Subscriber Only Resources
Access this article and hundreds more like it with a subscription to Junior Scholastic magazine.
Junior Scholastic Teaching Kits
Teacher-approved stories, resources, and worksheets, courtesy of junior scholastic , the middle school social studies classroom magazine..
The History and Heroes of World War II
An overview of World War II: why the U.S. got involved, what citizens did to fight back, and how people worldwide were affected
Featured Teaching Kits
Teacher-approved stories, resources, and worksheets for teaching about World War II in your classroom, courtesy of Junior Scholastic , the middle school Social Studies classroom magazine
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
This American History play tells the story of the shocking 1941 attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii. Accounts from real soldiers help bring this infamous day to life for your students.
Meet the Navajo Code Talkers
During World War II, information could be just as important as weapons. Learn how a group of young Navajo men helped win the war in the Pacific by creating an unbreakable code for the United States military.
Life in the Japanese Internment Camps
While the U.S. military fought overseas, a different battle was happening on American soil, as more than 110,000 Japanese Americans were placed in internment camps. This American History play tells their story in dramatic detail.
Adolfo Kaminsky, A Hero of the Holocaust
Not all the heroes of World War II were soldiers. Find out how a shy Jewish teenager in France risked his life to help thousands of victims escape the Nazis by forging documents.
Want to see more from Junior Scholastic magazine?
Famous quotes from World War II
“Danger gathers upon our path. We cannot afford—we have no right—to look back. We must look forward.”
— British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, December 1936
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”
— Franklin D. Roosevelt, in a 1941 speech asking Congress to declare war
“It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
— Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl
“Today the guns are silent. A great tragedy has ended. A great victory has been won.”
— U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, supreme commander of the Allied Powers, after Japan’s formal surrender in September 1945
Key Figures
Four world war ii figures who made an impact.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Roosevelt, who served as U.S. president from 1933-1945, tried to avoid U.S. involvement in World War II but changed course after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He partnered with Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and China to defeat Germany and its allies.
Born in 1929, Frank was 13 years old when she and her Jewish family were forced into hiding in the Netherlands to avoid Nazi persecution. They were discovered two years later and sent to concentration camps, where Frank died. After the war, her father published her diary, which has been read by millions of people.
Adolf Hitler
Hitler ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945 and led the Nazi Party. He sought to reestablish Germany as a leading power in Europe by seizing land from other countries and eliminating European Jews. Hitler killed himself on April 30, 1945, after realizing he faced certain defeat.
Winston Churchill
As prime minister of Great Britain during World War II, Churchill gave powerful speeches and famously resisted tyranny. He is largely credited with Britain’s decision to ally with the United States and the Soviet Union--a strategy that helped end the war.
Supplemental resources that link to external websites about World War II
World War II Photos
The National Archives' collection of more than 200 World War II photographs, organized by topic
The History Channel: World War II
Film footage, interactives, and articles related to the war
World War II Artifacts
An interactive history of World War II told through artifacts and images
Terms and definitions that pertain to World War II
anti-Semitism
discrimination against Jews
concentration camp
a prison or place of forced labor; often a general term that includes death camps specifically designed by the Nazis as mass killing centers during World War II
a part of a city in which members of a minority race or group live, usually in poor conditions
the mass slaughter of millions of Jews and other people by the Nazis during World War II
internment camp
a place where enemies or suspected enemies are held
a member of a political party, led by Adolf Hitler from 1920 to 1945, that was dedicated to German dominance of Europe and the destruction of Jews
Explore Other Topics
Discover other free social studies topics and middle school teaching resources.
The Roles of the Presidency
From Commander-in-Chief to Chief-of-State, the President has many critical roles.
The United States Constitution
Ancient Civilizations
An overview of humanity’s first large societies: how they formed, who ruled them, and how they influenced the world today.
The Civil Rights Movement
Women’s History: The Struggle for Equality
Learn about important women throughout history—including Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth—and the progress that’s been made in the fight for gender equality.
Real Teens of History
These inspiring teens fought for what they believed in—and made history in the process.
Social Studies Debate Kit
Teaching the art of debating—and how to write an effective argument essay—can help students master critical-thinking and communication skills.
