr Cleave and Captain Denaro – a mine laying specialist – in 1940.

  • Why were mines placed on the beaches?
  • What is Mr. Cleave complaining about?
  • According to Mr. Cleave, was placing mines on the beach an effective way of protecting Britain?
  • Do you think Mr. Cleave was being unreasonable?
  • What does this source tell us about the power the government had over people’s lives during the Second World War?

7. Look at Source 7. This poster shows Hitler balancing on a telephone line.

  • What is the message behind this poster?
  • How are the words and picture used to make its message?
  • Do you think this is an effective poster? Give reasons why/why not.
  • What other steps were taken to protect Britain?

Evacuation plans had been in preparation well before the outbreak of war. Small-scale evacuation of women and children were carried out in September 1938 but the real evacuation began in September 1939. The government had planned to evacuate about three million people but in the end only one million left home. A few hours after the war was declared on 3 September 1939, almost all of them had been evacuated from the danger areas to the reception areas.

The biggest danger came from air raids. Air raids meant both danger and disruption. 60,595 civilians died as a result of enemy action in the UK. Homes, workplaces and public buildings were destroyed. Streets were subject to the ‘blackout’ – lighting restrictions – and the ban on street lighting caused a huge rise in car accidents. Volunteers were needed to be trained in civil defence duties. These included fire-fighting, first aid and ambulance driving.

Civilians were instructed in how to protect themselves against poison gas attacks and issued with gas masks, which they were encouraged to carry on all journeys. Fortunately, poison gas was never used as a weapon in Britain. They were also given materials to build air raid shelters in the backyards. Strong buildings were also prepared for use as air raid shelters.

The working lives of most of the adult population changed with the outbreak of war. To fight the war, men aged between 18 and 41 were needed in the navy and army. This would take them away from their jobs in factories and farms. To fill the shortage, women were recruited for jobs previously done by men. Women worked in the factories, constructing weapons and many others joined the Land Army to work on farms.

Much of the food, clothes and fuel which Britain needed came from abroad. The war disrupted and prevented these supplies from arriving. This meant shortages of the essentials to keep life going. In 1940, rationing was introduced in Britain. The ration book became indispensable for every man, woman and child, ensuring a fair distribution of what meagre essentials were available. The government also tried to encourage people to grow food on every available piece of land.

Another danger was from invasion. When in 1940 the Channel Isles fell into German hands and it looked as though the RAF was loosing the Battle of Britain, the government called on volunteers to join the Home Guard – Dad’s Army – to help defend Britain from attack.

In this lesson, students look at a series of posters, pictures and leaflets designed to persuade the public to support the war effort on the home front. Teachers may wish for the students to work in pairs or small groups on individual sources and report back to the group.

The first source examined by the students is a ‘Dig for Plenty Poster’ to encourage people to grow their own vegetables to support the war effort. This would help to prevent food shortages as Britain could not import food easily during wartime. The second source is a poster warning against the danger of not evacuating children. The government started a policy of evacuation to send children away from the cities, ports and industrial areas which were bomb targets to safer rural areas. In the third source students study a series of leaflets about gas masks. These include instructions on how to put them on, why and when they must be carried and what to do if you are injured by different types of gas. Source 4 is a poster used to encourage women to work during the war because it will help to defeat Hitler. The fifth source concerns air precautions. There is an information leaflet which explains how to protect yourself during air raids, warning signals for air raids and information about where to get help. There is also a picture of a house and garage labelled with instructions on how to protect your house from bomb blasts. Source 6 is an extract of a telephone conversation between a member of the public, Mr Cleave and a mine laying specialist in 1940. Mines had been laid on the beach to protect the coastline very near his home and he felt that there was danger of his house exploding by accident. The final source is a reminder to the public that careless talk is dangerous. Conversations can be overheard.

The lesson can also be used to support literacy for Key stage 2 on the concept of persuasive writing. Students can explore how the language of these government posters and leaflets is used to persuade. They can look in detail at persuasive devices such as slogans, humour and emotive language. They can consider how persuasive language is used to gain attention, influence and inform and can be adapted for different audiences and purposes.

Illustration : INF 3/96 – Dig on for Victory Poster

Source 1 : INF 3/98 – Dig for Plenty Poster

Source 2 : INF 13/171 – Don’t Do It Mother Poster

Source 3 A, B & C : HO 186/2247 – Gas Raid Quiz and Gas Mask Leaflets

Source 4 : INF 3/400 – Just a Good Afternoons Work poster

Source 5 A : HO 186/2247 – ARP Notice

Source 5 B : ZPER 34 – Air Raid house picture from the Illustrated London News, 1938

Source 6 : WO 199/94 – Conversation between Mr Celave & Capt. Denaro regarding beach mines

Source 7 : INF 3/232 – Be Careful what you say poster

West Indies Calling (1944) Film about the contribution of West Indians to the war at home and abroad.

