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Category Archives: Topic (History and Geography)
VE-Day celebrations
Just before the end of the term, we held our ‘VE-Day party’. We dressed up in WW2 clothes and did some WW2 maths. We also had a PT lesson doing drill and found out what it was like to hear an air raid siren. We had to have our gas mask boxes and our ID cards with us all day. In the afternoon we tried some ration food like apple cake made from dried egg and fallen apples from a neighbour’s tree. We also tried spam, corned beef and haslet sandwiches and some of us were brave enough to try home-made carrot jam! We also learned about the last months of the war and why the war was not over properly on VE Day.
Posted in Art and Design, Topic (History and Geography)
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Spitfire poems
Here are just a small selection of our poems written following topic work finding out about spitfire pilots.
Spitfire
Flying, Flying
Flying so high
The wings painting the clouds
When you get shot
it looks like an eagle
Falling
When the rain hits
I now know
It’s my last words.
JD
Spitfire flying
Flying high,
slicing the air with the tips of the wings.
As dusk rises,
the spitfire rises too.
Shocked and worried,
as no enemy is in sight,
the plane soars higher
to get a better view
But even higher,
The Meschermitt waits.
And waits.
And waits…
WS
Spitfire Battle
Propellers rotating with speed
Rolling to the other end
Wheels turning frantically
Then they’re up from the ground
And never to touch down again
Lifting up over the clouds,
Proceeding to the enemy,
Houses down below,
Take your last look now
As they’ll not be there tomorrow.
Then the enemy is spotted,
Deadly cargo dropped,
With bullets raining out,
Smoke trails in the air,
And an explosion that is seen every day.
JM
Some poems inspired by Coventry Blitz
As part of our topic work on the Second World War we have been writing poetry. Some of us chose to write about the Coventry Blitz in memory of the 75th anniversary of Moonlight Sonata. We tried to imagine how people might have felt during the shocking night of November 14th 1940.
Coventry Blitz
Just another day,
Everyone happy,
Working, playing,
Getting on with their ordinary lives in the city
Settling down for bed; wardens walking calmly down the street.
BANG!
Everyone confused; we are not a target.
BANG!
Then it became a reality.
This was real.
Air sirens, screaming, shouting,
Planes up high, flying all around,
Bombs, grenades, every kind of weapon,
Enemies watching over us.
Now we remember what they did for us,
To be alive today, they ended the terrible ongoing war.
We must now remember them for what they did for us.
Thank you
Thank you.
MC
Red Sky at night, Germans’ time to fly
Germans are coming,
Brits get ready.
They’re kitted up,
But they’re going down.
Germans drop lives,
Brits save lives,
Six days gone.
Cathedral long gone.
Germans wrecked our hope,
Brits stay positive,
Trying not to give up.
Churchill, help us!
JL
Spitfire Pilots
We had a great visit from Mrs Clayton who helped us to find out lots about what it was like to be a young child in the war and about spitfire pilots. We were lucky enough to see some real silk maps and her father’s machete and log book from when he was a pilot. We also found out that he flew one of the planes that took Douglas Bader’s spare legs to Germany when he was a prisoner of war!
We really enjoyed her stories about hiding in the cupboard under the stairs too when there was an air raid and how she was frightened when she saw light reflecting from mice eyes! We also liked hearing about how her dad flew his plane over their street and tipped his wings and their neighbours used to complain about him showing off!
Posted in Topic (History and Geography)
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Homework and topic project (for Monday 2nd November)
As part of our topic work on WW2, we have been finding out about the evacuation from Dunkirk and about the Battle of Britain. Next week we will have a visitor to show us some of the equipment used by Spitfire pilots and talk a bit more about the war.
You have a challenge to complete with a partner (or independently if you prefer) to present some research on an area you are interested in in connection with these topics. You can make a model and annotate it, you could create a poster, make a powerpoint presentation, write a story, create an artwork and annotate it…. or use your own skills and imagination to create another idea. You need to show that you have found out something new to you about either Dunkirk or the Battle of Britain and you need to be able to share what you have found out clearly with the rest of the class. You should present your work as carefully as you can to make sure your information is clear and attractive to look at.
