Looking for classroom resources? The VWMA can help.
The VWMA Schools Program is designed to complement the Australian Curriculum for both History and English. It has the flexibility to be adjusted for all student capabilities, be used in whole or in part and adjusted to suit your local community story.
Additionally, the VWMA runs Professional Development aligned with the AITSL standards and offers a selection of resources which are beneficial for a range of school events and specialist subjects, such as Research Project.
The team at the VWMA Schools Program are always happy to receive feedback and design new content to meet current classroom needs. If there are additional resources you would like to see or to book your school project, please email schools.program@vwma.org.au.
New to the Schools Program?
Watch our quick presentation to get an idea of how the program works and how we can make teaching WW1 and WW2 easier for you.
WW1 Serviceperson Profile and Biography (AC9HH9K09-K12; AC9HH9S01-S07)
WW1 Serviceperson Profile and Biography 'Pack' - all the guides needed to complete the task with your students. Do you need to adjust this work to meet the learning needs of students in your class? Contact the Schools Program Manager for guidance.
WW1 Serviceperson Profile and Biography Assignment Folio: this includes focus question development/modification and source analysis to meet most of the Australian Curriculum achievement standards - word editable and pdf. Assessment rubric for Folio - word editable rubric. Suitable for South Australian Premier's Anzac Spirit School Prize, if completing source analysis too.
Year 9 WW1 Biography Assignment
Year 9 WW1 Profile Assignment with source description
Serviceperson Biography Assessment Task Guidelines shared by Peter Provis, Charles Campbell High School.
For students requiring modified task – typed Attestation Record, Service Record and Unit Diary of Soldier shared by Peter Provis, Charles Campbell High School
Assessment rubric for Biography Task (no Research Folio) -word editable - also suitable to assess the South Australian Premier's Anzac Spirit School Prize.
WW1 Timeline Activity with Images - suitable for students requiring differentiation
WW2 Serviceperson Profile and Biography
(AC9HH1K0K02-K06; AC9HH10S01-S08)
WW2 Serviceperson Profile and Biography 'Pack' - all the guides needed to complete the task with your students. Do you need to adjust this work to meet the learning needs of students in your class? Contact the Schools Program Manager for guidance.
WW2 Serviceperson Profile and Biography Assignment Folio: this includes focus question development/modification and source analysis to meet most of the Australian Curriculum achievement standards - word editable and pdf. Assessment rubric for Folio -word editable rubric Suitable for South Australian Premier's Anzac Spirit School Prize, if completing source analysis too.
Year 10 WW2 Biography Assignment
Year 10 WW2 Profile Assignment
Assessment rubric for Biography Task (no Research Folio) -word editable - also suitable to assess the South Australian Premier's Anzac Spirit School Prize.
WW2 Timeline Activity with Images - suitable for students requiring differentiation
Guides and Resources to assist with Profile and Biography
Research Guide Template WW1 Serviceperson - word editable
Research Guide Template WW2 - word editable
Building a Profile (Contributing information)
Reading a Service Record - First World War
Reading a Service Record - Second World War
WW2 Army Unit Descriptions and Classifications
Other Useful Resources for Profile and Biography
Pre-Decimal Inflation Calculator
Medals For Australians WW1 and WW2
Ranks of the Australian Defence Force
Understanding Military Structure
Example of a short film biography
Ohlstrom Short Film (9:24)
Short film biography using Patrick Ohlstrom's WW1 diary and service record.
