Choose a character from the past (it doesn’t have to be a famous person). Research that character and the time that they lived. Use the drama convention Visualisation to explore what it would be like to be that character. What would they hear? What would they see? Smell? Experience? Write a diary entry in role as your character.
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill was Britain’s prime minister for most of WW2. He was famous for his refusal to give in and grand speeches, especially when things were going badly.
When did he live?
Winston Churchill was born in 1874 and loved through two world wars. He witnessed the first cars, first planes and even the first astronauts in space. He was an MP for over 60 years and died in 1965.
Childhood
Winston Churchill was born 30th November 1874, in Blenheim Palace near Oxford. Blenheim is a great house which was built in the 1700s for John Churchill.
At the age of 7, Winston Churchill was sent away to school which he did not enjoy. He was beaten by his teacher and was deprived of food. he was moved school and he enjoyed it there as it was located by the sea. He learned to swim and ride horses there. Churchill enjoyed reading, history and learning poems by heart. He was not good at writing and was often late for his classes.
War
In the 1930s, Churchill said that Britain must get ready for a new war. Germany’s leader, Adolf Hitler was a danger to peace but he was not in the government, so people took little notice of his warnings.
In 1939, Germany attacked Poland and Britain and France went to war with Germany. This is when WW2 began. Churchill was put in charge of the Navy again but the war went badly. By 1940 France was beaten and Britain faced invasion. Britain needed a new leader and in May 1940, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister.
War Leader – Britain at War
Churchill used the radio to tell the world that Britain was not beaten. His speeches helped keep up peoples spirits. He told the parliament “We shall never surrender” Churchill lead Britain through the battle of Britain and the Blitz. He walked through towns that had been damaged by bombs. Everywhere he went, he gave the ‘V for Victory’ sign.
From 1941, America was in the war and so was Russia. Britain, America and Russia were now allies. Churchill became a friend of America’s President, Roosevelt. He met with Russia’s leader, Josef Stalin. The 3 leaders were called ‘The Big Three.’
On D-Day, 6th June 1944, the allies landed armies in France. Churchill wanted to go too but had to wait until it was safer. The war in Europe ended in May 1945 and crowds cheered for him as he stood with the King and Queen. Britain had an election and the conservative party lost as the labour party won. As Churchill was a conservative he gave up the roll of prime minister and by August 1945 WW2 was over.
Use the drama convention Visualisation to explore what it would be like to be that character. What would they hear? What would they see? Smell? Experience? Write a diary entry in role as your character.
Teacher explains to the children what it is that she wants them to visualise and asks them questions to think about to help them to visualise this in their minds.
- Imagine you are Winston Churchill walking through a town that had been damaged by bombs.
What would they hear?
I would hear people crying and screaming. The people behind me are trying to explain what has happened to this town. I can hear planes over head and they are very loud as they are flying low. I can hear buildings falling over and crashing against the ground in the distance.
What would they see?
I can see buildings that have been damaged by the bombings and a lot of people around me watching my reaction to see how I am feeling and what my next move should be. I can see people embracing one another while they look devastated at the wreckage. The sky is dark with smoke which has not disappeared from the bombing yet.
Smell?
I can smell burning and smoke. There is also a strong smell of sewage.
Experience?
I have experienced the effect of the War first hand. I feel extremely upset and sad that this has happened and need to think carefully about what my next move should be. This experience almost does not seem real.
Diary Entry
8 September 1940.
I went to visit a bomb-damaged area at the East End of London and I cannot believe what I have witnessed. I knew this war was bad, but I did not realise the damage that was really being caused to these towns and cities. I took a walk through this area and I could hear people screaming and crying, this was awful to hear and I did not know what I could do to help them through this miserable time. Nothing I could do or say to them will help them through this. As I looked to the sky, there was nothing but dark cloud, or more specifically, smoke. The smell was intoxicating, I felt I couldn’t breathe properly. As I walked around the area, I could see more damaged buildings and wreckage and I cannot help but feel shocked and distressed at the sight of this. This area was once a thriving area and now it is destroyed, looking hopeless.
I need to think about what I am going to do next. What can I say to these people to help them feel safe and secure? How can I raise their spirits again? I will do something to stop this. I will end this War.