Public information films from Second World War

MOI Reports The website holds the Home Intelligence Reports of the Second World War which include regular surveys of public opinion on events, policies and the state of morale on the home front. Mostly National Archives documents, transcribed and keyword searchable.

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Life during World War II

primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

British people who weren’t fighting in World War II still had a very different life to the one they had before the war. For one thing, there wasn’t as much food around so every little bit had to be saved and used – even if it didn’t taste very nice! And clothes that were too small or had tears in them just had to be fixed and made bigger because there weren’t many new things around to buy. Everyone had to help each other get the things they needed to keep warm and healthy.

Many people – especially children – who lived in cities were evacuated to the country to keep safe from air attacks such as the Blitz .

Bombs dropped by German planes could flatten brick houses in seconds. Can you imagine going to school one morning, and coming back to find your house was gone? Or when packing your rucksack, popping in a gas mask to protect yourself in case of a gas attack?

Farms in the country became busy communities of people who moved in to help use every bit of the land to grow food. They might have moved there because they didn’t have a home anymore, or because they just wanted to help out as much as they could.

Top 10 facts

  • During World War II , Britain was called ‘ the Home Front ’ – the war affected people not just fighting in armies on the front lines, but back in their own towns and neighbourhoods.
  • All the different plans and ways to help get Britain through World War II was called ‘ the war effort ’. Helping the war effort meant anything from planting vegetables to making fighter planes.
  • Because Britain was at war, it wasn’t easy to get food and other supplies anymore. In 1940, a system called rationing was set up which made sure that everyone had a fair amount of food, clothes and things like soap and petrol based on what was actually available. Rationing didn’t end until 1954.
  • Land Girls were women from all over Britain who worked on farms, helping to grow and produce food for the rest of the country.
  • Not all men went to fight overseas – some couldn’t go and instead joined the Home Guard , which was made up of volunteers ready to defend Britain from a surprise enemy invasion. The Home Guard was created in 1940.
  • From September 1940 to May 1941, Britain was bombed heavily by enemy planes. That time is called ‘ The Blitz ’.
  • During the Blitz, it was very dangerous to live in cities because that’s where most of the bombs were dropped. So, many children were sent off to live in the country where it was safer. These children were known as ‘ evacuees ’.
  • People could protect themselves from enemy attacks by having a gas mask that would allow them to breathe clean air no matter how dirty or poisonous the air around them was after a bombing.
  • Loud sirens would let people know that a bomb might go off soon, and that they should run to the nearest air-raid shelter. Bomb shelters were small, strong structures, sometimes put underground, that protected people inside from being hurt during explosions.
  • When Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that the war was over on VE Day , people all over Britain celebrated by holding street parties.
  • 1 September 1939 Germany invaded Poland
  • 3 September 1939 The UK and France declared War on Germany
  • 10 May 1940 Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of Britain, taking over from Neville Chamberlain
  • 14 May 1940 The Home Guard was created (The Local Defence Volunteers)
  • 26 May-4 June 1940 The evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk, France June 1940 – German troops occupied the Channel Islands
  • 10 June 1940 Italy declared war on Britain and France, and allies with Germany
  • 10 July-31 October 1940 The Battle of Britain
  • 7 September 1940 The Blitz begins in London
  • 8 September 1941-27 January 1944 The Siege of Leningrad
  • 7 December 1941 The Japanese attacked an American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
  • 8 December 194 The United States declared war on Japan, and joined with the Allies
  • 6 June 1944 D-Day, when troops from Britain and the US landed in France to fight against the Germans
  • 16 December 1944-25 January 1945 The Battle of the Bulge
  • 8 May 1945 VE Day (Victory in Europe Day), when Germany surrendered
  • 15 August 1945 VJ Day (Victory in Japan Day), when Japan surrendered
  • 2 September 1945 Japan formally surrendered, and officially ended World War II

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Did you know?

  • The Land Girls were part of the Women’s Land Army , which started in World War I but is best known for their work during World War II . One job that the Land Girls had was to kill rats, who were responsible for eating 2 million tonnes of food every year!
  • The Home Guard was first called the Local Defence Volunteers .
  • ‘ Blitz ’ is the German word for ‘lightning’.
  • When an attack is made by planes (so, instead of troops in tanks or ships), it is called an air-raid. During the Blitz, Britain was attacked by air-raids.
  • Air-raid shelters were usually about as big as a garden shed. In fact, some are used as garden sheds today!
  • Sweets and treats were hard to get during the war. Children would eat carrots on sticks instead of ice lollies! The only sweets that weren’t rationed during the war were cough sweets.
  • Rationing continued until 1954 – nine years after World War II ended!

