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Project Goal: To celebrate and party in 1940s style
Project Goal: To celebrate and party in 1940s style
Project Overview
Project Overview
In order to celebrate Liberty Woodland School's 5th anniversary, the Ravens will be taking a step back in time to the 1940s. Exploring the major events of the time across the world and the impact of these events will enable a different perspective into the way people understood the world in the past. Studying the way people partied, how they dressed and what they ate and why offers an insight into how the past has changed and impacted the world we live in today. It fosters an understanding of the way people lived and cultivates an appreciation for how partying has changed over time.
The 1940s were a time of great struggle. World War II dominated the events of the era and was the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. It involved more than 50 nations and was fought on land, sea and air in nearly every part of the world. - adapted from history.com
So, why was partying - playing music, dancing and having fun - in the 1940s so upbeat? People found ways to have fun and much of the entertainment helped boost people's spirits during a sad time. New dance styles were popularised by soldiers and contributed to the craze in dance halls. Fashion was dominated by rationing, involving simple but stylish designs. When food rations were introduced, it meant that people had to be creative with their recipes.
Partying during the 1940s was lively and fun. It kept people's minds off the war and lifted spirits. However, it carried an undertone of sadness and a determination to help the fight through all aspects of social life. By gaining a deeper understanding of life in the past, the Ravens are excited to create a celebration experience ready to show you at our upcoming exhibition.
The Key Areas of Competence (KAoC)
The Key Areas of Competence (KAoC)
This term's cross-curricular project will develop the children's skills in the following curriculum areas:
ROOTS: Personal, Social and Emotional Development
TRUNK: Communication and Language, Creative Technology and Digital Communication, Critical Thinking
CROWN: Creative Arts and Design, Understanding the World (History)
Steps to Success:
Step 1: What was happening in the 1940s?
Step 2: How did people dance in the 1940s?
Step 3: What did people wear in the 1940s?
Step 4: What did people eat in the 1940s?
Step 5: What will our party look like?
Project Launch Update #1
Project Launch Update #1
10.5.24
10.5.24
We started off brainstorming our ideas in sections: periods of history that interested us, events we could 'explain' (to link to our explanation writing in Literacy), and what partying entails. We narrowed this down to a good fit for Key Stage 2.
Then we launched into a 1940s party! We watched a video of a 1940s dance replica. We noted the style of music, the food that was on display and the type of dancing. We watched the video a few times to copy some dance moves. Then we got up and had a go.
After that, we delved into:
Step 1: What was happening during the 1940s? We summarised the major events of the decade one year at a time. We saw pictures and shared previously-known information about the topic. We drew a timeline of the events. It was sad to hear about the devastation of the Second World War.
Questions to discuss:
What were some of the major events around the world that occurred during the 1940s?
When did the Second World War begin and when did it end?
Can you describe some of the major events in more detail, such as the attack on Pearl Harbour? Or the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising?
Update #2
Update #2
7.6.24
7.6.24
Since our last update, Ravens formed pairs or small groups and further researched one of the major events of the 1940s to learn a bit more about it. We considered why the event happened, interesting facts about the event and the consequences of the event.
After learning about how to summarise, Ravens then organised this information into a single google slide, with pictures.
Then, we moved onto Step 2: How did people dance in the 1940s? We formed pairs and learnt some specific swing moves.
We learnt about the Cradle Swap, Titanic, Back-to-Back, Fish, Momentum, Lindy Flip, Bowling Chicken and finally the Sidecar and Candlestick moves.
Some of us made up moves of our own. We started coordinating the moves into a coherent performance.
We observed online swing dancing that evolved from tap and waltz dancing in the early 1900s to the upbeat moves of the 1940s. We noted that swing dancing then led to rock 'n' roll in the 1950s. We reflected on why swing music was so upbeat during a time of war.
Questions to discuss:
What is a summary and when would it be used?
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have enjoyed swing dancing in a 1940s dance hall?
What styles of dancing were popular before and after the 1940s?
Update #3
Update #3
28.6.24
Next, we listened to some of the music that accompanied 1940s dance. We listened and sang along to The White Cliffs of Dover by Vera Lynn and located Dover on a map. We related this to our knowledge of Dover often being the last place soldiers saw as they left the UK and the first when they returned.
We also listened to Louis Armstrong, The Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby's, 'White Christmas,' and Carmen Miranda's Latin music.
After that, we moved on to Step 3: What did people wear in the 1940s?
We looked at clothing from before the 1940s and also what it evolved into in the 1950s. We noted the changing length of dress and coat tails.
We also noted the effect of rationing on fashion, with people re-using materials to keep costs down. We created collages of the dresswear.
Following that, Step 4: What did people eat in the 1940s? began. We learnt all about which foods were rationed in the war and how much people were allowed. We measured out the amount of rationed food over a week to 'see' it.
We then designed a meal using rationed items, cooked them and talked about what they tasted like. It was interesting to note that most of the recipes were not at all disgusting, just a little dry or flat without the regular amount of butter, sugar or eggs.
Questions to discuss:
What do you think about 1940s music? In what ways has music changed since then?
Why did people wear what they did during the 1940s?
It was discovered that a diet of rations was actually quite healthy. Why was this so?
Update #4 - Final Update
Update #4 - Final Update
To consolidate our learning, Ravens participated in a theatre workshop about students in 1940s Britain heading to the countryside to escape the attacks on London during the war. Each student played a part. It was great to make some connections with our learning about rationed food and propaganda messages from that era.
We also visited the Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum in Hendon to see the real-life aircraft used between the Allies and Axis powers during WW2. Students noted the different symbols on the planes and participated in an Air Raid Workshop.
Following our workshop and trip, we moved onto Step 5: What will our party look like? We talked about how to present our work. We made fabric silhouettes of 1940s dancers.
We prepared our rationed meal after implementing some improvements. We put all our work up on display and practiced our swing dance performance.
Thank you so much for coming along to our exhibition. We've loved exploring the topic of 1940s and it's been great to hear about students going on to explore the topic further, reading books about the war and creating shelters. We loved seeing you there and feel proud of all our work.
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