History Detective

What questions can you ask about these photos? Try to think of between 5 and 10 questions.

The first photo shows the Prime Minister Winston Churchill announcing VE Day - Victory in Europe. This day marks the end of the Second World War in Europe. There were no mobile phones or internet in those days. How would he have given this news?

The second photo shows people celebrating VE Day on May 8th 1945. Can you find out what VE day was and some of the ways in which it was celebrated?

Choose your VE Day Challenge:

Challenge 1:

If you could have a street party with all your neighbours, what games would you play? What food you would eat? What would you wear? Can you draw or write about your street party. Perhaps you could make something at home that you would like to have to eat at your street party. You might want to find out what people ate at the street parties on VE day.

Challenge 2:

Street parties were not the only way in which many people celebrated the end of the war. Can you draw and write about how else they might have celebrated? If you can, use photos from this website https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-photos-of-ve-day-celebrations

Challenge 3:

Britain had been at war for six years, since September 1939. The war had caused great hardships for the entire country. One of which was food rationing. Can you explain why food was rationed and how food rationing worked? Choose how you wish to present your work. See useful links below.

Challenge 4:

Can you explain why VE day was an important day in British history. Choose how you wish to present your work. See useful links below.

Useful Links:

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/ve-day-celebrations

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/history-ks2-ve-day/z7xtmfr

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-ve-day

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-photos-of-ve-day-celebrations

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/48201749

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-rationing-in-the-second-world-war