We Need You
As the world commemorates the centenary
of the outbreak of the First World War,
Liverpool John Moores University has
launched a website to honour the part
played by the people of Merseyside who
lived, worked or fought during the period.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0151 231 3355
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
Key Stage 1
Session
1
2-3
Merseyside at War
Learning Objectives
WALT: Context – an introduction to the First
World War. (Specifically looking at the question
of when did it happen? – in relation to their
own lives.)
Teaching and Activities
In this first session, talk to children about the War and
the significance of the centenary commemorations. (A
long time ago, in a galaxy not too far away…)
Encourage children to discuss and share ‘What I want to
find out’ about WW1, group into categories on the IWB.
To analyse what I know and what I want to find
 The first activity could be for the children to
out about the First World War? Use PowerPoint
create a ‘World War One Memorial Book.’ They
to aid in discussions.
can use colours, draw pictures on the front
cover, even tea staining and rip pages slightly to
age their books. This book will contain all their
work (colouring pages etc.) and a little bit of
information about the war. In time, this could
become a little memento of their part in
remembering the First World War. Have books
collected at the end of each session.
Once they have had time to create their books, using
the timeline cards suggested, place on the walls of the
classroom and get the pupils to walk around the
classroom copying the timeline into their newly created
books. This will help the children with their reading and
writing skills but also understanding the war with
specific relation to their own lives. They may even wish
to draw a picture at each stage.
WALT: Why and where did it happen?
Start with a little quiz to see if the children remember
These sessions will look at understanding the
the dates of the War. The first of these sessions will be
war in a deeper context. For instance, the first
devoted at the causes of the War.
session will look to why the war started. A
Class 2) Why?
game might come in handy here.
This is where it may get confusing for you and the
children but hang in there. Hand out the information
sheet mentioned in the resources to everyone.
Class 3 will look at the geographical reach of the The activity of today is to understand why it happened.
Term Lesson Planning
Resources
 PowerPoint
http://learn.christianaid.org.u
k/TeachersResources/primary
/assembly-july-2014-100years-is-a-very-long-time.aspx
 Timeline Cards
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/Timeline-1801-to2012-6337516/
(You might need to alter this
timeline as some parts are
irrelevant and some are just
wrong.)


‘The Steps to War’
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/World-War-1How-did-it-Start-6325886/
2x flags printed off for the
activity.
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
war. After all, it is not called a World War for
nothing.
4-6
Merseyside at War
WALT: A Soldier’s Experience
To learn about the life of a World War One
soldier. It wasn’t nice at all. They had to deal
with some awful living conditions in the
trenches as well as fighting the enemy.
(Tables might need to be moved to allow for the space
needed and teacher might need an assistant for the
other group) This is not a race, and will take time.
 Split the class in 2, 15 on each side and divide
up the flags between the children. (Flags found
in resources on the website) Using the flags and
the sheet, the children will learn about the war
and why it started. This may take the majority
of lesson time so allow time for breaks and
breathers.
Once the activity is completed, have the children cut
the sheet into a nice shape to stick in the books
(preferable landscape so the information is not lost in a
crease.)
Class 3) Where?
This was a war that affected the whole world.
Therefore, in this session, talk to children about the
reach of the war. To help them understand this activity,
use the map (resources) and get children to colour in
the map. After this exercise, children should see how
much of the globe was affected by the War.
These classes will show the children what the soldiers
did in the war. For class 4, have someone come in to
class wearing a first world war uniform and helmet to
discuss life in the trenches. After listening to the
soldier, he will hand out colouring pages of soldiers and
medals.
The second and third sessions will be busy, fun days.
Class 5) Battlefield
The room should be converted into a make shift
battlefield with children crawling under desks
(simulating tunnels.) At the beginning of the class,
Term Lesson Planning
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PowerPoint
Colour in Map of the World –
http://www.sheknows.com/ki
ds-activity-center/print/mapof-the-world-coloring-page-1
Colouring pages
http://www.coloring.ws/reme
mbrance1.htm
Logitech UE – Power to the
Music (YouTube) 0.00 – 0.34
Sound bite 1
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
7
Merseyside at War
WALT: Case Study - Christmas Truce 1914
The objective for this session is to understand
the significance of similarities through
differences.
room should be dark and children sat on the floor as
Video 1 (resources) is played at quite a loud volume.
 Once the video is finished, the class will split
into 6 teams, crawling in and out of tables with
the sound of the video behind them. They must
not try to cross to the other ‘trenches’ until a
whistle is blown. This will simulate ‘going over
the top.’
After the game, sit them back on the floor and talk
about what the activity represented.
Class 6) Life in the Trenches
Soldiers on all sides had a horrible time in the trenches.
This session will use a game and Horrible Histories
videos to help children understand it wasn’t a nice time
and not the adventure many had signed up to have.
 Next, children will get changed into PE clothes
and play ‘Splat the Rat.’ Rats infested the
trenches of France and Belgium. A similar idea
to Tag Rugby, the rats will have tags, and the
soldiers will run around trying to grab the tag to
‘splat the rat.’ If raining or school hall is busy,
children can play an online version at
http://www.agame.com/game/pest-attack
Explain to the children what the Christmas Truce was
with the use of videos and pictures from 1914.
 To emphasise the point of understanding songs
no matter the language, play the video
(mentioned in resources) to show that no
matter where you are from in the world, people
will always have something in common whether
it is football (as was played in no man’s land) or
something as small as a song.
For the activity, children are to think about what
soldiers would have said to each other at Christmas in
the war with your help. Have them cut out and stick
Term Lesson Planning
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Frightful First World War
Horrible Histories Videos
(YouTube)
Tag Rugby equipment or
http://www.agame.com/gam
e/pest-attack
PowerPoint
Disney’s Frozen - “Let It Go”
Multi-Language Full Sequence
(YouTube)
Worksheet
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/World-War-OneChristmas-truce-Worksheet6394192/
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
8
9-10
Merseyside at War
WALT: War Poetry and Merseyside
“Today, I will learn about Poetry from the First
World War and the famous war poet from
Birkenhead.” In accordance with Merseyside at
War, this session will look at the local area’s
contribution to the War.
WALT: Drawings and Paintings of World War
One
the soldiers into their memorial books.
 Today is the poetry session. Start the session
off easily by using some poems they might
know or find funny (Spike Milligan etc.)
Soldiers often wrote poems home to loved ones about
their experiences. One of the most famous is Wilfred
Owen and he was from Birkenhead. Use his story and
experience in the trenches to show the link to
Merseyside.
To continue with the Merseyside at War theme, show a
PowerPoint of specific areas across Merseyside now,
and then merge with how they looked then. Try and
focus on areas that they know (L1, Birkenhead,
Wallasey, Bootle etc.)
 Then, on a computer, children are paired up to
do a little research about the area they live in.
Did anything happen here during the war? This
may tick off a category from the class 1
discussion.
These sessions will focus on First World War sketches
and artwork. Much like keeping a diary, drawing
sketches was not allowed but still soldiers drew pictures
of their life in the war. To bring in the Merseyside
connection, have the children looking specifically at the
work of Liverpool artist Gilbert Rogers.
Explain how servicemen recorded the war using
sketchbooks. Use a picture slideshow, while you talk so
children can see the artwork you mention.
 After looking at the artwork of other people
and looking back over the other session,
children will create their own First World War
sketches and art pieces to be displayed around
the school as part of the First World War
commemorations. A copy/photo of the
sketches will be added to their books. (This task
Term Lesson Planning
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PowerPoint (Pictures of
Merseyside then and now
perhaps)
Copies of Famous Poems for
their books – McCrae, Owen,
Sassoon etc.
Hand-outs of pictures to stick
in their books
Poster Paint, Charcoal, HB
pencils, paper etc.
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
11
12-13
WALT: Women at War
After learning a lot about the contributions of
men in the War, today the objective is to
understand the role that women played in the
war.
WALT: Significance of the Poppy
Over these few sessions, children will learn
about the importance of Remembrance. They
will learn about some of the ways that people
remember things and learn about what it is they
remember when they wear the poppy.
It is important to remember certain events and
we will help keep a memory and message alive
through stories based from generation to
generation.
Merseyside at War
can go over both classes) as they will only have
a small time to discuss and think about ideas
after the talk.
 Watch the video suggested in resources.
Did anyone notice that women were working? Before
the war, women weren’t allowed to vote or work. But
with the men away who was going to make sure that
Britain was maintained? The women took the jobs of
men as well as maintaining the home for when her man
returned home. Women’s lives would be changed
forever from this moment.
Others actually went with the men to war as nurses in
the field hospitals. A famous nurse in the War was
Edith Cavell. She was later executed for helping
prisoners escape captivity.
So what did people’s mummies do in the war? They
worked on the land farming, in factories making shells
and as nurses.
 (Optional) Although the second song is about
World War Two, this song could easily fit to
World War One as women did the same work
as portrayed in this video.
The next few weeks will be devoted to understanding
why we wear poppies in November.
Class 12)
Firstly, ask children if they recognise a poppy? Talk to
them about the meaning of the poppy and the date of
the Armistice.
 A simple worksheet can be created to stick in
the books as well as the colouring activity of
colouring in poppies.
As homework - Get children to ask grandparents or
other family members about relatives in the war.
Record what they find out and be prepared for the next
week to share stories.
Term Lesson Planning
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Horrible Histories – Fabulous
Fat King’s Factory (YouTube)
PowerPoint
Horrible Histories – WW2 Girls
Song Lyrics
(YouTube(Optional))
Women at War Word search

PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/Resourc
eDetail.aspx?storyCode=3009
149 (You may need to alter
the information on these)

Colouring Pages
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/Poppy-flowercontour-colouring-sheet6195610/
http://www.coloring.ws/reme

Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
14
Merseyside at War
WALT: The Last Post
This is the finally session. The learning
objectives for this class will to see how much
has been learned over the last 13 classes.
Class 13)
Start this session and see if children have spoken to
family about World War One. (Sort of ‘Show and Tell’)
After the ‘Show and Tell,’ talk to children about the 11th
November and its significance. Have a mini quiz to use
and see if they have learned anything from your talk.
 Little idea - At the end of the lesson, maybe
even have a 2 minute silence to reflect on all
those who have suffered in wars. Also maybe
get in touch with www.poppy.org.uk and order
some wristbands and get parents to pay for a
wristband for children. (£1.99)
For this session, firstly have a discussion and see if they
have enjoyed learning about the ‘Frightful First World
War.’ What have they enjoyed? Create a quiz to see
what they have learned? While marking, allow the
children to watch Horrible Histories Videos or play Splat
the Rat online. It’s medal ceremony time. (Star of the
week kind of thing.)
1. Everyone gets a medal for participating, just like
the soldiers did during the war.
2. For the pupil who has done the most work –
including outside of school
3. The Little Artist – most creative piece
4. The Little Soldier – During ‘Splat the Rat’
5. The Little Diplomat – understanding how the
war started
Term Lesson Planning
mbrance1.htm

Play a video of the last
Remembrance Day (YouTube)

