Yr Gp R 1 2 3 4 Half-Term 1 2 3 4 5 6 Subject: World War Two

Yr Gp R 1 2 3 4 Half-term 1 2 3 4 5 6 Subject: World War Two
Context Lesson 6 in a series of 10 Rationing
Learning Objectives (N.C. statement)

Children should learn

what food rationing was, why it was necessary and its impact on people during the war

National Curriculum Level 2, 3 and 4
Organisation

Use of Interactive whiteboard and computer suite for individual pupil work.

Learning Styles (VAK) Visual IWB screens Auditory Sound bites

Outline of Lesson

Introduction: Class Presentation online
Using a map or diagram (not provided on website) remind children that Britain is an island. Ask children to suggest how food was brought into the shops during the war. Explain that ships were targeted and torpedoed in order to make life more difficult for the British people.
Screen 1 Focus children on what is happening and to suggest reasons for the queuing.
Listen to the three audio files by Richard Hughes which refer to queuing in Bedford, food shortages and rationing. Ask children what they think rationing was and why it happened.
Show children the image of a ration book (children had their own blue ration books). Explain that the children are going to find out more about rationing by researching themselves.
Main Thrust: Children’s Activity Online
Children enter Lesson 6 Children’s Activities site to find out examples of what they could buy at three stores. Ask them to make notes on paper about what food was rationed.
Pupils then proceed to the section of audio files which give examples of how people coped with rationing and ways in which they supplemented their rations. Alternatively lead this as a whole class activity using the IWB. Optional: show pupils some of the government posters of the time encouraging people to grow their own vegetables and dig for victory (not provided on this website).
Extensionactivity: pupils could look at the wartime recipes (online or downloadable) and work out how much of a week’s rations they would use up. A homework or class assignment could be to prepare a simple government advice booklet for the public with a suggested menu for a week using rationed and non-rationed food and giving ideas for supplementing rations, eg growing vegetables.

Plenary

Discuss what pupils have found out about rationing and any questions they have. Consider how diets of WW2 children differed from the present day.
Key questions What was rationing and how did it affect children’s lives?
Subject Specific vocabulary Rationing, Registration, Points system

Resources

Photos, sound bites, transcripts, wartime recipes in Lesson 6 Bedford in Wartime
Government posters about rationing (print or relevant website)

Cross curricular links

Literacy, mathematics, ICT

I.C.T. Use of interactive whiteboard and individual work on computers