Teaching about the Second World War in the Primary School

This book looks closely at the teaching of history and the range of external influences that impact on it. Issues with history as an area of learning are looked at from the perspective of how they impact on the teaching of history in general and specifically Key Stage 2 (KS2) age children. Areas of contention such as political involvement, the media, societal perceptions, gender, ethnicity and Anglo-centricity are covered in detail. The period of the Second World War is used as a ‘vehicle’ through which several current issues in the teaching of history are developed. The work concludes with the belief that the subject has many external influences, which impact on how it is taught in schools. This is not seen as being a great problem with the validity of and value of the subject. What is however revealed is that there are outside influences that impact on history that could be considered contentious and do raise concerns. This book will be of interest to not only Primary teachers in teaching about the Second World War but will also have a wider appeal to anyone interested in external issues that influenced the design and introduction of the History National Curriculum.