IGCSE History
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
Term 5
Forum
Coursework
Exams and Revision
Parents
Results
Shop

What was it like to fight in the First World War?
Activities Resources
Watch the video, BBC Peoples' Century episode 2, 'The Killing Fields'. Consider the following questions about the battles of Verdun and the Somme.  In addition to the video, further information can be found in your textbook, The Great War Chapters 16 and 17.
world war one See the BBC World War I site for schools
Activities and Resources
Write a one page summary empathetically describing the experience of fighting on the Western Front in WWI. The best examples will be awarded merits and linked to this page.

Textbook and in particular Chapters 6-9. You may also wish to refer back to the video and any other sources you may find (see below).

You will also be given an extract from Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, as an example of how the experience of war has been described. Silmilar texts worth reading in the Media Centre include Sebastian Faulkes' Birdsong and  Robert Graves Goodbye to All That.

Detail from map of the Somme

 Take a tour of the Somme

WWI soldiers in a trench

 Flash Movies of the experiences of the war.

Soundfiles which include descriptions of going 'over the top' and life in the trenches.

 New recruits trying on their uniforms

Explore a virtual 3D Trench. You will need to download a virtual reality plug-in to try this.

 3-d model of a WWI trench
Excellent Flash animation on the BBC site illustrates how the was developed geographically. Private 'Bomb-proof' Andy, photographed on leave Discover the effects of war on the people who fought, and on those who were left behind.

See the Learning Curve exhibition on the Great War

Over the Top Home

Have a look at this fantastic resource produced by Russel Tarr about trenches on the Western Front