Pictures of life during World War II

Have a look through the images in the gallery and see if you can spot the following:

  • The uniform that Land Girls wore
  • A poster asking men to join the Army
  • A group of Home Guard members
  • An underground air-raid shelter
  • A ration book

primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

When most of the men in Britain went off to fight in the war, women stepped in to do some of the jobs left vacant. One of these groups was the Land Girls , who worked on farms to grow food, look after livestock and keep the buildings and grounds in good shape.

Not all the men could go overseas, though. Some were just too old or too young, and others had jobs that were thought to be too important for them to leave – these were called ‘reserved occupations’, and included farmers, coal miners and ship builders. Men who stayed in Britain could join the Home Guard, whose main job was to defend the land if there were a sudden attack by the enemy, holding them off until soldiers could get there. There never was an attack like this, but what members of the Home Guard did do was watch over important resources like factories that might have been key targets of an attack, and places like dark fields where enemy troops might parachute into thinking that nobody would see them land. The Home Guard also captured enemy pilots whose planes had crash-landed. The Home Guard was formed in 1940 and disbanded in 1945, and over 1 million men were part of it for most of this time.

Lots of things that people used to be able to pick up in shops around the corner weren’t available during the war. For instance, a factory that used to produce clothes would have been reassigned to produce items for the troops instead. Also, foods like bananas that would have come in on ships from other countries were unavailable because it was dangerous for ships to bring food to Britain. Convoys of ships were used to bring essential food items from other countries but many of these ships were destroyed by the Germans before they could get to Britain.

A system called rationing was set up in 1940 that restricted how much food, clothes and other supplies people could have in a week or month. Each person – both children and adults – had a ration book with coupons in it that they’d hand over to their local shopkeeper, who would give them items their coupons allowed them to have. This system meant everyone got something to eat, and something to wear, even if it wasn’t very much.

The first foods that were rationed were bacon, sugar, tea, butter and meat. This list grew and grew as the war went on, and people got used to making each little bit stretch as far as possible. For example, today you could go out and buy as a dozen eggs and as much milk as you like. But back in war time, people were allowed just one egg per week and three pints of milk per month! People could grow and eat as many vegetables as they wanted, so gardens of all sizes popped up wherever there was space for one – even in parks. Rationing carried on after the war was over because supplies were still low, but gradually items came off the rationing list so things were never as restricted as they was during the war. Rationing ended for good in 1954.

The Blitz lasted from September 1940 to May 1941. During this time, Britain was bombed very heavily in a number of air-raids. Major cities (like London), factories and seaside towns were all targeted because bombing them would cause the most damage – such as destroying rows of houses, production of weapons, or ports where ships carrying supplies would come to.

Loud air-raid sirens would warn people that enemy planes were on the way, and they would need to run to the nearest shelter – no matter if it were the middle of the day or night. Some people had Anderson shelters buried in their back garden, or Morrison shelters in their home. These were strong structures that were built to protect people inside from bomb explosions. In London, Tube (underground) stations were used as air-raid shelters too. Many people also owned gas masks that they could wear to breathe clean air after an explosion.

Because living in cities was so dangerous, mums and dads decided to send their children to the country. These children were called evacuees . This was a really hard decision because nobody wanted to say goodbye to their families, but it was the best way to make sure children stayed safe – nobody knew when the war would finally be over. Many children travelled by train to farms, to homes in the country or to large, stately homes that had lots of room. Some British children even went overseas to countries like Canada . They would write letters about their new adventures to their parents.

Related Videos

Just for fun...

