WAR AND PEOPLE

Introduction

“Holy men”, children and women were the “invisible” ones during wars. A Russian peasant, Rasputin, gained significant influence over Tsar Nicholas II’s wife, Alexandra, just before the revolutions of 1917. Children had to be evacuated during WW2 and in the same years women did men’s jobs and some of them decided to lead a double life and they became spies.

Explore the websites suggested and complete the tasks.

Task

Work in group and complete the activities below.

RASPUTION AND THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/rasputin.htm

http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/historical/biography/gregory_rasputin.html

Read and find out

Who Rasputin was - his early life  - schooling – what happened in 1895 - what happened in 1901 – his behaviour – his reputation - his nickname and why he got it – his powers - what happened in 1905 - What disease Alexei suffered from – what tsar Nicholas wrote in his diary – what his followers got and what they were like - when he started to be very powerful -  why people thought he had superhuman strength - what he said about his death – who killed him and when – what happened after his death

CHILDREN DURING WW2

http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/evacuation.htm evacuation 

http://www.mylearning.org/childrens-experiences-during-wwii/p-3996 evacuees

Read and find out

What evacuation is - What ‘Operation Piper’ was – Who was evacuated and why – When they were evacuated – Where they went – what kind of experience it was - when evacuation ended

Read some letters and find out

What kind of experience evacuation was - what children wrote about it - what things they wrote about

WOMEN AT WAR

http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/women.htm  WOMEN

http://spartacus-educational.com/SOEleigh.htm?menu=2WWwomen Vera Leigh

http://ourwomenheroes.blogspot.it/2011/06/vera-leigh.html Vera Leigh

Read and find out

What women did during the Second World War – how many women worked by 1943 - What was the women’s Land Army and what jobs women did – how many hours they worked per week

Who Vera Leigh was – what happened when she was a baby – her first jobs – what she did in 1927 – What happened in 1940 AND WHAT Vera did and became - what her codename was – what she did in Paris - where she was when she was arrested – what happened on July 6th 1944

Process

Prepare a group PPT presentation about your topic (WAR AND PEOPLE).

You'll have to use it to present the topic to your classmates.

Don't write too much on the PPT slides. Insert pictures, key words and data only.

Evaluation

Assessment of speaking skills

oral production, pronunciation, intonation, fluency, accuracy, vocabulary and voice quality

Conclusion

War is a controversial issue but wars usually have lots of “side” effects.

 

What words do you match with the word “war”? Why?

Do you think war is necessary? Why? Why not?

Would you like to become a soldier? Why? Why not?