WWI Station Activities
Complete each section as you visit the corresponding station. Make sure you
completely fill out this worksheet at each station and attach any work as necessary; it
will be turned in after you have visited all stations.
Station One: Zimmerman Telegram
Arthur Zimmerman, the German foreign minister, sent a telegram directing the
German ambassador in Mexico to ask Mexico to declare war on the United
States.
Imagine that you are a presidential advisor. After reading the telegram, you are
to write a letter to the President persuading him to go to war.
Station Two: Propaganda Poster
Using the textbook or using the examples of WWI propaganda posters on your
table, create a propaganda poster urging Americans to support the war.
Station Three: Diary
You will watch a short video clip about trench warfare. You are to write a diary
entry as if you were a soldier fighting in the trenches of WWI. Remember to use
your 6-traits of writing, including complete sentences. Please use a separate
sheet of paper and title it ‘Station 3 – Diary Entry’.
Station Four: Graphing
Using the table on the next page, please answer the following questions.
1. Fill in the total number of casualties for the missing countries.
2. Which two Allied countries added together had close to the same number of
killed/died as Austria-Hungary?
3. The Allied powers had approximately what percent (round to the nearest
million) more mobilized troops than the Central powers?
4. Which countries (Allied Powers & Central Powers) had more wounded soldiers
than those killed/died?
5. Which countries (Allied Powers & Central Powers) had more prisoners and
missing soldiers than those killed/died?
On a separate sheet of paper, create a bar graph showing the total mobilized for each
country. Please create two graphs, one for Allied Powers and one for Central Powers.
Remember to label each axis on your graphs. Label the x-axis with the country.
Casualties: First World War
Countries
Total
Mobilized
Killed
& Died
Prisoners
Total
Wounded
& Missing Casualties
Casualties
%
of
Mobilized
Allied
Powers
Russia
12,000,000 1,700,000 4,950,000 2,500,000 9,150,000
76.3
France
8,410,000 1,357,800 4,266,000
537,000
76.3
British
Empire
8,904,467
908,371 2,090,212
191,652
35.8
Italy
5,615,000
650,000
947,000
600,000
39.1
United
States
4,355,000
126,000
234,300
4,500
364,800
8.2
Japan
800,000
300
907
3
1,210
0.2
Romania
750,000
335,706
120,000
80,000
71.4
Serbia
707,343
45,000
133,148
152,958
46.8
Belgium
267,000
13,716
44,686
34,659
34.9
Greece
230,000
5,000
21,000
1,000
Portugal
100,000
7,222
13,751
12,318
50,000
3,000
10,000
7,000
Montenegro
Total
17,000
11.7
33.3
20,000
40.0
42,188,810 5,152,115 12,831,004 4,121,090 22,104,209
52.3
11,000,000 1,773,700 4,216,058 1,152,800 7,142,558
64.9
Central
Powers
Germany
AustriaHungary
7,800,000 1,200,000 3,620,000 2,200,000
Turkey
2,850,000
325,000
400,000
250,000
Bulgaria
1,200,000
87,500
152,390
27,029
90.0
975,000
34.2
22.2
Total
22,850,000 3,386,200 8,388,448 3,629,829 15,404,477
67.4
Grand
Total
65,038,810 8,538,315 21,219,452 7,750,919 37,508,686
57.6
Station Five: Reading
Read the excerpt on the following page titled ‘An Appeal for Support for the
League of Nations’ and answer the questions that follow.
Station Six: Trench Warfare diagram station
Look at Trench Diagram A. Examine it and answer the following questions.
a. What links the front line and support trenches?
b. Why are blocks placed in trenches?
c. Why are machine-guns placed just behind the front line? Why are they so
close to the bunkers?
d. Why is there wire between the front trench and the machine-guns?
e. Look at the barbed wire in No-Man's Land that is at angles to the front
trench and also look at the position of the machine-guns. Why is the wire at
such an angle?
Look at Trench Diagram B. Examine it and answer the following questions.
a. What prevents bullets striking a soldier's chest when he is on the trench
board (fire step)?
b. What is the purpose of the sump? What was normally placed over it?
c. Barbed wire entanglements were often 40 yards (36m) from the front
trench. Considering the types of weapons used on the Western Front, what
would be their main defensive function?
Using Trench Diagram A and Trench Diagram B match the words on the right to
the definitions on the left. Draw a line to connect them.
Trench Definitions
Communications Trench
A block of barbed wire and wooden
obstacles to stop any enemy soldier from
advancing through the trench system.
Sandbag
A break in the barbed wire to allow
soldiers out into no man’s land
No Man’s Land
An underground shelter. Often used for
storage
Sump
A channel at the bottom of the trench
to allow water to drain away.
Trenches between the front line trenches
and the support trenches, used by
messengers to relay messages to the
front line and back.
Trench Block
Wire Break
Bunker
Xx xxx
The area between the opposing sides’
front lines.
A bag filled with sand to protect the
trench from flooding and the men from
bullets.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
+
Key
Communication
Trench
Machine Gun Nest
Underground Bunker
Traverse
Wire Break
Listening Post
Trench Block
 2002 www.historyonthenet.co.uk
 2002 www.historyonthenet.co.uk