CHC 2D – Canadian History
Letters of the Great War
During the Great War, millions of letters passed back and forth from the people at
home to the men and women who were actively serving overseas. Soldiers and nurses longed
to hear from their loved ones at home – mail call could bring news from spouses, children,
parents, or siblings which were a welcome break from the war, often to be read again and
again until they were tattered shreds. In turn, the Canadians overseas were encouraged to
write to their families – the Army and organizations such as the YMCA provided writing
materials to allow the servicemen and women to send letters home. They provided tangible
proof that the author was still alive, and hope for their eventual return. In some cases, they
were the last treasured link to a life cut short by the machinery of war.
Many of these letters were carefully preserved by the correspondents. To historians,
they are a valuable resource because they offer a glimpse at the lives of ordinary people living
through extraordinary times.
In this assignment, you will have to write three letters: This gives you the opportunity to
demonstrate that you understand the factual information about the events that we have discussed. It
also gives you the chance to demonstrate “historical empathy” – to immerse yourself in the era and
write from the perspective of the people who lived through these momentous events. Use historical
facts and your imagination to write “authentic” letters.
1. A letter describing trench warfare:
– Write a letter home to your spouse, parents, or your friends, describing trench warfare.
Describe the conditions soldiers live in. You want to tell them about a soldier’s daily
routine (stand-to’s, stand-downs, sentry duty, fatigues, etc.), the type of food soldiers eat
(bully beef, hard tack, hayboxes and dixies, rum rations, and tea), where soldiers sleep
(describe their dugout), sanitation (personal hygiene, or lack thereof), the environment and
conditions they live in (the challenges of rats, lice, and other vermin, No-Man’s-Land, the
noise, smell), etc.
– What are you hoping will happen in the war?
– Use the information you have learned by answering the questions on Trench Warfare, along
with your imagination and additional research to help you with your letter.
– You can write this from the perspective of a soldier, or from the perspective of a
nurse who has seen and heard about trench warfare from the soldiers in her care.
2. A letter describing a major Canadian battle (your choice of which one):
- Which battle was it?
- Who was involved?
- What happened? What did we learn?
- What was notable about this battle from a Canadian perspective?
- Use the information you have learned from the presentation on the major battles of
World War One along with your imagination and additional research to help you with
your letter.
- You can write this from the perspective of a soldier, or from the perspective of a nurse
who has seen and heard about trench warfare from the soldiers in her care. (Note: the
survivors of major battles often wrote to the families of their fallen comrades to
describe the circumstances of their death.)
3. A letter from home addressed to a Canadian serving overseas
- What is happening with your family? (How is your family coping/adjusting to the
absence of the person serving overseas?)
- What was happening in terms of food? (Rationing? Types of food available?)
Farming (SOS, farmerettes)
- What was happening in terms of employment? (Are you working? What type of
work? Pay?)
- What was happening politically? (Conscription, Votes for Women, Victory Bonds,
Income tax, etc.)
- What was happening socially? (Casualty lists, morale, social changes, etc.)
- Use the information you have learned from our work on the War on the Home Front
along with your imagination and additional research to help with your letter.
- You can write you letter from a spouse, parent, sibling or friend in which you
describe the situation at home in terms of major issues and concerns from the
home front.
Checklist:
G
Please do a good job on this. The more detail you can fit into the letters, the more
realistic they will seem. Each letter should be a minimum of one page - maximum
of 1.5 pages
G
Think about the people you are writing to/for. You may find it useful to think about
real people you know and imagine what they would probably do under these
circumstances.
G
Your letters should be written in proper English, following an accepted letter format.
G
Think about the questions you are being asked – make sure you answer them!
G
Write your answers out in rough in your notebook first, then check them over. You
want to make sure they sound authentic and realistic.
G
The most common writing implement in the trenches was the pencil or fountain pen,
so handwritten versions of your letters are most definitely acceptable (just be sure I
can read them!).
DUE: ___________Monday March 28th_________________________________________
CHC 2D – Canadian History
Letters of the Great War
Letter Rubric
Criteria
Level 4
K/U – Understanding
of historical context
- roles consistently
viewed as part of a
specific time and
place, using rich detail
to describe historical
context
Level 2
Level 1
- roles clearly viewed
as part of a specific
time and place, with
considerable detail to
describe historical
context
- some evidence that
the roles are in a
historical context with
limited detail
- references and details
are contemporary;
roles not clearly set in
the past
- consistently
combines much
historical details with
much
“personal”information
and considerable
analysis to clearly
explain cause and
effect relationships
- clearly combines
some historical details
with some personal”
information and
analysis to clearly
explain cause and
effect relationships
- combines some
historical details with
some “personal”
information and
limited analysis to
explain cause and
effect relationships
- contains limited
historical details
and/or “personal”
information, with little
evidence of analysis to
explain cause and
effect relationships
C – Communication Makes proper use of
language conventions
(spelling, grammar,
and punctuation)
- always uses proper
language conventions
- consistently uses
proper language
conventions
- sometimes uses
proper language
conventions
- seldom uses proper
language conventions
A – Assumption of
Role - takes on role in
a believable manner
supported by language
and details
- clearly and
consistently takes on
roles in a very
believable manner
supported by language
and details
- uses language and
tone with a high
degree of effectiveness
- clearly takes on roles
in a believable manner
supported by language
and details
- attempt to be in role
clearly seen, but may
not be consistent
- limited attempt to be
in the role
- uses language and
tone with considerable
effectiveness
- uses language and
tone with some
effectiveness
- uses language and
tone with limited
effectiveness
“Who, What, When”
T – Evidence of
historical argument
“Why”
Persuasiveness - writes
letter effectively for
the purpose, using
clear and persuasive
language and tone that
elicits positive
response
Level 3
Comments: _________________________________________________________________
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