Teach-Primary-Issue-20.1

Over the years, I’ve found that one setting that always provides an intriguing context for writing is the events of WorldWar Two. The work of Alan Turing and his collaborators at Bletchley Park is part of our history focus, but their incredible achievements also serve as perfect inspiration for a fictional writing mission for children in Year 5 and 6. The gameplay element of this lesson is influenced by the first-person perspectives children may play on tablets and consoles and is one reason, I believe, why it draws such enthusiasm from all the classes I’ve taught. 1 | INTRODUCING ENIGMA To begin, tell pupils that they will be learning about Alan Turing and his decoding work at Bletchley Park. Share an image of an Enigma machine. Explain that during World War 2, Germany used these machines to send and receive secret messages. Guide a discussion, asking, What could have been included in these messages? Who would have sent them and to whom? Could they have been a danger to allied forces? Why? Why was it important that the messages were decoded? Explain that a group of mathematicians and code breakers, including Alan Turing, were employed at Bletchley Park to break the German codes sent and received by the machines. Allied monitoring stations picked up every message but until the codes were broken, there was no way of knowing what they said. An added challenge was that the codes changed every two days. You can use the books The Secret Life of Spies by Michael Noble and Alexander Mostov (Wide Eyed Editions); The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetyes and Steve Sheinkin; I Spy: A Bletchley Park Mystery, and Little People, Big Dreams: Alan Turing to provide background information to support learning and immersion. You could also provide a START HERE MAIN LESSON l Who Alan Turing was, and what he achieved during the Second World War l What the Enigma machine was, and the role it played in WW2 l How to combine ideas to find a solution l Vocabulary to best describe movement History, English Introduce to the children a large-scale blueprint map of a fictional base in World War 2 Germany (you can draw your own, or find a printable map at the link on the right). This is a great hook to pique interest and intrigue... do pupils know what the map could show, or when it could be from? Encourage the children to look at the map thoroughly, and think about what it could be used for, before introducing the context of WW2 and the Enigma machine. Although this will be the main inspiration for the writing focus in the lessons that follow, for now it is a tool to engage, excite and provide a context. Explore an intriguing World War 2 coding context through teamwork and narrative writing, with Karl Duke KS2 LESSON PLAN @karlduke8@bsky.social Become a spy and help crack Enigma... WHAT THEY’LL LEARN 78 | www.teachwire.net