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WW1 Quiz
Ribbons for Medals (5
different colours)
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
Key Stage 2
Session
1
Learning Objectives
WALT: Investigate (context –
World War One introduction)
To sequence events in World War One
2-4
WALT: Identify structure of texts
(context – Archduke Ferdinand
newspaper)
WALT: Write with purpose (newspaper article)
5
Merseyside at War
WALT: Who was fighting in the war and the
impact on the geography of Europe.
Teaching and Activities
Talk to children about the wars in general, e.g. WW1
called the Great War, the fact we have not ever had any
more global wars.
o Ask if children remember any key events, or
dates? Explain they will be arranging them on a
timeline today. What is a timeline?
o What does it show? (Events in chronological
order.) Show some examples to children.
Children to sort given events on a timeline in a group
and complete on wallpaper rolls to display.
Extension: to lookup using research books any events
they have found interesting to find out more about
WW1.
 To research in order to write a detailed
Newspaper report in the past tense imaging
they are reporting about the assassination of
Archduke Ferdinand.
Explain to children that they will be looking at WWI.
Explain today they are going to talk, read and gather
information to write a newspaper.
Recap key features of Newspapers. Children to read a
variety of newspaper articles as immersion into text
type. Children to read 'Assassination of Ferdinand' and
note take, using a highlighter pen. Children to have
differentiated work.
By outcome: to create a newspaper article about the
assassination of Franz Ferdinand. (Guided/shared
writing.)
Introduce the war for the class. Using maps get the
children to colour in the two sides of the conflict.
Use maps of 1914 and 1918 Europe. Label the maps and
Term Lesson Planning
Resources
 Timeline Cards
 Wallpaper
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Video of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand (Horrible Histories)
Newspaper Outline and Check
List
Information sheet on
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Maps of Europe 1914-1918
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
6-8
WALT: How people experienced the war with a
focus on Merseyside; how was Merseyside and
its population involved?
9-10
WALT: The First World War as a turning point
11-13
WALT: How the war was
expressed through sketching and
painting
14
WALT: How soldiers in the trenches
communicated
Merseyside at War
note down the differences before and after. Compare it
to the modern day.
Talk to the class about the First World War as a
national, international and local conflict.
Show them a map of Merseyside and talk about the
area in 1914. Using Merseyside at War website, get
pupils to research either the home front or the
battlefront as it was experienced by local people in the
area.
They will produce a letter home, either from the
trenches or from the home front.
Extension activity: Ask pupils to research their family's
involvement in the First World War.
Explain to the class that the First World War changed
many things for British people. Discuss these changes
and get the class to illustrate these changes for display.
Link to Merseyside where possible.
Ask the pupils to consider which of the changes were
the most significant.
Focus on art of the First World War looking specifically
at the work of Liverpool artist Gilbert Rogers and in
particular, his 1919 painting of RAMC stretcher bearers.
Explore with the class what this painting can tell us
about the First World War.
Explain how servicemen recorded the war using
sketchbooks.
Activity: Children will create their own First World War
sketch book. Use ageing techniques to make it look
authentic.
Explain the different means of communication that men
in the trenches used to communicate with one another.
Pupils make a simple telegraph system: a battery-
Term Lesson Planning
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A map of Merseyside c.1914
http://www.alangodfreymaps.
co.uk/lancashire.htm
Access to PCs
Letter template for display
Rolled paper and resources for
illustrating the changes.

