English Heritage Project: Investigating the Heritage of St Paul’s School for Girls, Edgbaston, Birmingham. Year 9
The Big Question: Was there a ‘Blitz Spirit’?
Learning Objectives / Lesson Activities / Points to NoteKQ1 Was there a Blitz Spirit in Birmingham during World War Two?
· To explore the methods used by government to boost morale during World War Two
· To recognise why there are different interpretations of history
· To collate evidence in order to answer the key question
· To develop skills of analysis and evaluation / · Starter: Hook the pupils into this enquiry with WW2 air raid siren and speech from Winston Churchill as they enter the room. Pupils are presented with two OHT visual sources and asked to think about the questions for 2/3 minutes.
· Whole class feedback. Pupils are presented with opposing interpretations of life in Britain during WW2: ‘Pulling Together’ v ‘Torn Apart’. Pupils will research the evidence and draw their own conclusions in answer to the key question.
· Working in pairs pupils are provided with pages from a 1940m edition of the Birmingham Gazette. Working in pairs, they study the source. What evidence is there of Birmingham ‘Pulling Together’ or ‘Torn Apart’? How does the paper try to boost morale? Do you think the paper is telling the whole story?
· Whole class feedback. Use of OHT explanation and teacher questioning to draw out the idea of government intervention in order to promote the ‘Blitz Spirit’.
· Pupils are given a variety of written and visual sources on Birmingham during World War Two and take on the role of censor. It is their job to decide what evidence supports the Blitz Spirit and would therefore have been suitable for printing in the Birmingham Gazette. They collate their evidence for and against.
· Plenary: Weighing up the evidence! Does the evidence suggest there was a Blitz Spirit in Birmingham? / ACCESS: Group/pair work facilitates peer support. Pupils are provided with a range of sources to suit their needs.
EXTENSION: Pupils justify and explain their choices.
Questioning should be used to draw why there are different interpretations of the ‘Blitz Spirit’.
ICT: Cross curricular enquiry
Research opportunities
http://www.learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/homefront
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2children
LANGUAGE:
Blitz Spirit Censorship
Propaganda
SKILLS/CONCEPTS:
Problem solving
Source Analysis
Organisation and Communication
Learning Objectives / Lesson Activities / Points to Note
KQ2 Was the ‘Blitz Spirit’ reflected in the life of St Paul’s? Enquiry over 3 lessons / · Starter: Present pupils with a photograph of ‘St Paul’s School Community 1939’ and request ‘What questions would you like to ask these past pupils?’ 2/3 minutes thinking time and whole class feedback.
· Present pupils with a data capture sheet which states their challenge: working in groups of four/six produce a sound bite for a news programme about how the effects of WW2 in Britain focusing on St Paul’s and Birmingham. Pupils are encouraged to choose their own format. Examples are set out below:
· an interview with a St Paul’s pupil during WW2
· a role play about events at St Paul’s during WW2
The context may be set during WW2 or modern day.
· Pupils listen carefully to past pupil account of the evacuation from St Paul’s during World War Two and consider her experience using data capture sheet as a guide.
· Pupils read another account of life at St Paul’s during World War Two and highlight her good and bad memories.
· Whole class feed back. Request differences and similarities between experiences of WW2.
· Pupils complete the first half of their data capture sheet and assess evidence of a ‘Blitz Spirit’ in light of the evidence.
· Plenary: Pupils feed back their judgements. / ACCESS: Data capture sheet provides additional support
Use of audio and visual sources to engage differing learning styles
EXTENSION: Wider range of source material accessible
Independent enquiry encouraged
ICT: Cross curricular enquiry
Research opportunities
http://www.learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/homefront
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2children
Sound bites to be recorded during planning and presentation for assessment purposes Selection to be incorporated as part of news programme onto school website
SKILLS/CONCEPTS
Selection of relevant source material for enquiry
Problem Solving
Group Work
Organisation and Communication
KQ2 continued / · Starter: Working in pairs, pupils interrogate a St Paul’s evacuation letter. 2/3 minutes followed by whole class feedback.
· Working in groups 4/6 pupils use a range of source material: accounts, letters, photos and oral histories to help with their enquiry. Evidence is collated on their data capture sheet.
· Plenary: What have I learned? What do I need to do next? Independent formulation of ideas for group work next lesson. (Homework opportunity).
KQ2 contd / · Starter: Short clip of a fairly negative view of WW2 in Birmingham reminding pupils that there is more than one interpretation of the ‘Blitz Spirit’!
· Pupils offer their ideas to the group and decisions are made.
· Pupils plan and practise their group sound bites ready to present next lesson.
· Plenary: Groups offer a very brief overview of their production as a taster for next lesson.
KQ2 contd / · Presentation and possible filming of soundbites.
· Peer assessment of group activities
· Reflective writing: What I have learned, what I did well, What I would do different next time, Final judgement in answer to the Big Question: ‘Was there a Blitz Spirit’?