Mastering Media Literacy and Digital Literacy
In an increasingly digital world, being able to navigate technology skillfully and evaluate online resources for accuracy and trustworthiness is crucial.
Teaching map skills can build students’ geography knowledge—and enhance their understanding of the world in which they live.
Middle School Civics
An overview of civics: what it means to be a good citizen, how democracy works, and why staying informed and engaged matters—even as kids.
The Civil War and Reconstruction
Use these features and supporting resources to give students deeper as well as broader knowledge of these key periods in U.S. history.
Immigration
The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, built by people who left their homes to seek new lives and opportunities. However, Americans' feelings about immigrants are mixed.
Empower Your Students to Explore Their World
Discover Junior Scholastic Magazine for Grades 6–8
narvikk/Getty Images (Plane); Illustration by Dave Seeley (Pearl Harbor); Bettmann/Getty Images (code talkers); Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images (internment camp); Courtesy Sarah Kaminsky (forging materials); Hulton Archive/Getty Images (FDR); Anne Frank Fonds Basel/Getty Images (Anne Frank); Bettmann/Getty Images (Adolf Hitler); Fox Photos/Getty Images (Winston Churchill)
Home » World War 2
World War 2
World War 2 for kids learning in KS2 at Primary School. Homework help on the history of World War 2, the Blitz, Evacuations and D-Day.
Woeful Second World War
Remembrance Day
Every year on 11 th November we wear poppies and remember the millions of people that fought in this war and all the others. This is called Remembrance Day but also called Armistice Day. It is on the same day as World War One ended. Not only do we remember and say thank you to the brave men and women who fought in that war, but we remember all the armed forces over the years and even the ones that protect us today, including World War 2
Why do we wear poppies?
Poppies were the flowers that grew on the battlefields after World War I, and people wear them as a symbol of remembrance to honour those who fought and died in wars. We also have a minute of silence at the 11th hour (11 am). We all stop and think quietly about the war heroes that are no longer with us.
What is Remembrance Sunday?
Remembrance Sunday is always on the second Sunday of November. The Royal Family lay wreaths of poppies at the Cenotaph (war memorial) in London and will have a minute of silence at 11 am along with the rest of the country. Ceremonies take place at war memorials and churches all over the country.
Also on Super Brainy Beans
- Fundamentals NEW
- Biographies
- Compare Countries
- World Atlas
World War II at a glance
Related resources for this article.
- Primary Sources & E-Books
Introduction
World War II—the largest and bloodiest conflict in history—involved virtually every part of the world during the mid-20th century. On one side were the Axis Powers—mainly Germany, Italy, and Japan. They were opposed by the Allies—mainly France, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. The war began in 1939 and ended in an Allied victory in 1945, but its effects would shape world history for decades to come.
The article World War II provides an overview of the conflict, and the chronology presents a concise month-by-month look at its key events. The links below allow for a more in-depth exploration of the war, with sections covering battle sites; military and political figures from the Allies and the Axis Powers; armed forces, technology, and weapons; the Holocaust; and major conferences and treaties.
Battle Sites
- Pearl Harbor
- Saint Petersburg
- Wake Island
Allied Biographies
Military figures.
- Harold Alexander
- Henry Harley Arnold
- Gregory Boyington
- Omar Nelson Bradley
- Alan Francis Brooke
- Claire L. Chennault
- Henry Duncan Graham Crerar
- James H. Doolittle
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Maurice Gamelin
- Henri Giraud
- William F. Halsey, Jr.