  • Try to ‘ make do and mend ’! What would you add to or take away from the clothes for this paper doll?
  • Complete some Home Front activities  and learn all about life in Britain 1939-1945
  • Understand more about rationing with games and flashcards
  • Imagine you’re an evacuee. What would you write about your experience in a letter to friends and family?
  • Make a list of what you’d take into an air-raid shelter
  • Find out about life in the Cabinet War Rooms
  • Cook some war-time recipes! Do you fancy Cheesy pudding pie ? Or baked jam and carrot sponge pudding? Or sardines wrapped in potato ?
  • Become a spy and gather information about life in Scotland during WWII
  • Listen to and watch  WWII audio-visual clips  from a huge archive including key speeches, eye-witness reports and some of the most evocative sounds of the War on the BBC Schools Radio site
  • Remember VE Day, 7 May 1945 , with English Heritage VE activities for children : learn to dance the Lindy Hop, popular in the 1940s, download a VE Day Spotify music playlist, make ginger beer and carrot scones
  • Download a VE Day kids' activity pack , with puzzles and recipes, from Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) 

See for yourself

  • Visit the Imperial War Museum in London to see what life was like for a family living in Britain during World War II
  • At the Churchill War Rooms in London you can see Churchill’s statesmanlike wooden armchair – still visible in its wellworn armrests are the marks clawed by Churchill’s fingernails
  • Learn more about the Land Girls at Gresswell Farm and Workhouse
  • Visit Chislehurst Caves in Kent, one of the largest deep air-raid shelters in the country which protected over 15,000 people at the height of the Blitz
  • Look at WWII posters and propaganda
  • Find out about Operation Dynamo, the May 1940 evaculation of Dunkirk in WWII, at Dover Castle
  • See photographs of life during the Blitz
  • Find out about WWII spies and their operations by taking a walk in London and using the  free app Spooks, Spies and Videotape – London's Secret War

Best children's books about life during WWII

primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

Find out more

  • Find out about the  Women’s Land Army
  • Kids' fiction about WWII : read stories to find out more about the period
  • Sir Nicholas Winton saved the lives of 669 children by arranging their evacuation from Nazi-occupied Prague in 1939. His daughter Barbara Winton tells his story in a BBC School Radio programme for children aged 7 to 11
  • Look at objects from WWII
  • Find out more about WWII weapons like doodlebugs and V2s
  • What was life like for children who were evacuated ?
  • See a map of how London was bombed during the Blitz
  • Read a story of extraordinary bravery in east London during WWII
  • Find out about the products (chocolate, tights and more!) that America soldiers, G.I.s, brought with them when they came to Britain  in a Horrible Histories song

primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

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Primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

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IMAGES

  1. Battle Of Britain Homework Help. Second World War

    primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

  2. Battle of Britain

    primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

  3. WWII Interactive Timeline Classroom Display

    primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

  4. World War II Primary Source Worksheet: Battle of Britain, 1940

    primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

  5. Battle of Britain Activities

    primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

  6. The Battle Of Britain Primary Homework Help

    primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

VIDEO

  1. Battle of Britain veteran on his WWII regrets

  2. Who Was Britain's First Soldier To Fall In WW2?

  3. WW2 Attacks On Britain's Towns #ww2 #exploring #history

  4. first world war #shorts

  5. Battle of Britain, Herman Goering accuses Kesselring of betrayal as he departs on a train #movie

  6. Trapped Behind Enemy Lines -- #militaryhistory #history #ww2 #army #warveteran #veteran

COMMENTS

  1. The Battle of Britain

    Battle of Britain is the name commonly given to the effort by the Luftwaffe to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF), before a planned sea and airborne invasion of Britain during the Second World War. The Luftwaffe tried to destroy the Royal Air Force. The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the ...

  2. World War Two (WW2) for Kids

    World War II was total war - every person, every business, every service was involved. Britain did not fight alone, the war also involved many countries. World War II involved 61 countries with 1.7 billion people (three quarters of the world's population). Fifty million people lost their lives and hundreds of millions people were injured.

  3. Battle of Britain

    The Battle of Britain was a long series of air attacks against Great Britain during World War II . Germany, led by Adolf Hitler , wanted to invade Great Britain. To prepare for that, the German air force, or Luftwaffe, was sent to attack British planes and ships. The attacks lasted for several months in 1940. However, the battle was won by Britain.

  4. KS2 History: World War Two (WW2) (WWII)

    KS2 History: World War Two. Using archive video and images from the Imperial War Museum, as well as first-person testimony from veterans and eye-witnesses, this series of short films offers a ...

  5. The Battle of Britain and the Blitz

    During the Battle of Britain, 145 Polish airmen fought for the RAF. In total during World War Two, 1,903 Polish personnel were killed fighting for Britain. They are remembered on a war memorial at ...

  6. Menlo School Library: World War II: Battle of Britain

    The Royal Air Force website presents their account of the Battle of Britain. The Battle of Britain, 1940. First person account from a pilot who participated in the battle. British Aircraft Technology and the Battle of Britain. Information from a course taught at Stanford in 2004. How the Battle of Britain Changed War, and the World, Forever.