Rubric - Australian Curriculum Version 9.0
Year 9
Editable rubric for Year 9 History - general
Year 10
Editable rubric for Year 10 History - general
For rubrics to assess the profile and biography task (with or without a Research Folio of source analysis) see above
Source Analysis Teaching Resources
(ACHHS169; ACHHS170; ACHHS171)
Primary and Secondary Historical Sources
Analysing Historical Images Techniques
Source Analysis using PPPRRR Secondary (worksheet below)
Origin, Purpose, Value, Limitation (OPVL) of Different Source Types
Source Analysis Worksheets
5Cs Source Analysis Worksheet Upper Primary: pdf and word
5Cs Source Analysis Worksheet Middle Years: pdf and word
6Cs Source Analysis Worksheet Secondary: pdf and word
Source Analysis Worksheet PPPRRR: pdf and word
Origin, Purpose, Value, Limitation (OPVL) Worksheet Secondary: pdf and word
US National Archives
Excellent worksheets for the analysis of photographs, written documents, artifacts, posters, maps, cartoons, videos, artworks and sound recordings. The worksheets have been differentiated designed for both primary and secondary students, and students from an EAL background
WW1 Teaching Resources
Causes of WW1 (AC9HH9K08)
Leading to WW1 - causes presentation
Causes of WW1 worksheet for the presentation
VWMA Video - Causes of World War One
Recruitment and Conscription Propaganda (AC9HH9K08, AC9HH9K11)
Propaganda was used to convince Australian men to enlist to fight in the war. It was also used by both sides of a bitterly divisive conscription debate in 1916 and 1917.
See PowerPoints notes for more information and reference details. The suggested assessment task is integrated with English.
Recruitment Propaganda
Student booklet WW1 Recruitment Propaganda
Propaganda Assessment Task PDF Word
To prepare for Propaganda Assessment Task Pt 2
Student booklet to prepare for Part 2 of Assessment
Conscription Propaganda
Student booklet WW1 Conscription Propaganda
WW1 Attestation (enlistment) Activity (AC9HH9K08; AC9HH9SO3)
The Attestation Paper was completed by prospective soldiers and nurses on enlistment. It is the first section of the service record held by the National Archives of Australia.
This activity will develop students’ understanding of the purpose of the Attestation Paper. They will understand that the selection criteria for acceptance changed over time due to declining enlistments. It will also give students the knowledge needed to interpret the Attestation Paper for the biography task, if you choose to complete it.
Complete the Attestation Activity near the beginning of the WW1 unit when you explore the reasons why Australians enlisted.
Outline of the activity and instructions:
Attestation Paper Activity instructions for teachers
Resources needed for the activity:
AIF WW1 Attestation Paper with explanatory notes
AIF WW1 Attestation Paper blank
Further reading:
First AIF Enlistment Patterns and Reasons for their Variation, by Colonel K.H. Jobson, AM (PDF)
WW1 Activity booklet
World War One Booklet with text and activities, shared by Warren Macaulay.
National Archives UK Letters from WW1
Includes 32 letters and 16 photographs. All letters have been transcribed, and some letters feature an audio version. The resources provides students with the opportunity to develop their evaluation and analysis skills. Teaching resources are provided - click here
World War 2 Teaching Resources
WW2 Oversimplified Video Study shared by Warren Macaulay
WW2 in Colour: Conflict in Europe video study shared by Warren Macaulay
VWMA Video - Women in War: Florence Violet Mckenzie aka 'Mrs Mac'
Podcasts
The VWMA offers podcasts focusing on Australian lesser-known stories during World War One and Two.
Teachers can these podcasts to supplement course content. Check out the provided teaching resources or use the podcasts for assignment work such as source analysis, or as exemplars for students to produce a podcast of their own.
Australian Prisoners of War, WW2
Women in War
'The Sudden Storm': The Impact of the Bangka Island Massacre
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service
'Walking in Two Worlds': Ngarrindjeri ANZACs Cyril and Rufus Rigney
Bringing His Spirit Home, Private Arthur Walker, WW1
War on South Australian Shores: a lesser-known WW2 Story
'When the War Comes Home: Beachport Mine tragedy
Personal War Diaries
The VWMA offers a collection of online, personal war diaries that are contributed by family members. Some suggestions for potential uses include:
- Inspiration for student podcasts
- Content for multi-modal presentations
- Sources for Research Project
- Emotive content for class, connecting students with real life experiences of servicepeople
To see our collection, click here.
Further Worksheets
Analysing Document Sources Worksheet
Deconstructing Images Worksheet
Worksheet for the VWMA Timeline
Write a Letter Home - Task Sheet (English)
How schools implement the School’s Program
The Teachers’ Guide to the World Wars in the classroom (YouTube): a recorded online professional learning event from 28 April 2021. See experienced teachers show how they implement the Schools Program in their classrooms.
The Schools Program offered to South Australian Schools is proudly supported by a grant provided by the Government of South Australia, Department for Education.