World War Two Year 5/6 Unit

A complete, enquiry-led World War Two unit for Upper Key Stage 2: eight lessons built around real sources from the time, one pupil journal and everything you need to plan, teach and assess.

Unit enquiry: How did the Second World War change life for children in Britain?

Every lesson follows the same six stages: Time Travellers, Big Question, Evidence Detectives, Discover, Prove It! and History Check. The class investigates a source together in three steps (what can you see, what does it tell us, how useful is it?), then pupils repeat the steps on their own in the journal with a second source. A one-minute Meet the Source video is built into every lesson.

THE LESSONS

The Road to War: Why did Britain go to war in 1939?
Evacuation: Why were children evacuated?
The Blitz: What was it like to live through the Blitz?
Rationing: How did rationing change everyday life?
The Battle of Britain: How did it help to save Britain?
Posters and Propaganda: Why did the government make posters?
Everyone’s War: Who helped to win the war?
Victory and After: How did the war change life for children?

Sources include Chamberlain’s 1939 broadcast, an evacuee’s essay, a child’s ration book, Keep Calm and Carry On and the King’s 1946 message to schoolchildren.

WHAT IS INCLUDED
8 PowerPoint lessons with Meet the Source videos, plus PDF copies
Historical Investigations Journal (62 pages) with Finished? tasks
Knowledge Organiser
Unit planner and teacher subject knowledge notes
End-of-unit assessment and a supported version, with mark schemes
Journal answer sheet and competency tracker

Every child can take part: partner clue hunts, sentence starters and a supported assessment are built in. No preparation needed. Print the journal, open the slides, teach.

Designed by a practising primary teacher. Lesson 1 is free on Tes.

Explore the Past. Inspire the Future.