- Arthur Travers Harris
- Oveta Culp Hobby
- Jacques-Philippe Leclerc
- Curtis E. LeMay
- Douglas MacArthur
- George C. Marshall
- Frank Dow Merrill
- Bernard Montgomery
- Louis Mountbatten
- Audie Murphy
- Chester W. Nimitz
- George Patton
- Matthew Bunker Ridgway
- Walter Bedell Smith
- Carl Spaatz
- Joseph W. Stilwell
- Maxwell Davenport Taylor
- Arthur William Tedder
- Nathan F. Twining
- James Alward Van Fleet
- Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov
- Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright
- Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov
Political Figures
- Edvard Beneš
- Neville Chamberlain
- Chiang Kai-shek
- Winston Churchill
- John Curtin
- Édouard Daladier
- Charles de Gaulle
- Anthony Eden
- Peter Fraser
- Cordell Hull
- Mackenzie King
- Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov
- Paul Reynaud
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Joseph Stalin
- Julius Streicher
- Harry S. Truman
Axis Biographies
- Karl Dönitz
- Hermann Göring
- Reinhard Heydrich
- Alfred Jodl
- Wilhelm Keitel
- Albert Kesselring
- Günther von Kluge
- Erich Raeder
- Erwin Rommel
- Gerd von Rundstedt
- Yamamoto Isoroku
- Yamashita Tomoyuki
- Klaus Barbie
- Martin Bormann
- Adolf Eichmann
- Joseph Goebbels
- Rudolf Hess
- Heinrich Himmler
- Adolf Hitler
- Koiso Kuniaki
- Konoe Fumimaro
- Pierre Laval
- Benito Mussolini
- Philippe Pétain
- Vidkun Quisling
- Joachim von Ribbentrop
- Alfred Rosenberg
- Arthur Seyss-Inquart
- Albert Speer
- Tojo Hideki
- Iva Toguri D’Aquino (“Tokyo Rose”)
Other Biographies
- Mordecai Anielewicz
- Pietro Badoglio
- Ludwig Beck
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- Krupp family
- Bill Mauldin
- Oskar Schindler
- Alan M. Turing
- Raoul Wallenberg
- Frederick William Winterbotham
- Yitzhak Zuckerman
Armed Forces, Technology, and Weapons
- Allied Powers
- Axis Powers
- code talker
- Flying Tigers
- guided missile
- jet propulsion
- Manhattan Project
- nuclear weapons
- torpedo and mine
- Tuskegee Airmen
The Holocaust
- concentration camp
- literature of the Holocaust
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
See also reflections on the Holocaust .
Conferences and Treaties
- Atlantic Charter
- Munich Agreement
- Potsdam Conference
- Tehran Conference
- Yalta Conference
Other Related Articles
- Alaska Highway
- Asian Americans (Japanese Americans)
- Europe: World War II
- famous ships: The Bismarck
- Nuremberg trials
- Spanish Civil War
- United Nations
- United Service Organizations
- World War I and World War I Chronology
It’s here: the NEW Britannica Kids website!
We’ve been busy, working hard to bring you new features and an updated design. We hope you and your family enjoy the NEW Britannica Kids. Take a minute to check out all the enhancements!
- The same safe and trusted content for explorers of all ages.
- Accessible across all of today's devices: phones, tablets, and desktops.
- Improved homework resources designed to support a variety of curriculum subjects and standards.
- A new, third level of content, designed specially to meet the advanced needs of the sophisticated scholar.
- And so much more!
Want to see it in action?
Start a free trial
To share with more than one person, separate addresses with a comma
Choose a language from the menu above to view a computer-translated version of this page. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. Britannica does not review the converted text.
After translating an article, all tools except font up/font down will be disabled. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar.
- Privacy Notice
- Terms of Use
- DIGITAL MAGAZINE
MOST POPULAR
Second World War Primary resource
Discover how wwii changed society in britain at the time.
This primary resource explores some of the significant events of the Second World War and what life was like on the home front. Discover how WWII changed society in Britain at the time, and the different roles that people had to take on. Why were children evacuated? How did women’s roles change during the Second World War? What was a ‘blackout’?
Pupils will learn about the war effort at home and how air strikes affected life in Britain at the time in our National Geographic Kids’ History primary resource sheet.
The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for a simple overview of World War II. It can be used as a printed handout for each pupil to read themselves, or for display on the interactive whiteboard, as part of a whole class reading exercise.
Activity: Ask the children to choose one of the areas of World War II discussed in the comic (e.g. the evacuation of children, air raid shelters, blackouts, women at work, The Battle of Britain, etc.) and create their own comic strip specifically about this topic. They could use the resource as a starting point for their own research. Pupils could compare life in Britain during the Second World War, with life at home during the First World War, using our First World War comic to help them. What might the main differences have been?
