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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

WW2 in Y3 - how much is covered?

34 replies

alittlebitbored · 30/04/2010 20:59

Sensitive flower dd is starting this topic in History. Just wondered how much depth they go into at this age?

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BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 30/04/2010 21:01

Not alot, stuff like rationing I think. Look at the BBC web site.

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Rockbird · 30/04/2010 21:04

Rationing, maybe evacuation, probably looking at what their life would have been like during the war. The module AFAIK is Britain since 1930 so would concentrate more on life during that time rather than the actual war at that age. (we teach this stuff all day every day at work)

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CantSupinate · 01/05/2010 08:57

Bit about the bombing, who was on which side, who the leaders were, lots about the evacuation, ime.

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alittlebitbored · 01/05/2010 09:34

Thanks for the replies, so nothing about why we were at war then?

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primarymum · 01/05/2010 09:45

If the school still follows the QCA unit, or work is based on it, you can look at
www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/history/his9/?view=Download

to see what is covered.

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mrz · 01/05/2010 11:57

It depends on the school/teacher
I taught it in a inner city school quite a few years ago and we staged an evacuation to the county (linked with a small village school).
We also had an air raid where the whole school sat it out in the basement with music from the time to pass the time until the all clear.
We ended the study with a VE street party.

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mummytime · 01/05/2010 20:04

Not much. I was horrified my kids didn't even know who we were fighting (Hitler) much less why.
My biggest gripe is they make Evacuation seem like a jolly holiday.

I've taken mine to the imperial war museum for a reality check.

DCs junior school do top it up with a short topic in year 6.

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primarymum · 01/05/2010 20:18

Don't worry, they make up for it in secondary, my son has spent the last two years seemingly doing nothing else

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mrz · 01/05/2010 20:27

I've seen the book Hiroshima No Pika used very effectively with Y3.

Both my children went to Eden Camp when they studies WWII

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bruffin · 02/05/2010 12:21

I wouldn't describe my DD as a sensitive flower, but she has a very good imagination and understanding and found anything about the war very upsetting at school, especially what was covered in infants.
We got her Nans to talk to her about it and how they lived through it and it seemed to help.
Also MIL had been interviewed by a local school and is on the BBC website about her experiences and it was on a website so dd took that in.

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MrsWobbleTheWaitress · 02/05/2010 12:25

Don't you want her to know about the war then, OP?

My 5 and 6yo know loads and loads about it. The only thing I'm keeping from them is the actual horrors of the holocaust, not because they won't cope with it, but because there is no way they can even comprehend it at that young age. it won't horrify them because they won't understand it. Other than that, I'm answering all their questions truthfully and they're coping fine with it.

They've watchd 1940s house about a million times, played air raids, watched that prog about evacuation on CBBC a while ago. DD1 (6) wanted to go to the EWM so we went there. She did the blitz experience and was interested in the children's war exhibition.

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WynkenBlynkenandNod · 02/05/2010 12:30

My DD was hugely sensitive at that age and was fine about it.

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alittlebitbored · 02/05/2010 12:46

I definitely want her to know about the war, MrsW. I started the thread to help me know how to supplement her school learning at home. For example I didn't want to start talking about the holocaust if that wasn't touched on at that age. Having been to Auschwitz, I can't begin to imagine how that level of horror could be made suitable for 7/8yolds.

Thanks to all the great ideas on here, I can see a much better way of approaching the topic.

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MrsWobbleTheWaitress · 02/05/2010 12:48

Sorry, ALBB - I've read people on MN who don't want their children to know about the war.

I have told my children (in response to questions) that Hitler didn't like certain groups of people and wanted to get rid of them. I haven't gone into any detail at all about how he wanted to do that!

Why don't you feel you can tell her more than she'll learn about in school?

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alittlebitbored · 02/05/2010 12:56

I'm really keen to let her immerse herself in any historical topic (it's her favourite subject). I'm just wary of frightening her with too much information, as she is prone to bad dreams and worrying.

Agree with a previous poster though, that there's a risk of making it seem like it was jolly good fun

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mrz · 02/05/2010 12:58

There are number of excellent children's books which explore the holocaust /WWII
I would suggest When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit or The Silver Sword

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mrz · 02/05/2010 12:59

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe begins with the children being evacuated...

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MrsWeasley · 02/05/2010 13:01

Our year 3s learn about blackouts, cities being bombed, chidren being evacuated, rationing, men going off to war and a little of homelife. TBH It depends on the teacher and on what questions the children raise.

We also learn a bit about spys but only because we have a local connection and a fantastic opportunity for a day trip where we visit a real underground training bunker!

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alittlebitbored · 02/05/2010 13:07

Thanks for the book suggestions mrz. I looked up When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit on Amazon, they also suggest Carrie's War, do you know if this is too hard for Y3?

Thanks for your help!

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mrz · 02/05/2010 13:13

No Carrie's War should be fine
The Machine Gunners
Friedrich - tells the story of a Jewish child
Dawn of Fear
are all good books

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alittlebitbored · 02/05/2010 13:41

Thanks you again!

Are there really people who don't want their dcs to learn about the war

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bruffin · 02/05/2010 13:42

We did take DD to the Imperial War Museum and we sat through the air raid, but she was still very scared, all the way through it and wouldn't go in the trenches at all.

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MrsWobbleTheWaitress · 02/05/2010 14:15

I think they are concerned about the age children are subjected to some of the less pleasant things about life...as if some children have a choice in the matter!

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alittlebitbored · 02/05/2010 14:17

Reminds me of that episode of Friends where Phoebe found out her mum had shielded her from Lassie's death.

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MrsWobbleTheWaitress · 02/05/2010 14:22

It's a real bugbear of mine ALBB. I remember one thread where someone was horrified her 6yo had come home with a book about the war and wanted to complain etc. I know people disagree with me, but I just think it's so damn insulting to those who have no choice to shield our children from crap things.

Children can cope with most things if they are able to explore them in the safety of a loving, stable family. What they can't cope with is little snippets here and there and no one there to help them make sense of it.

My DD2 has lots of bad dreams. We've tried making sure she doesn't watch or read anything scary, but she just ends up having bad dreams about me dying or the house falling down or something. I've come to the conclusion that it's not scary things that cause bad dreams, it's just a very vivid imagination. The scary things just give a subject to the bad dreams.