World War II: Lives on the Home Front
1939–1945
Students investigate how ordinary people adapted, contributed and endured during the Second World War through evidence they can hold in their hands.
THE COLLECTION
What’s Inside the Box?
Each object has been selected to turn historical evidence into a tangible starting point for questions, investigation and discussion.
1940s
WWII Ration Book
Explore how rationing shaped everyday choices during wartime.
1942
Wartime Letter
Consider what letters can reveal about distance, hope and censorship.
1939–1945
Civil Defence Map
Trace the ways geography shaped risk, movement and protection.
1940s
Public Information Poster
Examine how governments used design and language to shape public behaviour.
1939–1945
Identity Card
Question how wartime systems recorded, regulated and identified people.
1944
News Report
Compare a contemporary report with the evidence contained in the box.
READY TO TEACH
Included Lesson Resources
Everything you need to turn each artefact into a confident, evidence-led history lesson.
16
Ready-to-teach lessons
A complete sequence built around the objects, questions and historical evidence in the box.
Homework tasks
Meaningful follow-up tasks that extend student thinking beyond the classroom.
End-of-topic assessment
A structured assessment opportunity to capture historical reasoning and evidence use.
CONTENT CREATOR · ECHO HISTORY
Meet the Historian Behind the Box
Dr Eleanor Hart
Historian & Content Creator
History becomes much more powerful when students can encounter the evidence for themselves.
Dr Eleanor Hart is a historian and educator whose work explores the social history of wartime Britain and Australia. She designs learning experiences that help students move beyond dates and battles, using everyday evidence to investigate how conflict reshaped ordinary lives.