Key Stages 3 & 4 Lesson plans

Transcription

1 Key Stages 3 & 4 Lesson plans The Holocaust This lesson should be used following an introduction to What is the Holocaust the materials here and in The Royal British Legion CD Rom and DVD would support that lesson. Support this lesson with some of the websites suggested in the useful numbers section. Ask students if they know how many Jews and other victims were killed as part of the Holocaust? Can they name any of those victims and describe what their lives were like? Using the case study ask students what does this tell them about the Holocaust? Discuss as a class what might have been done to try and resist the persecution. Ask the students to find out more stories of people who lived through the Holocaust and/or about the experiences of the camp liberators. Using the information, ask students if they think Britain should have done more to stop Germany in its persecution of Jews before World War Two. If so, what action should they have taken? What can they find out about the following: Kristallnacht; Kindertransport; the Nuremberg Laws. Activity Ask students to write a newspaper article telling the story of a Holocaust survivor or the experiences of a liberator it can be a real story or one based on the information they have collected. Discuss Is it important to remember the victims of the Holocaust or just to know about the event? Why would the liberators be shocked by what they saw after many of them had already fought in battles? Why is the persecution of children significant during conflict? For Key Stage 2 students, follow the story of the Kindertransport (see film clip on The Royal British Legion DVD). Follow up activities for all Key Stages The Holocaust created the word genocide what does the 1948 United Nations genocide convention say? Some Jewish children were evacuated to Britain before World War Two started in the Kindertransport what can you find out about that? Why were Jewish people forced to wear a yellow star? Try and find out about the stories of people who tried to save Jews. The most famous example of armed resistance to the Holocaust is the Warsaw Ghetto uprising what can you find out about it? Jews from across the whole of Europe were transported to killing centres in occupied Poland can you find out the names of these centres? Six million is a number that is difficult to imagine. Can you find any of the stories of those that survived, or those that did not, to try and put names and faces to that huge number. Reflect on what lessons the Holocaust might have for the world we live in today.

2 Appendix A: Case Study: Britain and the Holocaust, The Liberators The camp of Bergen-Belsen was liberated on 15 April, 1945 by the British Army, 11th Armoured Division. BBC journalist Richard Dimbleby was with them, broadcasting from the camp: Here, over an acre of ground, lay dead and dying people. You could not see which was which... the living lay with their heads against the corpses and around them moved the awful, ghostly procession of emaciated, aimless people, with nothing to do and with no hope of life, unable to move out of your way, unable to look at the terrible sights around them... Babies had been born here, tiny wizened things that could not live... A mother, driven mad, screamed at a British sentry to give her milk for her child, and thrust the tiny mite into his arms, then ran off, crying terribly. He opened the bundle and found the baby had been dead for days. This day at Belsen was the most horrible of my life. After liberation, the Nazi authorities in charge of the camp were put on trial and British servicemen testified as to what they found on liberation. The source below is from: Law Reports of Trials of War Criminals, The United Nations War Crimes Commission, Volume II, London, HMSO,1947. The Belsen Trial of Josef Kramer and 44 others, British Military Court, Luneberg, 17 September 17 November 1945 Brigadier H. L. Glyn Hughes, C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C. There were piles of corpses lying all over the camp. Even within the huts there were numbers of bodies, some even in the same bunks as the living. Most of the internees were suffering from some form of gastro-enteritis and were too weak to leave the huts. The lavatories in the huts had long been out of use. Those who were strong enough could get into the appropriate compounds but others performed their natural actions from where they were. Some of the huts had bunks, but not many, and they were filled absolutely to overflowing with prisoners in every state of emaciation and disease. There was not room for them to lie down at full length in the huts. In the most crowded there were anything from 600 to1,000 people in accommodation which should only have taken 100. There were large medical supplies in the stores at Belsen, but issues for the use of the prisoners were inadequate.

