Resource created by Hull History Centre.
During World War Two, Hull experienced the worst bomb damage of anywhere outside London. For security reasons, journalists were only allowed to refer to bombing in a ‘north east costal town’ so the rest of the country remained unaware that ninety-five percent of Hull’s homes were destroyed or damaged by bombs.
Curriculum Links
- Key Stage 2 History: Local history study
- Key Stage 3 History: The Second World War
This learning story uses archive photographs, official (and, in some cases at the time, secret) documentation and children’s accounts of their experiences, to help teachers and pupils uncover the effects of the Blitz on the people of Hull, both through the eyes of children who stayed and those who were evacuated.
Activity Ideas
- Using the statistics on the 'A North East Coastal Town' page, pupils could create an infographic to clearly communicate the data and add in their own research, or write a newspaper report using the 5Ws (who, what, where, when how).
- Interview local people who have memories of living in Hull at this time.
- Research what measures were taken to try and minimise the risk of bombing, and to keep people safe during raids, for example, using blackout curtains and the role of volunteer air raid wardens.
- Listen to the audio of real experiences during the Blitz. In groups, pupils could research more around the topic and create their own dramas about the Blitz. Pupils could video each other sharing their experiences.
- Pupils could carry out further research into evacuees experiences and then have a class debate around 'Should I send my child to be evacuated?'