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Ambition Topic:- World War 2

During their topic ‘World War 2’ Ambition (Year 3/4) have learned about how WW2 started and how it impacted on society in Britain, they have written newspaper reports based on key events within WW2 and identified on a map allied, axis and neutral countries. During the topic the children made gas masks, were issued with ration books, made and painted clay poppies and even practised what to do in the event of an air raid!

On the 18th of May the children visited the National Holocaust Centre. Here they experienced ‘Leo’s Journey’. The Journey follows the story of Leo Stein, a 10 year old German Jewish boy, living with his parents and younger sister Hannah. The Steins live in Berlin, Germany in 1938, during the year which we follow his life many things changed for Leo and his family, as it did for other Jewish people.

By following Leo’s life from his family home, through to his Journey to England on the Kindertransport, the children learn about the impact of Nazi propaganda, anti-Jewish measures, and anti-Semitism. To find out more about Leo’s Journey click here.

There are several memorial gardens at the Centre, we visited the Children’s Memorial, this memorial to the young people murdered in the Holocaust is being built slowly over time, by visitors to The National Holocaust Centre and Museum. Visitors are invited to select a stone from the trough and place it on the memorial, in tribute to one of the 1.5 million individual children who died.

We were also fortunate enough to meet a holocaust survivor -Henry who shared his memories of the Holocaust, including how he avoided the Nazi’s by working on a pig farm. To find out more about the National Holocaust Centre please click here.

The topic ended with a fantastic street party where the children invited their parents/carers in to school for the afternoon to share their learning. The children presented what they had learnt followed by ‘war games’ in the playground and party food made from ingredients that would have been available during rationing.

If you would like to see the children’s work please feel free to pop in to the classroom to see the displays.

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Castle View Primary School - Matlock