Painting of stretcher bearers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yo
urpaintings/paintings/firstworld-warstretcher-bearersof-the-royalarmymedic126200 and a selection
of other images.
 Pupils might also explore
different genres; Bruce
Bairnsfather (1887-1959) for
example.
 Resources to make sketch
books
Resources for the circuits
http://www.w1tp.com/perbuild.htm
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
powered electric circuit with a bulb or buzzer and a gap
in the wires which can be bridged by tapping on a
paperclip.
Merseyside at War
Term Lesson Planning
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
Key Stage 3
Session
1
Learning Objectives
WALT: The Causes of the First World War
Objective: To understand what caused the First
World War via a basic contextual lesson with
reference to the centenary commemorations
over the next 4 years.
2-3
WALT: The Events of the War
Objective: To gain a basic understanding of the
timeline of the War.
Questions: Where did the War take place and
when did specific battles occur?
Merseyside at War
Teaching and Activities
As a starter, ask children to write in their notebooks
everything they already know about World War One
and why we are now remembering the War.
Using PowerPoint, talk to children about the sequence
of events and the various causes that resulted in the
First World War beginning in 1914. (Beyond the point
of no return) Answer the question: why was it called
‘the war to end all wars’?
Worksheet Activity/Differentiated Homework: Have
students link the events that led to the outbreak of war
with arrows, writing appropriate connectives on the
arrows to explain the relationship.
 In the first version, the story is broken
down into two halves to make it more
accessible. Students should link the white
boxes first and then try and link the dark
boxes and join the two halves of the story
together.
 The next version is more complex as there
is no indication of chronology provided.
 The third version is more complex still as
vital parts of the story have been removed
– students will have to add in the vital parts
that have gone AWOL.
Lesson 2) It’s Timeline Time
Starter: a little worksheet to see how much information
children remembered from the previous lesson.
Using the Animated Map from the BBC, introduced
children to the full 4 years of the Great War on the
Western Front (European Theatre of War).
Yet the War did not just take place in Europe. Using
Term Lesson Planning
Resources
 PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/tea
ching-resource/-6127959
 Worksheet – Connections
of Causes
http://www.tes.co.uk/tea
ching-resource/ShortTerm-Causes-of-WW13004847/
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Starter Worksheet (found
in the KS3 resources pack
on the Merseyside at War
website)
1914-1918 Animated Map
of the Western Front
(BBC)
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
timeline cards and a colour in World Map, have children
colour in all the areas on the map that the War
touched.
Finish the lesson with Horrible Histories: British Empire
Report
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3Q9Mty_Ghw)
Only up to 2:58
Objective: Be able to describe examples of how
the Somme can be seen as a tragedy.
Be able to explain why the Battle of the Somme
is considered to be a military tragedy using a
range of evidence.
4-6
Merseyside at War
WALT: Life in the Trenches
Objective 1: Understand the meaning of trench
Lesson 3) Battle Case Study – The Bloodiest Day in
History: Somme
The previous class will have briefly looked at the Battle
of the Somme but this session will look in depth at this
battle specifically. You will show pupils statistics from
the Battle of the Somme (Maybe even link to family
example.) After going through the PowerPoint with
children, ask how now perceive the battle.
Before, the activity, watch Horrible Histories: The
Somme Campaign
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRudaxZUJhM) and
make sure children listen to everything the soldier says
about the General. Only up to 1:34
 For an activity: Haig on Trial: Haig at The
Hague. Have children portray this play that
investigates the evidence in the debate over
whether Haig was the 'Butcher of the Somme'.
There is an assessment activity/debate after the
play is read out /performed in class. (The
witness statements in the play are quotes from
primary and secondary sources and are not
poetic inventions.)
Lesson 4) Trench Warfare
Today, children will be given a general introduction to
Term Lesson Planning
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/his
tory/interactive/animatio
ns/western_front/index_e
mbed.shtml
Timeline Sheet
World Map
http://www.sheknows.co
m/kids-activitycenter/print/map-of-theworld-coloring-page-1
PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/tea
ching-resource/TheBattle-of-the-Somme6434876/
Students Play and Activity
http://www.tes.co.uk/tea
ching-resource/Haig-onTrial-Haig-at-the-Hague6298064/
Within the play you could
even substitute one
account for a story
relating to Merseyside
from the Merseyside at
War website.
http://merseyside-atwar.org/?s=Battle+of+the
+Somme&type=story
PowerPoint, Worksheet
and Information sheets
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
warfare and the makeup of a trench.
Objective 2: To work in groups and explore the
horrible conditions that soldiers had to endure
in the trenches.
Objective 3: To take a closer look at the
conditions of the injured soldiers on the Front
Line.
Merseyside at War
the aspects of Trench Warfare.
Activity: Children will be asked to label on a small
diagram the key parts of the trenches.
This session will also give a small introduction to life and
conditions in the trenches. The gory stuff happens next
session.
Final Activity or Homework: Children must pretend to
be a British soldier fighting in the trenches between
1914 and 1918. They must write a letter home telling
their family/friends all about what life was like for
them.
 How are they feeling?
 What do they miss about home?
 What might they ask loved ones to send to
them?
Lesson 5) Trench Conditions
Start the session with a class discussion to see if
children remember some of the conditions of the
trenches briefly mentioned in the last session.
Before the PowerPoint, you may wish to let children
watch the Horrible Histories video (Resources)
You may wish to warn children that a few of the pictures
aren’t very nice to look at.
Activity: Peer Teaching Task
Put children into groups of four, where they will
number themselves 1-4. You will call a number one at a
time to look at some information and pictures. Children
will then go back to their team so they can fill in their
information sheet.
Lesson 6) War Medicine
World War One not only introduced a new kind of
warfare to the world but also bought about medical
advances. These included pioneering work on X-rays,
antibiotics and blood transfusions, which were all
widely used for the first time during the conflict.
Term Lesson Planning
http://www.tes.co.uk/tea
ching-resource/What-wastrench-warfare-6146820/
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Horrible Histories:
Frightful First World War –
Lice Wars
http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=7s2xBhOvDpA
PowerPoint (found in the
KS3 resources pack on the
Merseyside at War
website)
Worksheet (found in the
KS3 resources pack on the
Merseyside at War
website)
Local Nurse’s Story
http://merseyside-atwar.org/story/dedicatednurse-maude-millicentwilson/
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
7
8
Merseyside at War
WALT: Weapons and Technology
Objective: To learn and identify the weapons
and ‘new’ technology that came into being
during the First World War.
By the end of the lesson, all students should be
able to recall at least one weapon and an
advantage associated with that weapon.
WALT: War Poetry
Objective: To understand the main features of
one of Wilfred Owen’s most famous poems
‘Anthem for Doomed Youth.’
In order to bring the war closer to home, print out the
story from the Merseyside at War website about a local
Liverpool nurse who went to France in 1915. Ask
children to read her story and then in a group
discussion think about her experiences in France. (They
could even use information about conditions from the
previous lesson.) Watch this video about another
nurse’s story. Even nurses went through hell overseas.
(Thought provoking) Only up to 5:55
Dragons’ Den: Weapons of World War One
Firstly, talk to children about the ‘stalemate of the
Western Front in 1916.’
 What was it?
 Why did it happen?
The activity for the rest of the session will be set up in a
very similar fashion to the TV show. Children will be
spilt into 4 groups where they must design a short
presentation about their specific weapon and persuade
you to invest in their product. Once all presentations
are over, ask which 2 weapons should be over in the
trenches and why.
Birkenhead’s Poetic Son – Wilfred Owen
Talk to children about Birkenhead’s link to the famous
war poet. Many of his poems are seen as the strongest
accounts of the war. You may wish to encourage
children to visit the Gallery in Birkenhead.
(http://www.visitwirral.com/attractions-andactivities/the-wilfred-owen-story-and-gallery-p285031)
Children will read the poem and think of four key words
that could be used to describe the poem in general or
the content having learned so much about the Western
Front.
Homework: Having learned how to analyse and spot
the key features in class, children must analyse another
Wilfred Owen poem (they must choose – to get some
Term Lesson Planning
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Front Lines – Nurses at the
Front (YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=mPJ4JXp5wd8
PowerPoint
PowerPoint (found in the
KS3 resources pack on the
Merseyside at War
website)
Worksheet (found in the
KS3 resources pack on the
Merseyside at War
website)
Poem – Anthem For
Doomed Youth
http://www.bbc.co.uk/po
etryseason/poems/anthe
m_for_doomed_youth.sht
ml
Wilfred Owen Case Study
http://www.bbc.co.uk/his
tory/historic_figures/owe
n_wilfred.shtml
PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/tea
ching-resource/Anthem-
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
9-10
WALT: Life on The Home Front
Objective 1: To understand the impact of the
War on the Home Front.
Objective 2: At the end of this session, children
should be able to answer the question ‘What
was the role of Women in the First World War?’
 How did life in Britain change during
and after the First World War?
Objective: To understand the impact of the War
on the Home Front.
Merseyside at War
variety.) Write 300+ words about the man from
Birkenhead and some of the features in the selected
poem. They must answer the question;
 How did it make you feel reading this piece?
Lesson 9) Women in Wartime
The changing role of women is an important part of
World War One history. Due to the shortage of ablebodied men, women were drafted into the workforce
for the first time, becoming factory workers, drivers and
police officers. Have children read and highlight the
article (Resources)
Optional: Watch Horrible Histories video “The World
War Two Girls Song.” Explain that everything the girls
are singing about also happened in the First World War.
(From 2:50)
Some women took it upon themselves to get closer to
the war. Talk to children about a few examples of
women in Wartime (e.g. Edith Cavell, Dorothy Lawrence
https://archive.org/details/sapperdorothyla00lawrgoog
and Flora Sandes http://spartacuseducational.com/Wsandes.htm
After discussing the role of women, have children work
through the worksheet with you until the end of the
lesson.
Lesson 10) Propaganda - How easily would you have
gone to War?
As a starter ask children to think about how they would
‘persuade’ their parents into buying a new
mobile/iPad/PS4 etc.
PowerPoint will feature footage of ‘your country needs
you’, images of the outbreak of war and recruitment
tactics. (Propaganda posters and persuasive techniques
used.)
 ‘Who’s for the Game?’ - In pairs, one locates an
A3 sheet on the wall & spends 1 minute
Term Lesson Planning
for-Doomed-Youth-WarPoetry-Powerpoint6005247/







