Pre-visit resources for pupils with Special Educational Needs.

Transcription

1 Teacher s Pack Wartime Classroom Pre-visit resources for pupils with Special Educational Needs. This pack is aimed at helping teachers prepare nervous children and children with Special Educational Needs for the Wartime Classroom activity at the Royal Air Force Museum. The Wartime Classroom activity lasts for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes consists of making a gas mask case and a role play session. Please only use this pack to prepare nervous pupils, and pupils with Special Educational Needs. If shown to the class as a whole this will spoil the surprise element of the session. Wartime Classroom : Brief of the activity for teaching staff. The Wartime Classroom activity is held upstairs in the teaching area. The Wartime Classroom is designed to look like the type of classroom where children during this period would have had their lessons. The desks are wooden with lift up lids and contain an ink well. Inside each desk there is a nib pen, a piece of blotting paper and a piece of cloth for cleaning the pen with. The desks are formed in pairs so the children will be asked to find a partner before entering the room. On each desk there will be a cardboard cut out which the children will make into a gas mask case. There will also be some string and some glue. The activity leader will guide the children through the making process and, once completed, the cases will be placed on the back of the chairs. The leader will then discuss the role play session with the children. When in role, the leader will take on the persona of a strict wartime teacher who may speak in a loud voice. The children will be given workbooks to do writing in and will be expected to participate in reciting after the teacher. Midway through the role play, the children will be informed that they are to be evacuated and are given a name tag which they will fill in. The children will then be given an identity card which they will partly fill in. It is while the children are writing in their identity cards that the air raid siren begins and the children are instructed to climb under their desks. The siren lasts for around two minutes. After the All Clear siren sounds the children return to their chairs. The children place their identity card and workbook

2 inside their gas mask case and are then spoken to about the dangers of playing on bomb sites. A child (chosen by the teacher at the beginning of the session) is called up for a mock caning. At the end of the session the leader comes out of role and talks to the children about the role play experience and answers any questions the children (or adults) may have. The activity ends and the class return to the Aircraft Halls for their next part of their visit.

3 Pupil s Pack Wartime Classroom When your class visits the Royal Air Force Museum, you will all be taking part in an activity called the Wartime Classroom. You are doing this because you are learning about the Second World War at School. The activity will help you learn more about what life was like at this time. The activity When it is time to do the activity you will be met by one of the leaders in Aeronauts Interactive Gallery. The class will be taken upstairs to the Classroom. You will be asked to line up with a friend outside the room When you go inside you will see that the room looks very different to your classroom at school. This room looks like a classroom where children during the war would have had their lessons. You will be asked to sit with your friend at one of the desks. There will be some things on the desk but try not to touch them as you are going to be making a gas mask case, similar to the type carried by adults and children during the War.

4 When you have made your gas mask cases the leader will ask you to put it on the back of your chair. Now the class are going to do some acting. Everybody is going to pretend to be someone from the Second World War. Your class are going to pretend to be a class from This means that you will have to sit nicely and be very quiet. The leader is going to pretend to be a teacher from The leader may look very angry and shout but you must remember that we are only pretending, and that we are not really in The leader will ask you to repeat what they are saying. It is the 1939 class school motto and it goes like this: Good, better, best, Never let it rest, Until our good is better, And our better best. The leader will show you the pen that you will be using. It is very old fashioned and not like the pens we use today. You have to dip the pen into the ink well in your desk. When the ink runs out you have to dip it in the ink well again. You will find your pen, blotting paper and cloth inside your desk. When the leader asks you to open your desks you can take them out. The leader will give you a work book. It is very small. You will be asked to write your name and the name of your school on it. Don t worry if you make a mistake, or if some ink drops on the page, remember we are only pretending and you will not be told off.

5 When you have finished writing on the book, you will learn about the money used during the war. Today we have pounds ( ) and pence (p) but in the Second World War there were pounds ( ) shillings (s) and pence (d). The leader will ask you to open your work book and copy the words printed on the inside cover. Remember that it doesn t matter if you find it hard to write with the pen we are only pretending. You will be asked to stop writing and to put your pens down. The leader will tell everyone that they are going to be evacuated and that they are going to be put on a train to somewhere safe. You will be given a name tag and asked to write the schools name and your name on it. Children who were evacuated during the War had to wear a tag to so that they could be put on the correct train. When you have finished writing you will have to use the blotting paper to soak up the ink as you are going to tie it to your clothing. If you need help tying the tag on you can ask the person sitting next to you. The leader will then give out identity cards. You will have to fill out three sections: Surname (this means your last name). Christian name (this means your first name). Holders Signature (where you sign your name).

6 An air raid siren may go off while you are in class. The siren is quite loud, and is a bit like the noise you would hear from a fire engine or police car. During the Second World whenever enemy aircraft were spotted, alarms went off to warn people to find shelter. If a siren does go off in your class, the leader will tell you to get under your desk. When the All Clear siren sounds the leader will tell you that it is safe for you to get out from under the desk and to sit down again. Remember we are only pretending and there is not really an air raid. The leader may ask for help with the sums that are on the chalk board. If you think you know the answer you can put your hand up but don t worry if you do not want to be asked the leader will only ask those who put their hand up. At the end of the lesson, the leader will ask you to put your identity card and your workbook inside your gas mask case and then to carefully wipe the pen with the piece of cloth. When you have cleaned the pen you will be asked to put the pen, the blotting paper and the cloth back inside the desk. Just before you leave the classroom, the leader may ask the class how they felt during the activity. Did you all enjoy pretending to be in 1939? If you would like to say something, put your hand up but if you do not want to it is ok to just sit and watch. This is the last part of the Wartime classroom activity. Afterwards you will be able to explore the Museum and see all of our amazing aircraft.