N.B. The following information for mapping the resource documents to the school curriculum is specifically tailored to the English National Curriculum and Scottish Curriculum for Excellence . We are currently working to bring specifically tailored curriculum resource links for our other territories; including South Africa , Australia and New Zealand . If you have any queries about our upcoming curriculum resource links, please email: [email protected]
This History primary resource assists with teaching the following History objectives from the National Curriculum :
- Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative
- Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.
National Curriculum Key Stage 1 History objective:
- Pupils should be taught: significant historical events, people and places in their own locality
National Curriculum Key Stage 2 History objective:
- Pupils should be taught a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
This History primary resource assists with teaching the following Social Studies First level objective from the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence :
- I can compare aspects of people’s daily lives in the past with my own by using historical evidence or the experience of recreating an historical setting.
Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Third level Social Studies objective :
- I can describe the factors contributing to a major social, political or economic change in the past and can assess the impact on people’s lives.
Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Fourth level Social Studies objective :
- I can describe the main features of conflicting world belief systems in the past and can present informed views on the consequences of such conflict for societies then and since.
Download primary resource
Leave a comment.
Your comment will be checked and approved shortly.
WELL DONE, YOUR COMMENT HAS BEEN ADDED!
Customize your avatar.
Brilliant board games
FIND YOUR PERFECT BOOK!
What is palm oil?
Wear It Wild!
Sign up to our newsletter
Get uplifting news, exclusive offers, inspiring stories and activities to help you and your family explore and learn delivered straight to your inbox.
You will receive our UK newsletter. Change region
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
COUNTRY * Australia Ireland New Zealand United Kingdom Other
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and will receive emails from us about news, offers, activities and partner offers.
You're all signed up! Back to subscription site
Type whatever you want to search
More Results
You’re leaving natgeokids.com to visit another website!
Ask a parent or guardian to check it out first and remember to stay safe online.
You're leaving our kids' pages to visit a page for grown-ups!
Be sure to check if your parent or guardian is okay with this first.
- Create new account
- Reset your password
Register and get FREE resources and activities
Ready to unlock all our resources?
World War II
What was World War II?
World War II involved many countries around the globe fighting against each other, including the UK. It lasted six years, from 1939-1945.
The War became a global conflict after the German military, led by Adolf Hitler , invaded Poland in 1939 because he wanted to take some of their land for Germany . France and Britain declared war on Germany because they didn’t think what Germany was doing was right, then Italy joined with Germany, and gradually other countries in Europe and around the world became involved with either the Allies or the Axis powers.
Life during the Second World War was very difficult. Today, we mark special days to remember the many millions of people who fought and died during World War II.
Top 10 facts
- World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945.
- World War II began when German troops invaded Poland on 1 September 1939 .
- The UK declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939. It was announced by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.
- While many countries were involved in the war, they each took sides – either with the Allies, or the Axis.
- The main Axis countries were Germany, Italy and Japan .
- The main Allied countries were Great Britain, the United States , France and the Soviet Union ( Russia ).
- British Prime Ministers during World War II were Neville Chamberlain until 1940, then Winston Churchill .
- The Battle of Britain , between the German Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force, was the first ever battle to be fought only in the air. It was made up of lots of air battles that lasted from 10 July to 31 October 1940.
- World War II ended in Europe on 8 May 1945 – this is also known as VE Day (Victory in Europe Day).
- World War II carried on for a few months after it ended in Europe, and officially ended when Japan formally surrendered to the Allies on 2 September 1945 (also called VJ Day).
- 1 September 1939 Germany invaded Poland
- 3 September 1939 The UK and France declared War on Germany
- 14 May 1940 The Home Guard was created (The Local Defence Volunteers)
- 26 May-4 June 1940 The evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk, France
- June 1940 German troops occupied the Channel Islands.
