History KS2: Geography of World War Two
This short film provides insight into the scope of the war and how many countries were involved.
We hear from an eye-witness called Anna, who tells us how her family had to flee to Austria when the bombing started in Budapest and how frightening the whole experience was for her.
The ‘Did You Know’ section explores how the most powerful nations at the time controlled other lands and ruled them as colonies.
Created in partnership with Imperial War Museums.
Teacher Notes
This short film could be useful for teaching pupils how to make and read maps.
This falls into the following parts of the national curriculum in England, and similar parts of the Welsh, Northern Irish and Scottish curricula:
- Locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities.
- Name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time.
- Identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night).
Additional fact for the class:
- Despite calls for independence from Britain, a large section of India still identified with the British Empire on some level during World War Two. This led to the formation of the largest volunteer army in history. Without conscription the British Indian Army numbered 2.5 million volunteer soldiers.
Curriculum Notes
Suitable for teaching history at KS2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2nd Level in Scotland.
This short film could also can be incorporated into different subjects as part of a cross-curricular lesson, especially when teaching geography at KS2 or 2nd Level.