3 Key Stage 3 Lesson plans Introduction to the First World War Useful reference: Use the CD Rom to look at maps of Europe and introduce the different countries / World Powers of that time. Using the material in the section on the First World War to explain to pupils why the First World War was such a significant event. Option - in groups, ask the pupils to write down all the things they think they know about the First World War and who was in it. Explain the information about how the War started: Show the film entitled The Somme in The Great War which provides an overview of the War. In groups, ask the pupils to read the speech by British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith. Ask pupils to list what he says about the following: Communications between different governments at that time. What is important about some countries neutrality. What does the following sentence tell you about the Prime Minister s feelings towards a war? I am entitled to say, and I do so on behalf of this country - I speak not for a party, I speak for the country as a whole - that we made every effort any Government could possibly make for peace. From the speech, what are your impressions about Germany s feelings about a war with Britain? Discuss the pupils answers. Ask them to write a newspaper article based on the speech telling people that Britain was about to go to war. What are the key things that they are going to tell people? Explain that this document is an official source for trying to understand what happened and what was thought at the time. Discuss The official belief of the time was that the War would be over by Christmas but instead it lasted for four years. Is it realistic for governments to predict how long a conflict might last? Extension activities or homework Find a First World War memorial in your town or area. On a map, chart the events of the Schlieffen plan. Find out about trenches. Ask at home if anyone has any connection to the First World War. Adaptations For lower ability pupils, miss out the PM s announcement. Introduce life on the Western Front. Use some footage from the DVD and ask pupils to look at the life of Donald Hankey.

4 Key Stage 3 Lesson plans Battle of the Somme Useful reference: Use the information on the Battle of the Somme on the CD Rom and the footage on the DVD. Make copies of the stories about: Evelyn Lintott; James Leonard; John Abbott King; Donald Hankey; George Butterworth; Frederick Ben Keeling; and the Brain brothers. Tell the pupils the significance of the Battle of the Somme. In groups, ask the pupils to read about the lives of the men who died in the Battle of the Somme: What do the stories tell them about daily life in the trenches? What do they tell them about the type of men that fought? Do the men have anything in common? What is the average age of these men? Is it what your pupils expected? Now give them a copy of the poems, The Soldier by Rupert Brooke and Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen. What do these poems tell them about life on the Front? Is it different to the other information they have? Ask pupils to write a description about life on the Front using all the information they have read and seen. Extension Find other diaries or information about life in the trenches. Go to the National Archives website and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website and find out the names of people from your area who were killed during World War One. Adaptations For more advanced pupils, add the article about the poison gas attack. For low ability pupils, concentrate on examining the individual stories about the men.

5 Key Stage 3 Lesson plans Diversity in the Armed Forces Useful reference: CD Rom section on Diversity and case studies of Walter Tull & Isaac Rosenburg. Ask students to provide an idea of what they think the typical British Tommy in World War One may have been like eg background, age etc Introduce the story of Walter Tull (see Case Studies). Have they heard of him before? In small groups, ask the students to discuss Tull s story. Do they think it is important? Do they think more people should know about him? Ask them to explain their answers. Repeat the exercise with the biography of Isaac Rosenberg. Emphasise that both of these men were born in Britain and that they both chose to join up, even though they were from a minority group and were victims of prejudice and racism. Give the students the information in this section and ask them to discuss the following questions in groups: Should more people be made aware of the history of diversity in the British Armed Forces? How could this be done? Is it important that Service men from different religious faiths were buried in cemeteries together during the First and Second World Wars? Does knowing about the people in the text affect one s understanding of those that fought in the wars? Finish with a discussion: Should there be greater recognition of diversity in the Armed Forces today and during World Wars One and Two? Does diversity matter when the Armed Forces are meant to create a collective group based on following orders and recognising discipline? Could Service men and women from different backgrounds encounter different issues in conflict today? If there is additional time, introduce the statistics about the numbers of non-white Empire and Commonwealth troops that fought for Britain in World War One. Repeat the questions immediately above in light of those statistics. Extension or homework tasks Find out what percentage of minority troops currently make up the British Armed Forces. Find out how the different faiths are represented by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in the cemeteries. Find out the issues that may have affected minority troops in the two World Wars that might not have affected British white troops. Explore the issues and discuss your thoughts on why someone might fight for a country they were not born in. Discuss why is it we know about and remember the contribution made by ethnic minorities to the British Armed Forces. Discuss what differences religious practice might make to the lives of soldiers in conflict. Find out about the status of troops from the Commonwealth countries of Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

6 Adaptation Concentrate on the two stories of Walter Tull and Isaac Rosenberg. Ask pupils to explore why their stories are important now. Does it matter that one was a talented footballer and the other a poet? What does that tell them about the type of people that joined up in the World War One?