- 10 June 1940 Italy declared war on Britain and France, and allies with Germany
- 10 July-31 October 1940 The Battle of Britain
- 7 September 1940 The Blitz begins in London
- 8 September 1941-27 January 1944 The Siege of Leningrad
- 7 December 1941 The Japanese attacked an American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
- 8 December 1941 The United States declared war on Japan, and joined with the Allies
- 6 June 1944 D-Day, when troops from Britain and the US landed in France to fight against the Germans
- 16 December 1944-25 January 1945 The Battle of the Bulge
- 8 May 1945 VE Day (Victory in Europe Day), when Germany surrendered
- 15 August 1945 VJ Day (Victory in Japan Day), when Japan surrendered
- 2 September 1945 Japan formally surrendered, and officially ended World War II
Boost Your Child's Learning Today!
- Start your child on a tailored learning plan
- Maths & English resources added each week to your plan
- Keep your child's learning on track and watch their confidence grow!
Did you know?
- Even though World War II involved countries all over the globe, there were two sides fighting against each other – the Axis powers and the Allied powers.
- The UK was part of the Allies.
- Two types of aeroplane were used in the Battle of Britain – bombers that dropped bombs on towns and cities and fighters that attacked other aeroplanes.
- The main aeroplanes flown by the RAF were fighters called the Spitfire and the Hurricane . They tried to destroy German bombers before they could attack British towns and cities.
- The Luftwaffe (Germany’s air force) used both bombers and fighters. They used the bombers to attack towns and cities, and the fighters to stop the RAF fighters from destroying German bombers.
- The German’s most famous fighter aeroplane was the Messerschmitt and their main bombers were the Heinkel, the Junkers and the Dornier.
- British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, US President Franklin Roosevelt and Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin were known as the ‘big three’. They were all leaders of Allied countries.
- The Siege of Leningrad – when all the roads going in and out of Leningrad were closed off so nobody could come in or go out, even to get food – lasted for 900 days (about two and a half years).
- The code name for D-Day was ‘Operation Overlord’.
- D-Day is a name the military use when planning an event – the ‘D’ doesn’t stand for anything.
- The code name for the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk was ‘Operation Dynamo’.
- Hitler’s plan to invade Britain in the summer of 1940 was called ‘Operation Sea Lion’.
Browse through the gallery and see if you can spot the following:
- Spitfire planes
- The bombing of Cologne in Germany
- Omaha Beach in Normandy
- A D-Day commemorative statue
- Soldiers' graves in Normandy
- The evacuation of troops from Dunkirk
- Winston Churchill during WWII
- Neville Chamberlain declaring war on Germany
- Supermarine Spitfire aeroplanes
- Hawker Hurricane aeroplane
- A Luftwaffe aeroplane
- Adolf Hitler
- Benito Mussolini
- Franklin D Roosevelt
- Hideki Tojo
- Joseph Stalin
- World War II British Army uniform
The main countries and leaders that made up the Allied powers were:
- Great Britain – led by Prime Minister Winston Churchill
- The United States – led by President Franklin D Roosevelt
- France – led by Charles de Gaulle
- The Soviet Union – led by Joseph Stalin
- China – led by Chiang Kai-shek
The three main countries and leaders that made up the Axis powers were:
- Germany – the Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler
- Italy – the Fascists, led by Benito Mussolini
- Japan – known at that time as the Empire of Japan, led by Hideki Tojo; the emperor of Japan during World War II was Emperor Hirohito.
World War II began when the UK and France declared war on Germany, after German troops led by Adolf Hitler had invaded Poland on 1 September 1939 to claim land there as their own. Hitler had already invaded Austria and Czechoslovakia, so the war began over his plan to take more land for Germany.
The Siege of Leningrad is a famous event during World War II. For 900 days – from 8 September 1941 to 27 January 1944 – the city of Leningrad in Russia was surrounded by German troops. That meant everyone inside the city had to stay there, and that there wasn’t any way for food or other provisions like medicine to get in. Many hundreds of thousands of people died during this time (600,000-800,000) because there wasn’t enough food or heating to go around, but the people who lived in Leningrad refused to surrender to the Germans.
