Unit: Canada in World War Two – Grade 10 Academic
Lesson Plan By: Jaclyn Cepler
Lesson Title: Social Conditions on the Homefront
Purpose of the Lesson: Students will understand that during WWII the government took an unprecedented amount of control over the daily lives of its citizens. Students will explore government control in their lives in comparison to the lives of those living on the homefront during WWII. Rationing specifically applied to anything that had to be imported. In a way, the Canadian government was promoting the first ever “local food” program.
Expectations: Students will be able to:
- recognize the extent of government control on the daily lives of its citizens
- make connections to previous lessons on propaganda and think critically about how it impacted life on the homefront and the mindset towards rationing
- recognize the hardships of those on the homefront in Canada
Assessment:
- informal through responses to Q/A and brainstorming session
Planning Notes/Resources:
- need computer/projector to show national film board clip from: http://wwii.ca/view-footage/69/tomorrows-world/
- need to print ration books for everyone in the class; many examples are found on: http://www.genealogytoday.com/ca/canadian-ration-books.html
Prior Knowledge:
- already had propaganda lesson where made posters to understand how propaganda was created and how it was effective
- this lesson is half-way through unit on WWII so students have knowledge about the progress of the war, causes, and battles
Teaching / Learning Tasks Duration
Beginning Q and A leading to idea of rationing: 15 minutes
- what types of commodities do you need to survive (add word to vocabulary sheet)
- what items are purchased on a regular basis to ensure survival? (make brief list on board)
- today, what do you do if one of those runs out?
- On the homefront, in Canada, during WWII which of these were the most important?
- What would you do if you couldn’t buy more?
- Food: How would you modify your habits so that you wouldn’t be dependent on foreign imports?
Introduce concept of rationing, what was rationed, what it means, CD Howe, Wartime Prices and Trade Board (brief introduction) 10 min
Discuss how rationing was a form of eating local
Hand out ration cards to students (all receive cards with different people’s names)
Q and A 10-15 min
- what do you see on the card?
- Take 30 seconds to compare your card with your neighbour, what is similar and different between them?
- What do these differences/similarities tell us about age, region and duration of rationing?
- Who controlled what was rationed and when? – what is this an example of?
- What might the implications have been for ration books during the war?
- What does this show about what Canada expected from its citizens at this time?
- What are some of the ways the government may have justified and explaining rationing to its citizens? What is this called?
Play example of propaganda film: “Tomorrow’s World” from National Film Board movies during the war (specifically addresses rationing) 10 min
- while watching the movie consider: how would you react if strict authority was imposed upon your daily needs?
- Why were these films effective?
After film: in pairs share answers to the questions 3-5 min
Class discussion sharing answers from pairs 3-5 min
In groups of 4: brainstorm some of the positive and negative aspects of government control in WWII
10 min
- divide class into groups: students stand on different sides of the room if they think rationing is positive or negative or necessary
- each position discusses among the group about why they think so, present their side
- each group answers the question:
o would similar actions be accepted in today’s society? Why or why not?
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