Local Nurse
http://merseyside-atwar.org/story/heroicnurse/
PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/Res
ourceDetail.aspx?storyCo
de=6425287
(You may need to edit
these slides and make
more appealing to
children)
Women and WW1 article
http://www.firstworldwar
.com/features/womenww
1_four.htm
Worksheet
http://www.tes.co.uk/tea
ching-resource/Theimpact-of-WWI-onwomen-6180756/
Optional video – Horrible
Histories
http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=ShUEtI7v5Kw
PowerPoint, ‘Who’s for
the Game’ and cards.
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
11-12
WALT: World War One Fiction and Drama
Objective: To understand how to engage and
stimulate readers of a film review.
 How to explore the film and decide
what to include in the review to
stimulate the reader?
13
WALT: Peace and Treaty of Versailles
Objective 1: To understand who the “Big 3”
were and their attitudes towards Germany after
they surrendered.
Objective 2: To explain the terms of the Treaty
of Versailles.
Merseyside at War
reading. They feedback to their partner any
nouns, adjectives, verbs they remember and
their partner will draw their response. Then
swap roles. Feedback to class. Any persuasive
techniques used? Is it ‘propaganda’?
Go back to PowerPoint: Did propaganda work?
Statistics – use students to illustrate e.g. 4 out of 5
(students out at front) Show of hands.
End of Class Vote: who thinks they would have ‘joined
up’ because of the propaganda? Flash cards - yes:
rifle/no: white feather Write 1 reason why on the back
of the card.
Activity/Homework: Using the information and
techniques mentioned in class, create own World War
One Propaganda Posters. If the students wish, they
may use techniques to age their work to make it look
100 years old.
Lesson 11) Film Review Preparatory Work
As a quick starter, ask children if they are aware of any
World War One Stories before starting the lesson.
PowerPoint mentioned in resources will introduce
children to film reviews and how to create an attractive
and stimulating piece. (You may need to edit it to fill a
lesson)
Lesson 12) Watch War Horse (2011)
Children must pay attention to details as well as enjoy
the film as their homework will be to develop a film
review of War Horse based on the preparatory work
visited in the previous lesson.
With the end of the WW1 sessions fast approaching,
children will learn about how the War came to an end
via a role play task focussed specifically at the Paris
Peace Conference.
Have children fill the worksheet as the lesson
progresses.
Term Lesson Planning


http://www.tes.co.uk/tea
chingresource/Propagandaand-WWI-recruitment6130066/
Slideshow/Hand-outs of
WW1 propaganda
posters.
PowerPoint – Film Review
Prep
http://www.tes.co.uk/Resourc
eDetail.aspx?storyCode=6344
529 (possibly print out for
students to hand to students
at the end of lesson 12 – after
the film)
PowerPoint, Information Sheets (Role
Play Cards) and Worksheet
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachingresource/Treaty-of-Versailles6146812/
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations

14
Merseyside at War
Were the terms fair towards the losers?
WALT: Remembrance
Objective: To consolidate all that they know
about the First World War with time for
reflection and remembrance.
To finish the WW1 teaching sessions, it may be
appropriate to have a session dedicated to
remembrance and the 100 year anniversary of the War.
The emphasis here is on commemorations rather than
education, although some thought provoking
statements and images appear throughout the
presentation. You may wish to change a few of the
photographs to reflect your school, local area, or
country's contribution. Contains some famous and
powerful images.
Term Lesson Planning
PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachingresource/Remembrance-Day6299094/
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
Key Stage 4
Session
1
Learning Objectives
WALT: Introduction to the First World War.
Objective: What do children already know
about the First World War and what would they
like to learn more about? Basic contextual
lesson with reference to the centenary
commemorations.
2-4
WALT: Why and where did it happen?
Objective: To learn the reasons behind the
causes of the War from Archduke Franz
Ferdinand’s assassination.
Merseyside at War
Teaching and Activities
In this first session, children will demonstrate their
current knowledge about the First World War and in
group discussions will categories what they already
know. Talk with children about why there is suddenly
an interest in the First World War due to the centenary
of the events.
Have children brainstorm “What is a hero?” Then ask
to share ideas with the class.
 Who are your heroes?
 Why?
 What qualities does a hero display?
 How does someone become a hero?
 What words would you use to describe a hero?
Depending on the length of the time spent on the
discussions, brainstorming activity and PowerPoint,
children could then design a Remembrance Poster for
those who gave their lives in the First World War or
have this task as homework.
Lesson 2) Why did it happen?
(English and History) Children will learn about how the
assassination of the Heir to the Austro-Hungarian
throne created one of the biggest political situations of
the time, which ultimately led to the bloodiest conflict
in History.
The aim of this lesson is for children to create a
newspaper article from the time, for homework, telling
their readership about the situation in Eastern Europe
and how it could lead to something much worse. For
instance, they may wish to use the timeline leading up
to war as an example of what could happen. (Second
guess the War in their pieces.) Finish off the lesson
Term Lesson Planning
Resources
 PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/-6193295 (Edit and
divide slides over the first 4
lessons)
 PowerPoint (focused at
Remembrance)
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/What-is-a-heroRemembrance-Day-20106107921/
 Examples of Remembrance
Day Posters to aid in final task
of this session.




PowerPoint (mentioned in
session one resources)
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=BCTIaiiGB4o
Quiz (found in the KS4
resources pack on the
Merseyside at War website)
Activity Sheet – Help with
Homework
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/Write-your-ownWWI-newspaper-article6435718/
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
Objective: The aim of today is to show that the
War was a global conflict due to the reach of
the Empires of the World.
Practical Objective: To be able to use the oven
safely and to understand that what we eat can
be determined by historical events.
5-7
Merseyside at War
WALT: A Soldier’s Experience
Objective: These sessions will be devoted to
children understanding the experience of
Soldiers in the trenches.
with a quiz.
Lesson 3) Geographical reach of the War
(Geography)
Start the session by grouping children into fours. Ask
them to discuss and show on their map in one colour
where they know the War took place. (Record their
answers on the IWB.)
With the PowerPoint and the World Map, children will
learn about the history of Empires (using a number of
colours) with relation to the War as well as studying the
names of a few battles on the various continents.
Lesson 4) ANZAC Biscuits Practical
(Cookery)
Today, children will learn about Food History through
making ANZAC Biscuits.
Events such as the First World War have certain foods
associated with them. One such food is ANZAC biscuits.
ANZAC Biscuits are a sweet biscuit popular in Australia
and New Zealand, made using rolled oats, flour,
coconut, sugar, butter, golden syrup, bicarbonate of
soda and boiling water. The biscuits were often sent to
Loved Ones abroad because the ingredients do not spoil
easily and the biscuits kept well during naval
transportation.
Lesson 5) Conditions in the Trenches
“Now what with the different weather and one or two
more things life in the trenches is made much more
troublesome. But most it’s about as bad considering all
the dead bodies causes awful smells, flies are about in
millions and we have to cover all the food up and keep
as clean as possible everywhere. Fleas and lice are the
soldiers’ pests.” (Warn that some of the pictures are a
bit gory.)
Show the Horrible Histories Videos as a break between
the PowerPoint and the Activity.
Term Lesson Planning