In 1940, the French port of Dunkirk was the location of a big turning point for the Allies in World War II. Hitler’s armies bombed Dunkirk heavily, and many Allied troops were waiting on the beach to be rescued because they didn’t have the resources they needed to fight back. From 26 May to 4 June, over 550,000 troops were ferried to safety across the English Channel – the code name for this was ‘Operation Dynamo’. Some British civilians (people who weren’t in the army) even used their own boats to help save as many people as they could. The rescue operation helped to boost morale in Britain, where they really needed some good news. This helped in going into the next major event in World War II, the Battle of Britain .
The Royal Air Force were the stars of the Battle of Britain , which is the first military battle to be fought entirely in the air. In ‘Operation Sea Lion’, Hitler planned to invade Britain and add another country to his list of conquests. But, first he had to fight off the RAF, which is where he ran into trouble. Britain’s RAF beat Germany’s Luftwaffe, but after a long series of battles from 10 July-31 October 1940. The whole thing is called the Battle of Britain because it’s what made Hitler eventually change his mind about trying to invade the UK, and he went after Russia instead. The RAF pilots showed tremendous courage and bravery as they kept fighting the Luftwaffe even when it looked like they might lose.
June 6, 1944 is also known as D-Day. On that day, the Allied forces launched a huge invasion of land that Adolf Hitler’s Nazi troops had taken over. It all began with boats and boats full of Allied troops landing on beaches in the French region of Normandy. They broke through the German defences and carried on fighting them back through Europe for the next 11 months until they reached Berlin, where Hitler was then hiding.
The Battle of the Bulge took place from 16 December 1944-25 January 1945, and was the last major effort by Hitler to defeat the Allies. He had hoped to break up the parts of Western Europe that the British, American and French troops secured by splitting the area in half – this would mean that the armies wouldn’t be able to get supplies across to each other, and would make them easier targets for Hitler and his armies to fight against. But, all Hitler did was to make the Allied line of troops ‘bulge’ in the middle as he fought to push them back, and the line didn’t break completely. So, he didn’t accomplish his goal, and the Allies won the battle.
Names to know
Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940) – British Prime Minister from 1937-1940; Chamberlain was Prime Minister when Britain declared war on Germany. Winston Churchill (1874-1965) – British Prime Minster from 1940 to 1945, then again from 1951 to 1955; Churchill was Prime Minister during most of World War II. Churchill is famous for his speeches that inspired people to keep on fighting. Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) – German dictator during World War II, and leader of the Nazi political party Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) – Italian dictator during World War II, and leader of the Fascists; Mussolini was also known as ‘Il Duce’ (‘the leader’), and joined forces with Hitler as one of the Axis powers. Franklin D Roosevelt (1882-1945) – United States President during most of World War II Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) – leader of the Soviet Union during World War II Hideki Tojo (1884-1948) – Japanese leader and military general during World War II
Related Videos
Just for fun...
- Learn to sing songs that were popular during WWII , including 'White Cliffs of Dover' and 'Everything stops for tea'
- Use interactive maps to see the battles of WWII in Europe, Africa and Asia
- Take a WWII quiz
- Design the interior of an Anderson Shelter and try some WWII craft activity ideas with the Biggin Hill Memorial Museum Armchair Explorers Activities
- Watch the Horrible Histories song about WWII pilots, The RAF Pilots - The Few Song
- See a Battle of Britain dogfight in action and find out about Britain's pilots in a BBC interactive guide to the "secret" of winning the Battle of Britain
Children's books about World War II
Find out more:
- A series of BBC films about WWII for KS2 children offers a comprehensive overview of World War Two for primary schools
- Watch a brief video overview of the Second World War
- Read about the 5 phases of WWII
- 10 facts about WWII from National Geographic Kids
- Watch WWII video clips from the BBC archive and find out more about evacuation, the Blitz, rationing, famous WWII songs, news reports, speeches and eye-witness accounts
- A children's guide to WWII from DKfindout!
