World War II
The aim of this lesson is to assess how Channel islanders survived the war with the only occupation of British soil by German armed forces.
Britain had taken the decision to leave the Channel islands undefended.
Therefore students are questioned as to why this decision was taken and how they might feel being at the mercy of the German occupation.
Use of a text and a thinking quilt will help students analyse the ways in which islanders survived, through rationing, acts of resistance and their treatment by the German soldiers garrisoned there.
The Germans attempted to make it a model occupation with respect shown to the islanders, but with curfews and censorship, students have to evaluate if this was the case.
Some excellent video footage will also explain the treatment of prisoners of war moved to the island to help build the Atlantic Wall defences and how they attempted to manage under appalling conditions.
Some real life testimony from survivors is also given to allow students to evaluate fully the significance of the occupation and survival techniques developed to survive.
A big thank you in my research for this lesson goes to Dan Snow and his podcast on the occupation as well as the book by Duncan Barrett, ‘When the Germans came’, as well as testimony from a family friend who is still a resident on Jersey.
It is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
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