7 Key Stage 3 Lesson plans Women and the First World War Useful reference: section on Diversity on the CD Rom and case study of Edith Cavell. Start by showing the film of the Women s Land Army from the DVD. Ask the class to think of all the jobs that women might have done once the men had gone to fight. Use the material on the CD Rom to explain that the First World War was a turning point for women in terms of their involvement in the war effort. It was also because women were near the front lines. Tell them about the creation of the WAAC. Some women also went to France both as ambulance drivers and in the traditional roles of nurses. Introduce the story of Edith Cavell. In groups, ask them to discuss and write down what they think about the following: Was Edith Cavell shot as an example to other women? Should women and men be treated equally in war? Should Edith Cavell have been treated the same as a soldier? Finally, the impact of the war on women was also the death of the men husbands, fathers, brothers, sons. Many women never married after the war because so many men had been killed. Ask the pupils to write a letter to someone who was serving on the front line, a man or a woman. Discuss The First World War proved to men that women were capable of doing important jobs. The War was a positive step for women. Extension or homework Ask students to write a war diary for a woman in any of the following roles: nurse in Western Europe or at home; a land girl; a newly married woman expecting a baby; a middle-aged woman working in a factory with her son in the Army. Find out about the lives of the women who were ambulance drivers. Find out about Nurse Nellie Spindler. Adaptations For lower ability pupils, spend more time on Edith Cavell and discuss what happened to her and its impact.

8 Key Stage 3 Lesson plans Why do we still remember? Useful reference: Using the materials on the war poets from the CD Rom and also the case study of Noel Chavasse. Explain to the pupils that over the past few lessons they have been learning about the people that were actually involved in World War One. In this final lesson they are going to examine its impact on all of us today, and why the War is still remembered. Ask pupils to list all the reasons why they think World War One should be remembered. Then ask pupils to list the reasons why it is not important anymore. Show the case study of Noel Chavasse and the biography of Wilfred Owen (select a couple of his poems) and/or Isaac Rosenberg. Ask pupils to consider the following questions and write down their answers: Do their experiences tell us anything about human behaviour? Do the stories and the poetry tell them anything about the experiences of war? Do the stories and the poetry tell them anything about the impact of war on people s lives? Are any of the stories or poems inspirational or any of them disheartening? Explain answers. As a class, ask pupils to sum up what they have decided. Have they learnt anything over the lessons about World War One and about the people that were there? Tell them that before World War One there was no Remembrance Day. Also tell them that the poppy as a symbol comes from that time. As a class, discuss the following questions and statements: World War One changed the way war was fought, so should it always be remembered? th 20 century had lots of wars and we still have wars today, so can World War One tell us nothing? People are the only important aspect of Remembrance. Does all war tell us how important peace is? Extension activities or homework Plan a Remembrance Day service. Create a series of maps showing the key events of the Western Front and marking the places where some of the people they have learnt about were killed. Find out how World War One is remembered in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, France and Germany.

9 Local history study The unit of five lessons in the Key Stage 1 and 2 sections can be developed and adapted to be used with secondary level students the existing lesson plans could be used for more in-depth study, focusing on: Finding out if any of those that were killed have family still living in the local area. Through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, finding out where those named were buried or their names recorded. Using information from Regimental Museums or from the internet, students could create visual records or maps showing where local regiments and soldiers from their local area fought. Investigate war memorials abroad aspx?cemetery=91800&mode=1 An example of using a local war memorial to build a unit of local study, can be found on the Legion website in the school s section. One teacher s journey and findings are summarised, along with his experiences of taking up a local investigation and creating a piece of study for his class and local area.

