Goals & Objectives:
1. Students will act as soldiers on opposing sides to simulate the life and combat conditions in the trenches of World War I.
2. Students will learn basic strategy, tactics, and weapons technology used in WWI.
3. Students will recognize the horror and futility of trench warfare.
4. Students will be able to define the term “stalemate” and “war of attrition.”
2. Students will learn basic strategy, tactics, and weapons technology used in WWI.
3. Students will recognize the horror and futility of trench warfare.
4. Students will be able to define the term “stalemate” and “war of attrition.”
California State Content Standards:
10.5.2- Examine the principal theaters of battle, major turning points, and the importance of geographic factors in military decisions and outcomes (e.g., topography, waterways, distance, climate).
Driving Historical Question:
What was life like in the trenches during World War I?
Lesson Introduction:
Class will be set up at beginning of class for the activity to come. Desks will be lined up on opposite sides of the classroom forming walls or “trenches.” There will be a large empty space in the middle of the classroom “no man’s land.” I will inform the students that we will be learning about trench warfare. I will then show the students an 8 minute youtube clip that summarizes trench warfare.
Vocabulary:
Trench Warfare
Stalemate
War of attrition
Stalemate
War of attrition
Content Delivery
Set up:
Align 2 rows of desks on opposite sides of the room.
Activity: 1. Divide the class into 2 teams. 2. Explain to students that they are going to experience WWI by fighting in the trenches. 3. Choose a student from each side to be that side’s General. 4. Read the objectives and rules to the class. (The object of this lesson is to show the futility of trench warfare. It is imperative that neither army is successful in capturing the enemy’s trenches. DO NOT reveal this to the class.) 5. When an assaulting army enters “no-mans-land” it can fire and be fired upon. 6. If someone is hit with a piece of paper, they become a casualty and must lay down until the attack is over. 7. Armies will take turns attacking until everyone is “dead.” |
Student Engagement:
Students will observe the video clip then be involved in the activity for 25 minutes. They will then respond to answer questions provided on a handout that sums up the lesson.
Lesson Closure:
- Explain that the goal of this activity was to show the futility of trench warfare.
- “Were you able to capture the enemy’s trench? Why or why not?”
- “How many on your side died when you were the assaulting army?”
- Read the following statistics on war losses:
- “Approximately 8.5 million men were killed; and twice as many wounded.”
- “Many were handicapped for life.”
- “Sometimes entire battles were fought for only a few hundred yards of territory
3. Define “stalemate:” as a situation in which neither side can win. Ask students: ”why would you consider trench warfare a stalemate?” “How is it an example of a war of attrition?”
4. Have students complete the Trench Warfare Worksheet.
Assessments:
Formative- Progress monitoring- I will circulate through the class during the activity. I will guide the activity and reinforce key ideas about trench warfare while students act it out.
Summative- Trench Warfare Worksheet- I will collect and grade handouts to check for comprehension of key terms and ideas.
Summative- Trench Warfare Worksheet- I will collect and grade handouts to check for comprehension of key terms and ideas.
Accommodations:
The teacher will provide the EL and striving reader students with a short handout that includes terminology included in the lesson with definitions of each word to provide better understanding so that they may succeed in completing the handout.
Resources:
Youtube clip.
Trench warfare handout.
Activity rules handout.
2 baskets.
Many paper balls (ammunition).
Trench warfare handout.
Activity rules handout.
2 baskets.
Many paper balls (ammunition).