THE WAR OF THE WORLD

PROGRAMME 2: THE PLAN

ACTIVITIES

Guidance

This programme can help students to understand the tensions that led from one war to the next. Also, it will illustrate the importance of assumed racial superiority in 20th-century conflicts.

Some students will need help in understanding some of the more difficult political terms before watching the programme.

There is no need to watch the whole programme if, for example, it is being used to enhance understanding of events in one particular country, such as Nazi Germany.

General activities

Alongside the programme students could:

• Produce a timeline of key world events between the Wall Street Crash and the outbreak of the Second World War
• Use the internet to find personal accounts from Jews who survived the Nazis
• Research the extent of the Soviet Empire by 1950, by using maps on the internet
• Find more examples of people imprisoned as part of the Gulag
• Invite older people to the classroom to talk about the 1930s.

Programme-related activities

• This material can be adapted to suit the particular age and ability of the students
• The following tasks can be undertaken individually or in pairs
• Usually one copy of each worksheet is needed per student
• Encourage whole-class discussion and feedback after each activity.

Task 1: Russia in the 1930s
Students need to watch section 05.33 – 16.00.

Download activity sheet [Word document, 44KB]

Task 2: Oral history
Students need to watch section 05.33 – 16.00.

Download activity sheet [Word document, 40KB]

Task 3: The diary of Victor Klemperer
Students need to watch 16.01 – 28.36.

Download activity sheet [Word document, 44KB]

Task 4: When did the Second World War really start?
Students need to watch the whole programme.

Download activity sheet [Word document, 44KB]