10 Key Stages 3 & 4 Lesson plans The importance of books and films in Remembrance Single lesson using the Dorothy Ellis testimony With these guidelines, the interviews can be used to support English lessons and History lessons. In addition the recommended discussions can be merged together to use as a lesson about the importance of books and fi lms as Remembrance. Introduction Dorothy Ellis husband, Wilfred Gordon Ellis, fought in the First World War. Dorothy lives in Devon, and whilst Wilfred was alive he used go to the pub where he met the writer Michael Morpurgo. Michael Morpurgo wrote the book War Horse, now a very successful theatre production and a fi lm by Stephen Spielberg. He also wrote the book Private Peaceful. In the interview we listen to Dorothy tell us her story and that of her husband, and the encounters they had with Michael Morpurgo. For Key Stage 3 Resources Dorothy Ellis interview The First World War section of the CD Rom The First World War section of the DVD The still photographs of Dorothy and Wilfred A copy of War Horse English lesson 1. Start by asking the pupils what they know about the First World War. Introduce some basic information about the period using the information on the CD Rom or using one of the fi lms, such as The Somme in the Great War. 2. Play a section of Dorothy s interview. Discuss the following: What are the things that Dorothy tells us that are really important to our understanding of Wilfred; to our understanding of The First World War; to your understanding of the book War Horse? How important is it to have an interview with someone who has such a close connection to the war? Why were the stories that Wilfred told so important were they more important than history books?

11 Activity Write a report on the interview describing how the relationships of Dorothy, Wilfred and Morpurgo created the story of War Horse and how it tells the story of the First World War. History lesson 1. Start by asking the pupils what they know about the First World War. Introduce some basic information about the period using the information on the CD Rom or using one of the fi lms such as The Somme in the Great War. Ask them if they think that a factual book such as a text book is the same sort of evidence/source as a fi ctional book such as War Horse? 2. Play a section of Dorothy s interview. In groups ask the pupils to write down what they learnt about the First World War from listening to Dorothy. What do they learn about the impact of the First World War on her life? Is listening to Dorothy different to reading about the war in a book or through a fi lm? How important is Dorothy s evidence to our/your understanding of history? Can fi ctional books, like War Horse, be used as historical evidence? Activity Create a timeline of events from the war through to the events that Dorothy talks about. On the timeline create different categories for the type of information or evidence that is listed eg personal experience, factual information available in text books etc.

12 Key Stages 3 & 4 Lesson plans A local history - The First World War To support Finding Out about the First World War and my area. The purpose of this lesson is to explore the history of the First World War in the local area that you are living in. This can be broken into three classroom-based sessions or be used as a research project. Intended outcomes By the end of this pupils will: know about the history of the area they live in during the First World War know about some of the experiences of people who live in the communities around them know about some of the legal restrictions that were applied during this period and the impact that had on lives understand what is commemorated on Remembrance Day be able to place the knowledge of the local history into the wider framework for the First World War know about the men, women and families that were affected by the First World War but did not travel to the Western Front know how to research local history and use outside sources for information Key Resources within the CD Rom and DVD For all lessons: The First World War section of the CD Rom The First World War section of the DVD Primary documents Lesson 1 - Possible teaching activities Ask pupils what they know about the First World War. In groups get them to work together to produce a word board of all the things they think of when they hear about the First World War eg trenches, memorials, poppies, soldiers etc. Then ask the pupils to think about how many of those things are about their own local area. Do they know how the First World War affected their area? Give the pupils the information on the First World War and Local History and the information on the Home Front and the First World War, and ask them to read it. In pairs or groups give them the document: Defence of the Realm Act. Ask them to explore and discuss how DORA would affect people s lives in the following categories: children people working in factories soldiers mothers and wives farmers

13 Report back what they have discussed in their groups. Homework or additional activities: Using ICT, explore what local information and archives there are on the local area and the First World War. Lesson 2 - Possible teaching activities Show the pupils the fi lm from the DVD on the Women s Land Army. Why would women be needed to join up to work on the land? What impact does war have on rural communities and agriculture? Discuss and report back. Give the students the documents from the previous session and ask them to think what the priorities would be for the British public during the war. List the issues that people would be concerned with. Organise the list into different levels of importance according to different groups or individuals. In small groups ask pupils to put together a plan to research their local history where can they fi nd out about factories that may have been used for the war effort; what archives are available; is there a local newspaper archive; is there a local grand estate that may have been used at that time. In their research plan, explore what they want to fi nd out as well as where they can look. How can they find out names; identify what the different sources might be as well as where they might be kept? How much information would be available online? NB: Newspapers are one of the best forms of information for names, events and what was happening to the local population, and most towns had a newspaper during the First World War. Homework or additional activities: Develop the research plan further. Lesson 3 Using the research plans the pupils should begin to research the history of the local area. Ideally they should be focusing on one area eg farming, a local factory or industry, property in the area, safety etc. They should have identifi ed a list of possible sources of information and how they will be able to access the records or data. With sufficient planning pupils should be provided with an opportunity to visit a local archive, museum or heritage record centre. Using the research plan, create an article based on the research and indicating what primary sources were used and what were their fi ndings for the impact of the First World War on local history in their area. Homework or additional activities Using the timeline from the CD Rom create a two-sided timeline. On one side should be the key battles and international developments and on the other should be a record of events, things that