World Map
http://www.sheknows.com/ki
ds-activity-center/print/mapof-the-world-coloring-page-1
PowerPoint (mentioned in
session one resources)
ANZAC Biscuit Recipe
http://www.bbcgoodfood.co
m/recipes/3803/anzacbiscuits
Another Recipe – With Food
History. (pp19-20)
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/Food-TechnologyBooklets-DT-UPDATED-20116056084/
PowerPoint, Activity and
Flashcards
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/Conditions-in-theTrenches-6116385/
Horrible Histories: Frightful
First World War – Lice Wars
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=7s2xBhOvDpA
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
Practical Objective: Introduce children to the
smells and noises experienced by soldiers in the
trenches.
Objective: This session will look closer to home
and learn that Liverpool was the first in Britain
to establish a ‘Pals’ regiment.
Lesson 6) Smells and Noises of the Trenches
(Science – Chemistry and Biology)
Tell children a little about the use of gases before
introducing them to the smells and noises of the
trenches. On 22nd April 1915, the German Army
introduced the use of poison gas in warfare. Soldiers
could hide from machine gun fire but they could not
hide from a gas attack and often resulted in death.
Those that survived were blind. (Horrible Histories
video: Horrible Histories – Ladies Tights for Men http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnHSAY9AkvU)
Move on to the practical demonstration of burning
sulphur in oxygen and then testing the pH of the gas
produced. The smell produced by sulphur is similar to
the Mustard Gas in the war.
Optional: play the sound bite provided (Resources) on a
loop throughout the practical.
Lesson 7) Liverpool Pals Regiment.
(ICT – Research Day)
The creations of the Liverpool Pals battalions
represented an important shift in the makeup of the
war. For the first time, white collar workers signed up
and signed their freedoms away for the glory of their
city and country. The first of their kind, the Pals
battalions became a huge part of the Army.
This session will allow children to learn about the Pals
regiment with a homework task of creating a week long
diary extract from the time about men joining the
Liverpool Pals.










Merseyside at War
Term Lesson Planning
Flashcards about Gas
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/Wonder-Weaponsof-WW1-6098982/
Sound bite of the Trenches
(found in the KS4 resources
pack on the Merseyside at
War website)
Experiment apparatus and
safety equipment, be in a
well-ventilated room.
http://www.merseyside-atwar.org/?s=Pals
Make use of the great stories
listed on this website.
http://www.liverpoolmuseum
s.org.uk/mol/visit/galleries/sol
diers/research/index.aspx
Go to this link for more
information on researching
the King’s Liverpool Regiment.
http://www.theliverpoolpals
memorialfund.com/history.ph
p
Website of a group dedicated
to memorialising the Liverpool
Pals
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
7
8-9
Merseyside at War
WALT: Women at War
Objective: At the end of this session, children
should be able to answer the question ‘What
was the role that Women played in the First
World War?’
WALT: Conscientious Objectors and The White
Feather
Objective: The lesson objectives for these
sessions are to describe why some people didn’t
want to fight and the different reactions this led
to. Children will also learn the different
viewpoints around conscientious objectors.
The changing role of women is an important part of
World War One history. Due to the shortage of ablebodied men, women were drafted into the workforce
for the first time, becoming factory workers, drivers and
police officers. Some women took it upon themselves
to get closer to the war. Talk to children about a few
examples of women in Wartime (e.g. Edith Cavell,
Dorothy Lawrence
( https://archive.org/details/sapperdorothyla00lawrgoo
g) and Flora Sandes (http://spartacuseducational.com/Wsandes.htm))
After discussing the role of women, have children work
through the worksheet with you until the end of the
lesson.
Lesson 8) But I Don’t Want to Fight
(History and Drama)
As a starter to the session, have group discussion
identifying any jobs in the war that were noncombatant roles (ambulance drivers, stretcher bearers,
supply movers etc.)
Using the PowerPoint, talk to class about conscription in
1916 and why this led to some men not wanting to join
the Armed Services. Have them watch the YouTube
Video to answer the following questions:
Why was conscription introduced in 1916?
Why did some people not fight?
How did the government react?
Continue with PowerPoint to talk to children about the
attitudes towards Conscientious Objectors from
government propaganda and the local people left
behind.
Homework (History): Write 300+ words to evaluate
and explore using a range of sources whether
Conscientious Objectors were brave or not.
Homework (Drama): A reflective homework. Where
Term Lesson Planning





PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/Resourc
eDetail.aspx?storyCode=6425
287
(You may need to edit these
slides and make more
appealing to children)
Worksheet
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/The-impact-ofWWI-on-women-6180756/
PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/Resourc
eDetail.aspx?storyCode=6396
554
Conscientious Objectors
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=S5BtXSeWsiY (Only up
to 1:30)
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
10
11-12
Merseyside at War
WALT: Case Study 1
Objective: Today, children will learn how
Liverpool was connected to the war by the
events that occurred in May 1915.
(The War at the Mouth of the Mersey…)
WALT: Propaganda in Wartime Britain
Objective: To describe what propaganda is how
it is used as well as well as evaluating the
impact propaganda had during the First World
War.
Specifically, look to identify the persuasive
techniques used in WW1 propaganda.
these men cowards? How would the reactions from the
public affect them? How would you portray this on
stage?
Lesson 9) The White Feather
(Drama)
To start, ask for quick hands up to whether children
thought Conchies were brave or not. Correlate their
answers on the IWB.
In this session, ask children to split into groups of 4-5 to
create a short drama showing the reaction towards
Conscientious Objectors and how this small token
affected the men they were presented to. As an aid to
their ideas, watch this scene from Downton Abbey
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOnMFO21c6Y)
Present their pieces to the rest of the class.
Lusitania and Liverpool
(English, PSHE and History)
For the first half of this session, watch the Docudrama
(mentioned in Resources) to allow for a contextual
background about why the Lusitania became a target in
1915. (Student may wish to finish the video at home to
help with homework.)
For the second part of the lesson, use the PowerPoint
to explain the Liverpool link. This session will lead to
the homework activity (Creative Writing Short Story)
that, if time needs filling, can be planned towards the
end of class.
Lesson 11) How easily would you have gone to War?
As a starter ask children to think about how they would
‘persuade’ their parents into buying a new
mobile/iPad/PS4 etc.
PowerPoint will feature footage of ‘your country needs
you’, images of the outbreak of war and recruitment
tactics. (Propaganda posters and persuasive techniques
used.)
Term Lesson Planning

“You are the Cowards here!”
Downton Abbey (Series 2,
Episode 1)
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=gOnMFO21c6Y

Docudrama – The Sinking of
the Lusitania 1915 (2007)
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=69iFyMvUDAc (Up to
29.50)
PowerPoint
Creative Writing Short Story
Task Sheet
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/English-CreativeWriting-Short-Story-Task6375058/
PowerPoint, ‘Who’s for the
Game’ and cards.
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/Propaganda-andWWI-recruitment-6130066/



Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
13
Merseyside at War
WALT: Case Study 2
Objective: To understand why the Christmas
Truce was important as it portrays the
significance of Music and Sport even though
these men were ‘enemies’.
‘Who’s for the Game?’ - In pairs, one locates an A3
sheet on the wall & spends 1 minute reading. They
feedback to their partner any nouns, adjectives, verbs
they remember and their partner will draw their
response. Then swap roles. Feedback to class. Any
persuasive techniques used? Is it ‘propaganda’?
Go back to PowerPoint: Did propaganda work?
Statistics – use students to illustrate e.g. 4 out of 5
(students out at front) Show of hands.
End of Class Vote: who thinks they would have ‘joined
up’ because of the propaganda? Flash cards - yes:
rifle/no: white feather Write 1 reason why on the back
of the card.
Lesson 12) Propaganda Posters
Using the information and techniques mentioned in the
previous session, create own World War One
Propaganda Posters. If the students wish, they may use
techniques to age their work to make it look 100 years
old. They must have finished their pieces by the end of
the class and then left to dry (if painted examples)
(Somewhere in the school, have a First World War
Memorial Wall for students work so show them and
visitors that they are actively participating in the
commemorations.)
The Christmas Truce
(Music, Languages and PE)
Music – Start the lesson with the video (Logitech)
mentioned in Resources. It will get them thinking about
lesson. PowerPoint giving the contextual details about
the Christmas Truce. In a group discussion, ask children
why the Truce in 1914 was important.
To emphasise the point of understanding songs no
matter the language, play the video (Frozen) to show
that no matter where you are from in the world, people
will always have something in common even if it
Term Lesson Planning

Slideshow/Hand-outs of WW1
propaganda posters.



Logitech UE, Power To The
Music (YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=3aRLGwsafTM (Only up
to 1:46)
Disney’s Frozen - “Let It Go”
Multi-Language Full Sequence
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=OC83NA5tAGE&feature
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
Objective: Discuss the importance of language
skills and use the context of the Christmas Truce
in 1914 for MFL conversation practice and
vocabulary development
Objective: To begin planning a football match
to commemorate the Christmas Truce and
consider the attributes of an effective football
player.
14
Merseyside at War
WALT: Peace and the Treaty of Versailles
Objective: To understand the Paris Peace
Conference in 1919 which was meant to make
sure that there was no possibility of another
World War…
something as small as a song.
Languages – Start the lesson with the video (Logitech)
mentioned in Resources. It will get them thinking about
lesson. PowerPoint giving the contextual details about
the Christmas Truce. In a group discussion, ask children
why the Truce in 1914 was important. To emphasise
the point of understanding songs no matter the
language, play the video (Frozen) to show that no
matter where you are from in the world, people will
always have something in common even if it something
as small as a song.
Divide the class into 5 groups and as an activity, using
the Truce vocabulary (Resources) have the class greet
their class mates as the soldiers did in 1914. Have their
classmates use their aids to translate.
PE – It’s time to play Football. The football that was
played at Christmas 1914 was not like a football match
children might see on a Saturday. It was played in a
rough and often bombed area of ground between the
trenches. Some of the accounts mention caps being
thrown down as goal posts, but the pitch would
certainly not be marked in any way.
As this is the final session, today students will learn
about the end of the War and what factors resulted in
Germany and her Allies losing the war.
For homework, students will look to research the
impact of the Treaty of Versailles.
Term Lesson Planning
=kp





Football Remembers-PackActivities.pdf
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/FootballRemembers-Education-Pack6427911/ (pp 12-17)
Football Remembers-PackActivities.pdf
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/FootballRemembers-Education-Pack6427911/ (pp 24-17)
PowerPoint – End of War with
Activities (Armistice GE
Higher)
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/WW1-ArmisticeLesson-6258724/ (adapt
slides for your class’ ability)
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
Key Stage 5
Session
1
Learning Objectives
WALT: Beginnings and Progression
Objective 1: To investigate and document the
main causes of the First World War.
Objective 2: Assess and reshape events and
decisions to the start and continuation of the
First World War.
2
WALT: Where did the War take place?
Objective: The aim of today is to show that the
War was a global conflict due to the reach of
the Empires of the World.
Merseyside at War
Teaching and Activities
(All Subjects)
Historically, it has been noted that WWI erupted after
the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
However, historians continue to debate other
underlying causes, including changing political and
economic situations in major European nations, the
Industrial Revolution, and social turmoil.
As a starter exercise, have students share in a class
discussion what they already know and understand
about how the First World War started. For instance,
this could be basic causes, key figures and the nations
involved etc.
Homework: Have students assume the roles of
Historians who analyse the causes to determine how
the events, if altered, might have averted war. For
example, what might have happened had the major
powers established a treaty about an equal balance of
global industrialization to benefit nations as alliances
rather than as competitors?
Write 300+ words of their analysis.
Lesson 2) Geographical reach of the War
(Geography)
 Start the session by grouping children into
fours. Ask them to discuss and show on their
map in one colour where they know the War
took place. (Record their answers on the IWB.)
With the PowerPoint and the World Map, children will
learn about the history of Empires (using a number of
colours) with relation to the War as well as studying the
names of a few battles on the various continents.
Term Lesson Planning
Resources
 PowerPoint ‘Beginnings
and Progression’ (found
in the KS5 resources pack
on the Merseyside at War
website)


