Purpose and preparation
Zeppelin raids brought aerial attack to civilians in Britain during the First World War. The National Archives lesson focuses on responses in Hull, allowing a specific local enquiry instead of claims about a single national mood.
Enquiry question: How did people in Hull respond to the raids, and what evidence supports that account?
This is an adaptable 60-minute teaching suggestion, not a tested classroom case study or an exam-board endorsement. Check the current specification for your course and pupils. The external sources below are the materials for this activity; no separate Nexus Historia download pack is promised.
A 60-minute lesson
Establish context — 10 minutes
Locate Hull and establish the First World War setting. Preview distressing material and select appropriate extracts.
Examine the evidence — 15 minutes
Choose two sources from the archive lesson. Record date, creator and purpose before interpreting them.
Compare interpretations — 15 minutes
Compare evidence about damage with evidence about reactions. One does not automatically prove the other.
Write an answer — 15 minutes
Write a paragraph supported by both sources, explaining why Hull’s evidence cannot represent every British civilian.
Exit check — 5 minutes
Identify a statement that is an inference rather than a direct observation.
Support and extension
Provide a short glossary, readable extracts and a table headed “claim / evidence / limitation”. Allow spoken or written responses. Check image and document permissions before reproducing material; linking to an archive is not a licence to republish every item.
Extension: compare another locality using a dated archive source. Keep First World War airships distinct from later aircraft and avoid using Second World War photographs as illustrations of these raids.
Assess the accuracy of the answer, its use of evidence and its recognition of uncertainty, rather than confidence or performance alone. Optional homework is additional to the 60-minute lesson.
Sources
Editorial review
Reviewed on 26 September 2026. Corrected inconsistent lesson timing and removed invented diary/classroom evidence, missing downloads and blanket exam alignment.