The World Wars
Trenches, a Christmas truce, the Blitz, D-Day and how nations remember. Human stories from 1914 to 1945, at levels from A2 to C1.
Who it's for
Marked for all levels: the topic carries the lesson, and you set the difficulty by what you ask of the answer.
Stories from history, told for English learners at any level. More History lesson plans
Skills it practises
- Speaking: discussion questionsevery lesson
- Vocabulary: a target word listevery lesson
- Reading: a text or news storyevery lesson
Lessons
- The Christmas Truce of 1914One winter night, enemies stopped fighting, sang songs and played football. A simple, hopeful story for A2 students.48 minA2Free
- A Letter from the TrenchesMud, rats, boredom and letters home: what daily life was really like in a First World War trench. Past tenses and empathy for B1 students.48 minB1Outline
- How One Wrong Turn Started a World WarA driver's mistake, a chain of alliances and five weeks of bad decisions: how a killing in Sarajevo became a war of 70 million soldiers. Cause and effect for B2 students.48 minB2Outline
- The Blitz: A City Under the BombsFor eight months, London was bombed almost every night. People slept in the Underground, queued for bread and went to work. Everyday courage for B1 students.48 minB1Outline
- D-Day: The Biggest GambleA weather forecast, a fake army and 156,000 soldiers: the planning behind the largest seaborne invasion in history. Risk and decision-making for B2 students.48 minB2Outline
- Remembering: How Nations Tell the Story of WarPoppies, memorials, minute silences and the arguments underneath them: why every country remembers the world wars differently. Nuanced discussion for C1 students.48 minC1Outline
How to use it in a lesson
- Lessons run 48 minutes, with a timing on every stage, so you can see before you start what fits your slot.
- Start with "The Christmas Truce of 1914": its whole plan is on this site, stage by stage, with the target vocabulary, free to read and to teach from on any video call.
- For a shorter slot, skip a practice stage or cut the discussion short: the stages are a guide, not a script.
Teach The World Wars with your student
Lesson 1 of this course is free. A free account opens it in the interactive player, and the rest of the course is included with Starter. Teaching it live with your student in the Tuton classroom starts with a 7-day free trial.
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