Western Front Trenches L.O: identify key features of a typical trench, identify some of the conditions in the trenches AND explain what daily life in the trenches was like Starter: Yes/No Who am I Can pupils guess what we are going to learn about today, before introducing the learning objectives?

What is trench warfare? Trench warfare is a type of fighting during World War I in which both sides dug trenches protected by mines and barbed wire. Q&A with pupils; What is a trench? What do they think trench warfare is? Can they describe what they think a trench might be like?

An overview of the trench system – identify features of the trench system, esp. No Man’s Land

Label the Diagram Parapet Dug Out Barbed Wire Duckboards Ammunition Ledge Fire Step Dug Out Duckboards Sandbags Pupils use words to label their diagram of a trench.

What was life in the trenches like? Logo-Visual Learning: Each piece of the jigsaw fits together to give us the “big picture”/overview of what life was like in the trenches.

Jigsaw Poster In groups you will be given one information sheet that is about one piece of the jigsaw. In your group design a poster containing all the information on the sheet using as many pictures, numbers and symbols as you want BUT only 5 written words! Your information sheet will be taken off you after 10 minutes, so you need to be quick and get as much information onto your poster as possible. Pupils will need an example – e.g. if the information sheet says that soldiers ate a breakfast of porridge and coffee at 8am, pupils will translate this into the numbers 0800 and a small picture of a bowl of porridge and a cup of coffee – pictures do not have to be beautiful – just good enough to remind themselves of what they mean so they can talk about their poster – the time limit will need to be stressed to pupils.

Market Stall You are now going to use your poster to set up a ‘market stall’. One of you will be the talker and will stay at your ‘market stall’ to explain your poster to other pupils. The rest of you will be the walkers and will walk around the class, going to the other ‘market stalls’ and looking at others posters and completing notes on the other 5 subjects. You have 15 minutes and 5 ‘market stalls’ to visit – so spend no more than 3 minutes at each market stall.

Peer Teaching Now that you have gathered all your information about life in the trenches, you need to teach the ‘talker’ in your pair about what you have learned from each of the ‘market stalls’. Make sure that you use the notes you have made, and help them to fill in their worksheet. DON’T just copy – you need to explain!

What was it like to fight in the trenches? Think about what you have already learnt about what life was like in the trenches. Close your eyes and listen to the sound track. What can you hear? How would this make you feel? Play the soundtrack to an attack in the trenches; what would they see, hear, and feel? (Audio clip will start automatically on next slide).

Sound will start automatically on this slide.

What was trench life like? No Man’s Land, Barbed wire, Mud, Machine Gun, Lice, Rats, Smell, Gas, Rifle, Rations, Bombing, Trench foot You are a British soldier fighting in the trenches. Write a letter home telling your family or friends all about what life is like for you. How are you feeling? What do you miss about home? What might you ask them to send you? Pupils to write a trench letter incorporating the new information from the market stall activity. Pupils should include each of the 6 things they have looked at in the lesson, and try to include all of the 12 key words they should now be familiar with. This can be set as a reflective homework, if there is no time within the lesson.