- Interactive articles and timelines about the major events and people of World War Two
- Video information about rise of the Nazis
- Read a BBC Bitesize summary of WWII
- A complete BBC interactive timeline of WWII , including videos of key events
- Maps, investigations and individual sources about WWII from the National Archives
- Look at an interactive map of the world and events during World War II
- Watch short BBC films about the significance of D-Day, the biggest air and seaborne invasion in history
- Understand more about D-Day: look through information sources about D-Day and read a D-Day guide from the National Army Museum
- The CBBC guide to D-Day
- See photographs of the Dunkirk evacuations
- Read about what people who lived during World War II remember from those difficult years at the website ‘The People’s War’
- Find out about 9 iconic aircraft from Battle of Britain , including the Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane
- A detailed guide to the Spitfire, the most famous plane of World War Two
- Find out about all the different types of World War II defences (called pillboxes) that you can still see around Britain
- Watch a Newsround introduction to the Holocaust
- The life and times of Winston Churchill , and how Churchill's speeches (and his dentures!) contributed to the war effort
- Read about life during WWII in kids' historical fiction set during the Second World War
- Nathalie Sergueiew, 'Treasure', was a WWII spy
- Look through photos of Victory in Europe (VE) Day celebrations
See for yourself
- See exhibits from the Battle of Britain and the Blitz at the RAF Museum in London . You can even climb into a Spitfire and experience what it would have been like to fly one!
- Take a tour of the HMS Belfast, one of the ships used to ferry troops to Normandy on D-Day
- See the aeroplanes involved in the Battle of Britain, inside on of the hangars that was actually used in 1940, at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford
- Walk through the Cabinet War Rooms , which were located underground so Winston Churchill and other leaders could kept safe during the Blitz and hold top security meetings
- Britain built thousands of defensive structures called Pill Boxes all over the country that soldiers could use to defend the country if the Germans invaded. Are there any near where you live?
- Find out about code-breaking at Bletchley Park
- See and find out about objects from World War II
- Hear all the sounds of WWII: Chamberlain and Churchill's speeches, WWII songs and music, news as it was reported in 1939-1945
Give your child a headstart
- FREE articles & expert information
- FREE resources & activities
- FREE homework help
Sharing teaching and learning resources from the National Archives
Education Updates
A New World War II Teaching Resource
We have a brand new World War II page on DocsTeach, the online tool for teaching with documents! The page includes hundreds of primary sources and teaching activities for WWII.
You’ll find primary source sets for a variety of WWII topics, including:
- Photographs
- Film & Audio Recordings
- U.S. Army “Newsmaps”
- The Homefront
- Women During WWII
- Code Talkers
- Tuskegee Airmen
- Nazism and the Third Reich
- Nazi Concentration Camps and Ghettos
- The Holocaust
- Genocide During the Holocaust
- Refugees and Immigration
- Pearl Harbor
- Japanese Internment
- The Atomic Bomb
- The End of War & Surrender
- War Crimes and Trials
The new page also includes several teaching activities for use online or in the classroom.
In the activity Interpreting a Political Cartoon from the Eve of WWII , students identify artistic techniques used to convey a cartoon’s message about the lead-up to World War II.
In Letter to Truman about the Manhattan Project , students analyze a letter from the Secretary of War requesting a meeting with the President. They try to determine what the referenced “highly secret matter” is – the atomic bomb.
The activity Pearl Harbor Dispatch Analysis presents students with a naval dispatch sent from the Commander in Chief of the Pacific that announced the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. But excerpts of the “This is Not Drill” document are blacked out, and students must examine the document to figure out what the document is and what the story is about.
We have several more teaching activities at www.docsteach.org/topics/wwii as well, including on the Holocaust, the refugee crisis, Pearl Harbor, FDR’s infamy speech, D-Day, and racial discrimination during the war.
We’re always adding more content to DocsTeach, including for World War II. Let us know what additional topics you want to see!
Share this:
Leave a reply cancel reply.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
| Primary Homework Help Britain Since the 1930s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| for information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENTS
World War II was total war - every person, every business, every service was involved. Britain did not fight alone, the war also involved many countries. World War II involved 61 countries with 1.7 billion people (three quarters of the world's population). Fifty million people lost their lives and hundreds of millions people were injured.
The Second World War was started by Germany in an unprovoked attack on Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany after Hitler had refused to abort his invasion of Poland. When did World War Two end? The War ended in the Summer of 1945. It is estimated that 50 million people lost their lives during World War 2.
