A collection of worksheets designed to introduce students to the locations, conditions and environments in which Australians served during World War II.
Teacher notes
Learning intention
This visual resource requires students to examine primary sources (images) to understand the Australians' experiences and the conditions in different locations.
By the end of this lesson, students will:
- identify and describe images
- pose questions about images
- conduct research
- form conclusions about the challenges of different environments during wartime.
Lesson resources
- Where Australians served in the Second World War: a visual activity.
There are 7 locations to explore:
- North Africa: Tobruk and the Western Desert
- Middle East: Syria
- Papua: Kokoda
- New Guinea: Rempi River and Nambariwa
- Skies over Europe
- Greece and Crete
- Mediterranean Sea
Teaching ideas
This lesson is designed as an introductory activity to spark students' interest and understanding of the different environments in which Australians served during the Second World War. It can be used in a variety of ways in class or at home, and is suitable for relief teacher lessons.
A follow-up activity that explores the locations and some key campaigns – see 'Supporting resources' below.
Expert jigsaw group activity
Organise students into groups. Allocate each group a different location. Using the worksheets, the group becomes an 'expert' in that region. The group could create a brief presentation of images and quotes from research that show and explain the conditions and experiences of Australians in that area. Groups present their learning to the class or combine different experts into new groups to share learning.
Independent activity
Allocate a location to individual students. The student examines the images and completes the table. Students may share their learning with peers. Students complete a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the different environments.
Supporting resources
- Second World War: where Australians served interactive book – use this resource to introduce students to the different locations that Australians served in during the Second World War.
Australian Curriculum
Knowledge and understanding
Students learn about the places where Australians fought, and their perspectives and experiences during the Second World War, such as the fall of Singapore, prisoners of war (POWs), the Battle of Britain and Kokoda (AC9HH10K02).
Teaching sensitivities
Teachers are advised to be sensitive to students' perspectives and emotions while using this resource. When working through the activity, teachers will need to consider their students' religious and cultural beliefs, any experiences of war or conflict, or parents serving in the defence forces. It is the responsibility of teachers to consider whether it is appropriate to use this resource with their students.
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
