History at key stages 1 and 2 (Year 3/4)

Unit 9: What was it like for children in the Second World War?
Section 5: What did people eat during the war?

Objectives

Children should learn:

why rationing was necessary
about the impact of rationing on the way of life of people living in Britain during WWII

Activities

Outcomes

Children:

Discuss with the children why some types of food were in short supply. Provide descriptions of typical meals and ask them to compare these with what they eat today.

Introduce the idea of rationing. Show the children ration books, or pictures of them. Ask them to calculate how much sugar, eggs, meat, sweets, etc their family would have been able to buy. How could they have supplemented their rations?

infer causes of rationing
identify some similarities and differences between foods available during the war and today

Points to note

Reference will need to be made to the knowledge of the war that the children gained in the first activities, eg bombing of ships and docks, in order to stimulate understanding of the causes and some of the characteristics of rationing.

It may be necessary to point out that many of the foods available today are due to changes in the population structure after 1945 and would not have been available before this date.

This activity provides opportunities to make links with the QCA science scheme of work, Unit 2A 'Health and growth', and Unit 3A 'Teeth and eating'. There are also opportunities to link with Unit 3B 'Sandwich snacks' of the QCA design and technology scheme of work.

Sections in this unit

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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.


	1. What was the Second World War? When and where did it take place?
	2. What was the Blitz?
	3. Why were children evacuated?
	4. What was it like to be an evacuee?
	5. What did people eat during the war?
	6. In what other ways might the war have affected people?
	7. What were children's experiences of the war?
	8. What it was like to be a child living in this area in World War II?
	9. How did the Second World War affect children who lived in this locality?
	10. What has been done since to prevent another world war?