March - Bulgaria joins the Axis.: 6 Apr. - Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece. 10 May - German air raid damages the House of Commons in London.: 22 June - Germany invades Russia : 7 Dec.. - The Japanese attack the USA Naval Base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii: 8 Dec. - The United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II.: 11 Dec. - Germany and Italy declare war on the United States
South Africa. United Kingdom. United States. USSR. Yugoslavia. and others. The Tripartite Pact of September 27, 1940, allied (brought together) Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Allies included: Commonwealth countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
World War II started in 1939. By the time it ended in 1945, the war involved nearly every part of the world. The two sides that fought the war were called the Axis powers and the Allies. Germany , Italy , and Japan were the major Axis powers. The major Allies were the United States , the Soviet Union , the United Kingdom (Great Britain), and ...
World War Two Timeline. 1 min. Updated: 19th January 2023. People still celebrate the anniversary of the end of World War Two today. Some people have garden parties or street parties where the roads are decorated with bunting and flags. You can make your own bunting at home by following these simple instructions: Make-do-and-Mend No Sew Bunting.
Famous quotes from World War II. "Danger gathers upon our path. We cannot afford—we have no right—to look back. We must look forward.". — British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, December 1936. "Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by ...
Give children the opportunity to catch up on missed lessons. Rewind and recap whenever necessary. In a series of five videos about the Second World War for KS2 students, James from Twinkl Teaches shares plenty of hands-on and fun activities perfect to support your teaching of the Second World War. The above video may be from a third-party source.
World War 2. World War 2 for kids learning in KS2 at Primary School. Homework help on the history of World War 2, the Blitz, Evacuations and D-Day. World War 2 started on 1st September 1939 and ended on 2nd September 1945, lasting 6 years. it was fought in Europe, Russia, North Africa and in Asia. 60 million people died in World War ...
World War II—the largest and bloodiest conflict in history—involved virtually every part of the world during the mid-20th century. On one side were the Axis Powers—mainly Germany, Italy, and Japan. They were opposed by the Allies—mainly France, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. The war began in 1939 and ...
Harry Truman. Became president of the United States in the final year of World War II. He played a major role in the war's outcome by making the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan. Charles de Gaulle. A French general who led the French in their fight against Germany.
Check your answers below to find out how you scored on the WW2 quiz: The Second World War was fought between two sides. Name the three main countries that formed the Axis powers. Germany, Italy and Japan. On 26th May 1940, the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Allied troops from the beaches at Dunkirk began.
The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for a simple overview of World War II. It can be used as a printed handout for each pupil to read themselves, or for display on the interactive whiteboard, as part of a whole class reading exercise. Activity: Ask the children to choose one of the areas of World War II discussed in the comic ...
Top 10 facts. World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. World War II began when German troops invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. The UK declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939. It was announced by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. While many countries were involved in the war, they each took sides - either with the Allies, or the Axis.
The page includes hundreds of primary sources and teaching activities for WWII. You'll find primary source sets for a variety of WWII topics, including: "It's A Good Act But It's Hard On The Spectators" by Clifford Berryman, 8/20/1939. From the Records of the U.S. Senate. The new page also includes several teaching activities for use ...
How did World War Two start? 2 min. Updated: 19th January 2023. The Second World War lasted from September 1939 until September 1945. There were many things that led to the outbreak of the war: The First World War ended with the Treaty of Versailles in 1918. The terms of the treaty stated that Germany had to reduce its army, navy and other ...
The British evacuation began on Friday 1 September 1939. It was called 'Operation Pied Piper'. Between 1939 - 1945 there were three major evacuations in preparation of the German Luftwaffe bombing Britain. The first official evacuations began on September 1 1939, two days before the declaration of war. By January 1940 almost 60% had returned to ...
At 11.07am on Thursday 31st August 1939 the order was given to evacuate forthwith. 1.5 Million children, pregnant women and other vulnerable people such as the disabled, evacuated to safer countryside locations in just two days.
You can use these brilliant WW2 worksheets for kids to help them understand the key features of the war and how it affected children in particular. These differentiated WW2 worksheets will allow children to reinforce their knowledge of the topic vocabulary by using it for sentence writing. Three different activities will encourage children to use keywords within sentences and match them to the ...