VE Day - KS2

VE Day - which stands for Victory in Europe Day - was the day near the end of World War Two when the surrender of Nazi was announced and fighting in Europe stopped.

VE Day was on 8 May 1945.

The war between the Allies and Japan continued until August 1945 - the end of that part of WW2 is known as VJ Day.

In this article, learn more about VE Day and how people celebrated peace in Europe.

VE Day was a time of huge celebration because it ended the Second World War in Europe.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made an announcement on the radio at 3pm that the war in Europe had ended, after 's surrender the day before.

People across the UK and Europe celebrated by putting up flags, having street parties and gathering outside of Buckingham Palace to cheer.

Look at some of the articles below to find out more about VE Day.

Life in Britain during WW2 was very difficult. People in big cities had to live under The Blitz - the German bombing of Britain. This led to many children in the 1940s being sent to live with people in the countryside- these children became evacuees.

People also had to ration their food as German naval convoys would bomb British ships. Items such as sugar, bacon and milk were limited to certain amounts.

Watch some of the videos below about life during WW2. This will help you understand why VE Day was such a joyous occasion for people.

The Second World War involved many countries and continents around the world.

The Allies were led by the United Kingdom, United States, and the Soviet Union. Many soldiers from across the British Empire also fought in WW2.

The Axis were led by , Italy and Japan. They fought against the Allies.

In 1939, Hitler invaded Poland which triggered WW2.

Look at the links below to learn more about the Geography of WW2.

Writing was incredibly important during WW2. For example, reporters wrote in newspapers and magazines to inform people about what was happening during the war.

Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who wrote about her experiences during WW2. Her diary tells us about her experiences, her thoughts, her feelings and about the people around her. Her diary is one of the most important books ever written.

Winston Churchill's speeches are still studied today because of how powerful they were. His speech We Shall Fight on the Beaches is perhaps one of the most famous speeches in history.

Write a diary entry about VE Day.

Imagine you have just finished listening to Winston Churchill's speech on the radio. What did you see, hear, feel? How did the people around you react? What were the celebrations like?

For your diary entry, write in the first person. Write as if the events happened to you. You should use the pronoun “I” throughout your writing.

For your newspaper report, write in the third person and make sure you get your punctuation correct!

During the war, there were artists and photographers who drew and photographed what was happening.

Some artists were employed to design posters to tell people about what was happening and to encourage people to help their country during the war. This was designed to boost morale.

For example, there were posters to encourage people to grow their own vegetables - to 'Dig for Victory'.

Look at the slideshow below to learn more about WW2 posters.

During WW2, very important planes such as Spitfires and Lancasters were used by the Allies. These would have been designed by engineers.

Click on the activity below to make your own plane mobile. This task will work well with card.

to print single sided if you print off the templates.

Then, click on some of the links below to learn more about deg and planes.