  7. World War Two Timeline

    1939. March -Germany takes over Czechoslovakia. Sept. - Germany invades Poland. 3 Sept - The Prime Minister of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, declares war on Germany. France, Australia and New Zealand also declares war on Germany. 6 Sept. - South Africa declares war on Germany. 10 Sept. - Canada declares war on Germany.

  8. Teaching the Second World War in the Primary Classroom

    The Battle of Britain was a series of battles between the Royal Air Force (the RAF) and the Luftwaffe (the German Air Force) that took place in the skies above southern England during the summer and autumn of 1940. It was a real turning point in the Second World War, preventing Hitler from mounting a ground invasion of Great Britain at that ...

  9. History: World War II: The Battle of Britain Lesson Pack

    This Battle of Britain Lesson Pack contains a range of resources designed to teach children about the Battle of Britain, a pivotal series of battles in the Second World War. This resource pack features a lesson plan, a PowerPoint presentation, success criteria grids, and a unit overview. There is also a range of useful learning resources, including activity sheets and display resources. If you ...

  10. Battle of Britain Activities

    Battle of Britain Activities. The year 2020 marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and there are lots of activities you can do at home to mark the occasion. You could research a Battle of Britain pilot and see where he flew from or look at how ordinary people in the community were affected by the Battle of Britain.

  11. WW2

    This lesson will help children to understand the events of the Battle of Britain during the Second World War. They will learn who was involved, what caused the battle and the impact it had on the rest of WW2. Two tasks to complete. These can be given to all children, or can be used as differentiation depending on ability.

  12. Second World War Primary resource

    Pupils will learn about the war effort at home and how air strikes affected life in Britain at the time in our National Geographic Kids' History primary resource sheet. The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for a simple overview of World War II. It can be used as a printed handout for each pupil to read themselves, or for ...

  13. The Home Front

    The government expected the war to disrupt and threaten the lives of civilians left at home. This happened in a variety of different ways, from cutting down railings to be melted down and used in munitions factories, to rationing and evacuation plans. Between 1938 and 1939, the government thought of all the possible dangers and difficulties the ...

  14. World War Two Leaders

    Prime minister of New Zealand joined World War 2 beside Great Britain when the war started. The Axis Power. Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler was born on April 20th 1889 in a small Austrian town called Braunau, near to the German border. Hitler served in the Bavarian army during World War I and rose to become the leader of Nazi Germany during World ...

  15. World War Two and total warfare

    World War Two was not the first time that Britain sought help from countries from across the British Empire. Many nations whose soldiers made a valuable contribution to the war effort from 1939 ...

  16. World War II: Battle of Britain

    World War II: Battle of Britain. World War II: Battle of Britain. In this PlanIt topic, your class will study fiction and non-fiction texts relating to the Battle of Britain, complete comprehension questions and writing tasks.

  17. World War II

    Top 10 facts. World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. World War II began when German troops invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. The UK declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939. It was announced by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. While many countries were involved in the war, they each took sides - either with the Allies, or the Axis.

  18. World War 2 for Kids

    The Second World War was started by Germany in an unprovoked attack on Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany after Hitler had refused to abort his invasion of Poland. When did World War Two end? The War ended in the Summer of 1945. It is estimated that 50 million people lost their lives during World War 2.

  19. World War Two: An Overview

    Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939. The war ended in 1945. Germany surrendered in May and their ally, Japan, surrendered in September. The war involved the world's major powers ...

  20. Life during World War II

    26 May-4 June 1940. The evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk, France June 1940 - German troops occupied the Channel Islands. 10 June 1940. Italy declared war on Britain and France, and allies with Germany. 10 July-31 October 1940. The Battle of Britain. 7 September 1940. The Blitz begins in London.

  21. Primary homework help ww2 battle of britain

    In 1940, leading an important battle of europe, britain? Mahon received five battle of britain webquest or in the 'home front', the turning point in the blackout world war. By a primary homework help battle of europe began on 3rd september 1939 at the luftwaffe and. Primary homework help co uk war two. Travel back to feed Read Full Report ...

  22. War Campaigns and Posters

    When the Second World War started in September 1939 shipping was attacked by enemy submarines and warships. Cargo ships were also used for war materials rather than food transportation. This resulted in food shortages. In October 1939 the Government launched 'The Dig for Victory' campaign. People were urged to use gardens and every spare piece ...

  23. WW2 Websites

    Other websites. BBC World War Two. Discover what life was like for Children growing up during the Second World War. World War 2 People's War. An archive of World War 2 memories, written by the public and gathered by the BBC. Inventions since the 1930s | Timeline from the end of the war. Life in 1948 | Population from 1991 | Websites.