14 directly affected the Home Front and specifi cally their local area or interest. Project outcomes an understanding of local history and the First World War a local history of an area during the First World War that is not focused on memorials or the Western Front an ability to organise and evaluate evidence an understanding of basic research methods and project planning.

15 Key Stages 3 & 4 Lesson plans Remembrance activities Key Stage 4 and post 16 The importance of Remembrance This lesson could be used to support humanities, religious studies and some aspects of philosophy. Resources: Optional: Large sheets of paper, post-it notes or interactive white board. Film from the Legion learning resources, DVD disk 3, confl icts since 1945 Either in groups or as a class, ask the students to write down words or sentences that they associate with: a) Remembrance b) Wearing the poppy c) Two Minute Silence Discuss the words they have come up with - can they be put into different categories? Display the words. Where do the associations come from? Case study: In October 2012, approximately 100 students were asked to prepare a similar activity with words. Over the course of two days, the students visited sites of Remembrance and listened to ex-service people and their experiences of confl ict. During that time they were asked to add thoughts and words to the display. At the end of the three days they prepared a Declaration on the importance of Remembrance and how their generation could take it forward. Background: Sixth Form Remembrance Seminar: Conflict Then and Now Who does the poppy Remember? From 9 12 October 2012, approximately 100 sixth form students from the South of England attended a seminar on Remembrance. Over the four days they listened to speakers, took part in discussion and visited sites, including the Cenotaph and Brookwood Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Surrey. Importantly they also listened to veterans from the British Armed Forces and heard about their experiences and what Remembrance means to them. Students heard fi rsthand accounts of Northern Ireland, medical military training, the fi rst Gulf War, the Balkans, the Falklands and the current war in Afghanistan. All the schools/colleges that attended returned to their schools to carry out Remembrance activities to raise awareness about what they learnt from the seminar. At the end of the seminar, the students produced a Declaration on their thoughts for the future of Remembrance. The Declaration will be used by The Royal British Legion to help guide further activities with young people and shape future approaches to Remembrance.

16 DECLARATION ON REMEMBRANCE We represent the young people who attended the Royal British Legion s seminar entitled: Conflict Then and Now Who does the Poppy Remember? We declare that the following is our belief for Remembrance and how our generation should take it forward, October Present: Remembrance should be for all those people, in all confl icts, who must carry the burden of war experiences and memory. Remembrance should remind us of the freedom that we have because of the sacrifi ce of others, and remind us that others around the globe still suffer in persecution. Remembrance should embody the belief that equality in death is the symbol for ensuring equality in Service all ranks and all contributions are important, regardless of race, religion, creed, gender or age. Remembrance is for those who return as well as those who don t, for their families and the communities who carry the burden of confl ict. Remembrance is a refl ection of life, love and sacrifi ce and should communicate a celebration of those whose actions inspire, not just a commemoration of loss. Remembrance should include and acknowledge any courageous man and woman who has dedicated something to their nation when their nation and our ideals of freedom are at threat. For our generation: We will work with our communities to ensure that the legacy of those who have served for us will inspire others to positive actions of honour, courage, respect, support and selfl essness. We will remain loyal to those who sacrifi ce their wellbeing for us including sacrifi cing their health, mental state, hope, future and their life. We must be prepared to support others in their grief when they and their loved ones are injured and to ensure that the suffering is neither ignored nor feared. As communities we should respect and draw out those people to share in their burden. We must not allow politicians or the media to create the images of those we remember instead we must be allowed to remember those who we feel have sacrifi ced themselves in some way for us. We must endeavour to inform those around us of the contribution of all those who work to support the frontline as well as those on it. That must be all the British Armed Forces the Army, The Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force and should include the medics and nurses, the supply chain and the trainers, those who give the orders, carry out the orders and bear the consequences of the orders. The sacrifi ce of the WWI and WWII generations must remain with us as a foundation for understanding Remembrance and our nation s past. However, we also pledge to highlight the service of those in post 1945 confl icts and especially those who we will need to support in the decades to come. We accept the torch of memory and will promote an understanding of the people whose lives are affected by confl ict to inform our generation (and those to come) that war is not glorious but brutal and damaging and we all must work for peace not war. Morpeth School, East London Bromley College Isle of Wight colleges The Chase School, Malvern Dover Boys Grammar School Our Lady s Convent School, Loughborough Hereford Sixth Form College Pent Valley Technology College, Folkestone

