HOME FRONT HEROES

- READING THE REAL -

USING DOCUMENTS IN THE CLASSROOM

READING THE REAL

1. Seeing – the physical document

2. Reading – the content, what it’s about

3. Understanding – context, language, form, vocabulary, author, audience, who is who, meaning

4. Interpreting – bias, emotive language, purpose, voice, tone, origin, meaning, ‘listening’ to the document, attitudes, persuasive language, generalisations

5. Evaluating – authenticity, judgement, provenance, usefulness, relevance

Seeing the document – don’t read it!

• What does the layout or form tell you about the document?

• Was it written in ink or pencil, typed on a typewriter or computer?

• What sort of paper is it?

• What condition is it in – have many hands held it?

• Are there annotations, notes, comments in more than one handwriting?

• Does it smell?

• How was it produced, why it was produced?

• Why is it in this file or collection?

READING THE REAL

How do we know that this is a letter?

What was it written in?

What sort of paper was it written on?

What is this?

What sort of condition is it in? Crumpled? Used? Torn? Folded?

READING THE REAL

Seeing the Document

READING THE REAL

Seeing the Document

Are there annotations, additions, notes, comments, crossings out?

What form is this document?

How do we know that this is a letter?

Who wrote it?

Why was it written?

Where was it written and when was it written?

Who was it written to?

What does it tell us about what it was like to be a serviceman in the war?

What service was he in?

READING THE REALReading and Understanding

• Who wrote it

• When it was written

• Where was it written

• Why it was written

• Who was it written for

• Why was it kept?

READING THE REAL

Reading and Understanding the Document

•people’s experiences, awareness, prejudices, ends and purposes shape both what was perceived and how it was perceived

HISTORY IS PERSONAL!

People, past and present, make history.

History is about people, past and present.

•people wrote, read and responded to these documents

•people interpreted the events in which they were involved from their own experiences, awareness, prejudices, ends and purposes – whether consciously or unconsciously

What is the relationship between these two people?

How do you know?

HISTORY IS PERSONAL!

Why was this photograph taken? When was it taken? Where was it taken?

HISTORY IS PERSONAL!

What are they thinking about?

HISTORY IS PERSONAL!

What difference does the writing on the back of the postcard make to our feelings about the people in it?

Then

Now

We need to look at the document both from the perspective of the times in which it was produced …

•What were people then afraid of? What did they hope for?

•What did they think about the war and how long it would last?

•Who would win?

•Would Hitler invade Britain?

•Would the soldiers come home?

THEN? 1939-1945

NOW?

… and with the luxury we now have - the distance and perspective of time and knowledge.

•We know that the war ended in 1945

•We know who won

•We know whether someone survived the war or not

READING PHOTOGRAPHS

Who are these men?

What are they doing?

Where are they?

What are they saying?

Has this photograph been altered?

What are they thinking?

Why was this photograph taken?

READING PHOTOGRAPHS

One of a series of pictures illustrating how rations for British Troops on the Western Front are collected, transported, prepared, cooked and served hot to the men in the front line. Picture shows Private Brock of Harwich and Private Shirrin of Helensburgh enjoying a hot meal at their front line post.

CAPTION: Western Front: Hot dinners for front-line troops

This photograph was taken for a particular purpose. How would the Government use this image? What is the effect of the word ‘enjoying’ on our understanding of the photograph?

WHO IS IN CHARGE?

READING PHOTOGRAPHS

How do you know? Dress, posture, position, body language

If this man could speak, what would he say about himself?

What are the soldiers thinking and feeling?

READING PHOTOGRAPHS

What are they doing?

What are they saying?

How are they feeling?

Where have they been?What are they waiting for?

Do they know the photo is being taken?

What is the weather like? Time of year?

READING PHOTOGRAPHS

HOME FRONT HEROES

Lesley Walker

Suffolk Record Office 2006

HOME FRONT HEROESUSING WORLD WAR 2 DOCUMENTS IN THE CLASSROOM

AFTER SCHOOL INSET SESSIONS FOR KS2 AND KS3 TEACHERS

Wednesday 26th April from 4.15 - 6.00 at Bury Record Office, 77 Raingate St, Bury St Edmunds IP33 2AR

Thursday 4th May from 4.15 - 6.00 at Ipswich Record Office, Gatacre Rd, Ipswich IP1 2LQ

Come along for afternoon tea, get your free Home Front Heroes Discovery Pack and find out

how contact with collections in museums and archives can enhance and enrich your school curriculum

how you can use Suffolk Record Office documents in your history, literacy and English teaching and for Special Educational Needs students

You will have the opportunity to

hear from Suffolk teachers who participated in the Home Front Heroes pilot project this year on evacuation to and from Ipswich and the Suffolk Regiment in WW2

see some of the work their students produced

have a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of the Record Office, see some of the collection and find out how to plan a visit/workshop