Some ideas of topics you might choose to research (and links to possible resources you could use) include:
- Finding out about a ‘little ship’ that went to Dunkirk to rescue soldiers from the beaches.
– The story of The Minotaur and the Sea Scouts – a short recount with some pictures of the Mortlake scout group and their boat at Dunkirk.
– The story of the Naiad Errant boat at Dunkirk.
– Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (link to site for owners of little ships which covers restoring and telling stories of little ships – links to other sites and images).
– John Richards’ Dunkirk Revisited – history of Dunkirk – A detailed online book giving a history of the events of Dunkirk. Chapter 2, p.55 gives a summary of how the little ships campaign started, and there are stories of individual ships (and images) in this text. - Finding out about spitfires or hurricanes and the reasons for their success in the Battle of Britain
Information about R.J. Mitchell and the spitfire
BBC site – Why do we love the spitfire?
RAF information on the Spitfire - The experience or lives of pilots – perhaps someone from your family, someone local, or someone famous (e.g. like Douglas Bader).
Douglas Bader – introduction
Douglas Bader – RAF Museum information.
Pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain – list of all the pilots who flew in the battle of Britain (alphabetical search). This list includes Roy Marples DFC and Bar who you will hear more about at school.
RAF Battle of Britain site
Imperial War Museum – interviews and stories of pilots - Finding out more about the experiences of someone in your family – perhaps there is someone in your family who would be willing to share the stories they know? Perhaps someone was in the RAF, or at Dunkirk, or went in a small boat, or perhaps was involved in building spitfires at Castle Bromwich (Birmingham).
- You can also choose a topic of your own that interests you.
We will be using our topic time next week for this project as well as homework time so if you need help with finding information, I can help you then.
Choose one topic area and share the work between you and your partner to make it as manageable as you can and so that you can investigate it in some detail and find out interesting information and present it in an interesting way.
Posted in Homework, Topic (History and Geography)
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Declarations of war speeches, 3rd September 1939
As part of our WW2 topic work, we have been listening to the speeches given by Chamberlain and by King George VI on 3rd September 1939. You can hear these by clicking on the photographs of Chamberlain and of King George VI. We imagined what it would have been like to hear those speeches over the wireless. We wrote our own short speeches thinking about the importance of giving some information and reassuring the population about the war.
Here are some examples of our writing:
“I am talking to you to tell you that war has been declared between Britain and Germany. Due to the failure of Hitler to get his troops out of Poland, we declared war on 3rd September 1939. I understand that this is hard for you all, but England will fight and stand proud. We will win and the war will soon be in the past.” (P.R.)
“I am sorry to have to say this but despite our best efforts, Hitler has declined our peace. So I am sorry to say that this but I will, that the British people are officially at war with Germany.
We are at war with Germany because Hitler is not moving out of Poland. Please can you stay inside at all times. While you prepare, just stay calm and stay strong. Hitler will not beat us. We won the past war.
I want people to stay calm and not go outside until we are fully prepared. Stay in your air raid shelter.” (J.L.)
“People of Britain, I am sorry to inform you we are once again at war with Germany. Despite our best efforts, Hitler will not bring his troops out of Poland. I understand that this may frighten some people but there is nothing more we can do. I want the people of Britain to stay calm and prepare for another war. To get the war over quickly we need to follow instructions. Also we need strong troops. America have already agreed to help us in the war; twice the people, twice the power.” (D.B.)
“Despite our best efforts, Hitler has refused to sign a peace paper. I am now sorry to tell you that we are at war with the Germans. I know some of will have gone through this already in the previous war. Me and the King have discussed and are very worried that another big war will start. As prime minister of Great Britain, I will ask you all to stay calm and don’t worry. Just be aware of anything suspicious. Listen carefully to any radio announcement, as it will be extremely important.” (M.C.)
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Build-up to WW2
We had a really good discussion finding out about the start of The Second World War this week. If you want to explore for yourself how Hitler’s Germany expanded into other countries and how war started on September 1939, this is a useful map.
Posted in Topic (History and Geography)
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