17 Please show your students the declaration. 1. What are their first thoughts and initial impressions? Is there anything there that surprises them? What do they think about the language used? How could the Declaration be used? 2. In small groups divide the Declaration up so that each group works on a couple of points. Ask the students to try and describe what their sentences might mean how can they be interpreted? Is there alternate wording that could have been used that made a different emphasis but kept the overall meaning? How might some of the Declaration asks be delivered? 3. Option show a fi lm clip, or series of film clips from the Legion s learning resources DVD disk 3 (Confl ict since 1945): Ask the students to write their own Declaration on Remembrance, using the words that they wrote down at the start of the lesson. How might they use it? Is it important for each generation to explore and examine what Remembrance means to them, or is the tradition of Remembrance more important?

18 Key Stages 3 & 4 Lesson plans Personal connections to the past About this unit In this lesson, students are encouraged to learn about history through one family exploring specifi c events in its own history. The lesson provides a personal connection to the past for students to follow. Through this study, students should be encouraged to recognise family or geographical connections to the past. Students will develop skills of research, analysis and increase their historical knowledge and understanding of the period. The story relates to the Battle of Arnhem in Suitable for: Key Stage 3 History (Years 8 or 9) Key Stage 3 Humanities Key Stage 4 History entitlement sessions Intended outcomes Knowledge and understanding of a particular historical event and how it fi ts into a longer chronology. The role of individuals in the past. Recognising the difference between personal narrative and historical account. Analysing history through individual accounts. Refl ecting on how different historical events can affect people s lives. This lesson could be extended and used over two lessons, depending on time and students abilities. Different abilities: For students of lower abilities, teachers may decide to spend more time on the story of the Battle of Arnhem and exploring the content of the fi lm rather than the documents. Key resources within the CD Rom and DVD for use in this unit The fi lm Return to Arnhem Athlete. The letters and pictures of the Pott family. Factual information about the Battle of Arnhem in the World War Two section of this CD Rom. The World War Two section of this CD Rom, including the maps. Start: Ask pupils what they know about the Allied invasion of mainland Europe in 1944 eg have they heard about D-Day? What do they know about the aims of the Allies in landing in Normandy? (If they know nothing about this period, use the materials in the World War Two section of this CD Rom to introduce it.) Using the maps section on this CD Rom, show the class a map of Europe, focusing on Western Europe. Ask the students to think why it was important for the Allies to reach Berlin. Using the historical account of Arnhem, tell the story of the Battle there. Do the students think that it was a good idea? Now ask them to think about the people that were there. How often when they learn about an event do they think about the actual people involved?

