What was it like moving from town to country as an evacuee?

Summary:

Through this activity your class will be able to read about real children who moved as evacuees from the town to the countryside during the Second World War. Some children had good experiences while others found the move hard. During this activity, students will have the opportunity to explore true stories, find out what the countryside was like over 70 years ago and create their own stories based on what they have discovered.

Themes and topics:

• Local history study and a period after 1066
• Local history study
• Modern world history
• Challenges of Britain, wider World 1901 to present day.

Suggested age range: 

Upper primary and lower secondary

Links with other activities:

This activity could also be used in conjunction with the ‘What was it like to be a child in the countryside?’ resource.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the activities students will:

• have increased knowledge of being evacuated from an urban centre like London
• be able to explain the differences in food, lifestyle, toys, play and health between rural and urban areas
• have developed their skills in reading and interpreting written documents, such as letters and official paperwork that children wrote and were given, as part of their evacuation.