Below are five different scenes of family life during a wartime Christmas. Read each scene aloud. What does it tell you about life at Christmas time during the war? Compare Christmas during the war to present day. What are the similarities? What are the differences? Divide the class into groups and ask them to read, practise and perform the scene. Imagine you have taken a photograph of the Christmas scene. Draw the picture. Add as much detail as you can. Mum is in the kitchen with two children mixing a large bowl. Now, I ve been saving up all our rations for months, so we ll have a lovely big Christmas cake. With raisins? No. No raisins, I couldn t get those. Don t worry I don t like them anyway. Now everyone come and give the cake a lucky stir. Why s that mummy? Everyone have a stir and make a wish. Then we ll put a lucky sixpence in there too. I wish Daddy would come home. www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2009 13190 Page 1 of 5
Gran and two children are unravelling a jumper and winding wool into a ball. Why are we doing this Grandma? Well, that old jumper didn t fit you anymore. You re growing so much. It must be all those vegetables Dad has been growing. Well, we ll use this wool to make a new jumper. Then we ll wrap it up for your mum on Christmas morning. She ll love a new jumper. Can we have some more coal on the fire? No love, we re saving that for Christmas Day. I know, go and put your hats on. OK, Gran. A man and woman are looking over a letter they have just received. Charles, Charles! It s a letter from our Eddie. CHARLES: Is it, Lilly love? Does he say that the socks you made him got there? They did. Keeping him nice and warm. He s still in France and thinks he ll soon be home. CHARLES: What else does he say? He wishes us both a Merry Christmas. Sends us all his love. CHARLES: Does he know we think of him every day? He knows, love. www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2009 13190 Page 2 of 5
Five children are sitting around a Christmas tree. Come on, let s decorate the tree. I found this old box in the loft. It s got all the old baubles in. Some of them are a bit tatty, but they ll do. CHILD 3: I ve got these pine cones that I m going to paint with white for snow. CHILD 4: Isn t that the paint that Dad painted the kerb with for blackouts? CHILD 3: Don t know. I just found it in the shed. CHILD 5: What will we put on the top? Is there an angel in there? I can t see anything. CHILD 5: Maybe we can make one. CHILD 4: Make an angel, what with? CHILD 3: What about dad s old newspaper? No, mum has lined our Wellingtons with it to keep warm. CHILD 5: Perhaps we won t have an angel this year. www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2009 13190 Page 3 of 5
Mum and Dad are sitting by the fire. Mum is sewing and Dad is painting a small box. What s that you re doing, love? Just sewing initials on hankies. It means that everyone can get an extra present this year. It s not much of a Christmas is it love? How s that jewellery box going for our Mary? Not bad, just needs gluing together. It seems a shame we can t give her anything to put in it too. I ve my mother s old ring upstairs. I was going to wait till she was 21, but seeing as she s all grown up now, and engaged to an American, then I think we can let her have it now. Good idea. An air raid siren goes off and all huddle in a communal air raid shelter. ARW (Air Raid Warden): Come on folks, in you come. Shuffle down everyone. There s a blanket at the end there. PERSON 1: Do you think it s a doodlebug? PERSON 2: No false alarm, even Hitler wouldn t be that mean at Christmas. PERSON 3: Come on, let s not lose this Christmas spirit. How about a dance? PERSON 4: But we ve not got any music down here. PERSON 5: We could have a sing-song. What about Silent Night? PERSON 6: What s that then, wishful thinking? PERSON 1: Isn t that a German carol anyway? PERSON 5: What if it is, it s all about Christmas isn t it? Come on Albert, you start. Everyone sings Silent Night. www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2009 13190 Page 4 of 5
Mum, Dad, two children and grandma and grandad are sitting around a dining table. Here, pull a cracker. Have you made these? He has, but don t expect them to bang. I know, we ll just say bang as we pull them. Everyone pulls a cracker, says Bang! and laughs. Put on your hats, everyone. Look, here s yours, Grandma. GRANDMA: Thanks, love. How do I look? GRAN You re not meant to read your hat, Grandad. Here, let me help you. What? You want me to wear it? Is that a chicken I can smell cooking? Did you manage it? Did you get a chicken, Mum? Well you can thank your father for that. He s been working overtime at that farm for weeks to make sure we got a chicken. CHILDREN: Thanks, Dad. Now let s say grace. We are thankful that our whole family is together this Christmas. Please keep all families safe. Wherever they may be. Amen. The King s speech is broadcast over the wireless. All stop to listen. www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2009 13190 Page 5 of 5