19 Introduce John Pott he served at Arnhem and was injured: John Pott served in the British Army during World War Two. During that time he married (show the picture of his wedding day) then tell your students that the very next day he did not go on his honeymoon but left to join his military unit, as ordered. He did not see his wife for another 18 months because he was serving abroad, including in North Africa. By the autumn of 1944, John Pott and his wife had probably only spent three months with each other in three years. In the summer of 1944, John Pott was part of the Parachute Regiment and in September 1944 he was part of the attacking force that landed in Arnhem as part of Operation Market Garden. In groups, ask the students to look at the letter and account left by John Pott of his experiences (the glossary below may help with some of the terms). Ask them to do the following: Create a timeline of John Pott s experiences and what happened to him from September 1944 onwards. List the key points of the story. Discuss what John s story tells them that is different to an historical account. Write about the role of the Dutch civilians. As a class, discuss the students answers to their fi ndings. For higher ability groups, draw out the issue of personal accounts being infl uenced by other events and discuss if the time delay in recording the experiences would affect its reliability. If you are using this lesson over two sessions, this would mark the end of the first lesson. Tell the students that John Pott s experiences during World War Two had an important effect upon him and later on his family. Explain that members of his family travelled to Arnhem to understand those experiences. Show the film At the end of the film, ask the students to write down their thoughts on the following: Why might seeing an historical site make a difference to your understanding of what happened? What was the effect of the trip on John Potts family? Were there different reactions and if so, why do you think that was? Did seeing the fi lm make a difference to the students understanding of (a) John Pott, (b) Arnhem and World War Two and (c) how individuals respond or react to past events? Stories of individual people can affect how historical events are understood. In groups, ask the students to discuss what part of the fi lm they thought was the most important and why. As a class debate, consider: Family history is more important than factual knowledge of historical events. Ask the students to discuss what the themes of the debate might cover and how the fi lm and story of John Pott might affect their point of view.

20 Follow up activities: Write a newspaper article about John Pott and the events at Arnhem. Ask students to investigate a relative they think may have served in a confl ict. What can they fi nd out about their lives and experiences? Find out other personal stories from Arnhem and World War Two. How do they compare to the story of John Pott they have studied? Visit a local war memorial and choose a name on the memorial to research to fi nd out more about that confl ict. Glossary Platoon a military unit comprising approximately 50 soldiers Company a military unit usually comprising four platoons Glider pilots Gliders were engineless planes- towed behind planes and then released, the Glider pilots then had to fl y and land the glider. They were used in World War Two to land troops into areas without the enemy hearing them coming in advance, they were famously used in the initial attack on D Day June 1944 CO Commanding Offi cer OC Offi cer in Command (often someone of the most senior rank who steps in if the CO is injured or separated from the group)

21 Major John Pott on his wedding day. Major John Pott Photo by Karen Bristoll. David and Joel Pott on Ginkel Heath, the drop zone where John Pott landed before the Battle of Arnhem.

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26 Key Stages 3 & 4 Lesson plans Cross curricular lesson on Remembrance today This lesson is suitable for a cross curricular lesson on Remembrance and with some small tweaks it could be used with some of the learning themes to explore Remembrance alongside a subject requirement eg during lessons on World War Two. The lesson seeks to explore real people and their experiences of confl ict, and why they should be remembered. Useful references: Case studies of David Monkfi eld, George Broomhead, Kirianne Curley, Bob Darby and Aron Shelton. Film clips from DVD: The Legion and Remembrance and the Work of the Legion today. Lesson objectives Pupils should learn: That Remembrance is not just about the past but also about events in the present. About some of the people that can be remembered at Remembrance time. About the welfare needs of some of those affected by confl ict. Possible teaching activities Ask the pupils what they think is meant by the word Remembrance? What does that word mean when it is alongside the poppy? What do they think wearing the poppy means what or who is being remembered? Either read two or three of the case studies out or, depending on the reading level of the pupils, ask them to read the case studies. From listening/reading to the case studies, do the pupils think there are any common elements? All of the case studies emphasise the fact that it is people that are remembered, not the wars. Show the films The Legion and Remembrance and the Work of the Legion today. Ask the pupils to write down anything new they have learnt from the fi lms. Ask the pupils to examine ways in which they think that the stories of people today could be promoted around Remembrance time? Do they think enough is known about those needing help today? Do the pupils think that there should be new ways of expressing Remembrance for those affected by the wars in the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan? Working in groups, pupils could put together a plan of action to promote Remembrance Day, its key messages and the people that are remembered. Or give the pupils copies of the student Declaration and Action points from the International seminar from the Legion s website how do they think those points could be achieved and how would they plan to deliver them? Lesson extensions or homework: Ask the pupils to fi nd out more stories of real people that have had their lives affected by recent confl icts. Lesson outcomes Pupils should understand: How war can affect people s lives. That Remembrance is relevant to each generation. Young people can be involved with Remembrance activities.