World Map
http://www.sheknows.co
m/kids-activitycenter/print/map-of-theworld-coloring-page-1
PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/tea
ching-resource/-6193295
(Edit to specifically look at
the geographical reach of
the First World War
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
3-4
WALT: Symbols of the Stalemate
Objective: Identify and analyse the factors that
led to the First World War deadlock.
Objective: To examine the Schlieffen Plan and
analyse and rectify it strategic flaws.
Merseyside at War
Lesson 3) Stalemate/Deadlock
(History and Drama)
Though the Central and Allied powers vied for victory
during WWI, and undertook what was perceived to be
strategic battle plans, the involved parties made few
gains. In fact, WWI was initially intended to be a short
war, but the failure of certain military strategies and
trench warfare led to a deadlock that would only come
to an end in 1918.
As a starter, ask students what the word ‘stalemate’
means to them and how it may relate to the First World
War? Record their answers.
Team discussion: have the class divide into groups of
two and read the hand-out ‘Deadlock.’ In their teams,
discuss and take notes of the deadlock’s causes and
answer the following questions:
• How the deadlock transpired?
• What were the strategies employed?
• Who was involved and who was affected?
Group discussion: After the discussion, divide students
into groups representing WW1 the Allied and Central
power military strategists (groups of 6) who have now
recognised the war’s stalemate.
The groups must come up with a plan based on the
hand-out to consider ways to break the deadlock and
win the war. Have the groups discuss the various plans
and come to consensus on the best strategies for
ending the stalemate, which indicates that the powers
will have to make concessions.
Lesson 4) The Schlieffen Plan (Research Day)
(ICT)
As a continuation to the last session about the Western
Front deadlock, this session will specifically focus on the
German’s failed military plan. Talk to students about
the Schlieffen Plan and that it meant to conquer France
Term Lesson Planning



PowerPoint ‘Symbols of
the Stalemate’ (found in
the KS5 resources pack on
the Merseyside at War
website)
Deadlock hand out (found
in the KS5 resources pack
on the Merseyside at War
website)
What was the Schlieffen Plan?
(BBC Bitesize)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/school
s/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir
1/schlieffenplanrev3.shtml
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
5-7
Merseyside at War
WALT: The Experience of the War
Objective: Explore the impact of trench warfare
on the progression of the war.
 Were there alternative battle plans
that could have ended the war
earlier?
and territory quickly. In the head of the Kaiser this
would lead to ultimately victory. However, the plan
failed. As a class, read the hand-out and discuss the
strategy behind the plan answering the following
questions:
 How was it to be implemented?
 Why did it fail?
Have students work in groups of 6 to consider how the
plan might have worked had certain factors been taken
into consideration beforehand, such as the potential of
attack by enemies and even the physical route upon
which the plan was based.
Homework: Write a 500+ word piece from the point of
view of the British government. They have managed to
obtain the plan – how were they going to cause this
plan to fail?
Lesson 5) Trench Warfare incl. Conditions
(English, Science and History)
“Now what with the different weather and one or two
more things life in the trenches is made much more
troublesome. But most it’s about as bad considering all
the dead bodies causes awful smells, flies are about in
millions and we have to cover all the food up and keep
as clean as possible everywhere. Fleas and lice are the
soldiers’ pests.” Ask students to describe what they
believe it was like for soldiers during World War One to
fight in trenches and what they think that entailed. This
may also include the conditions faced by the soldiers in
the trenches.
Activity (English and History): Divide students into
small groups who will examine various aspects of trench
warfare to present to the class. Students can do one or
more of the following activities:
 Recreate the trench system in a visual
format, particularly noting the placement of
Term Lesson Planning






Animated Map: The Western
Front, 1914-1918 (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history
/interactive/animations/west
ern_front/index_embed.shtml
What were the aims of the
Schlieffen Plan?
http://www.markedbyteacher
s.com/as-and-alevel/history/what-were-theaims-of-the-schlieffenplan.html
PowerPoint, Activity and
Flashcards
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/Conditions-in-theTrenches-6116385/
Horrible Histories: Frightful
First World War – Lice Wars
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=7s2xBhOvDpA
Stories from Liverpool Soldiers
pertaining to the trenches
http://www.merseyside-atwar.org/?s=trenches
Article looking at World War
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
Objective: A local history study of a hero from
Merseyside. Students will learn about the local
connections to the First World War.
Merseyside at War
trenches on the western and eastern fronts
 Gather and analyse primary source
documents reflecting first hand trench
experiences, and then, in the voice of a
soldier, write several journal first person
journal entries reflecting his time spent in
the trenches. (They may wish to look at this
from the perspective of Liverpool soldiers in
the trenches)
 Assume the roles of key WWI military
leaders and write briefs that discuss how
trench warfare has impeded military
strategy and recommendations they have
for strategies that will eradicate trenches in
order to make military advances toward
victory for their respective nations.
Activity (Science): Tell students a little about the use
of gases before introducing them to the smells and
noises of the trenches. On 22nd April 1915, the German
Army introduced the use of poison gas in warfare.
Soldiers could hide from machine gun fire but they
could not hide from a gas attack and often resulted in
death. Those that survived were blind. (Horrible
Histories video: Horrible Histories – Ladies Tights for
Men http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnHSAY9AkvU)
Move on to the practical demonstration of burning
sulphur in oxygen and then testing the pH of the gas
produced. The smell produced by sulphur is similar to
the Mustard Gas in the war.
Optional: play the sound bite provided (Resources) on a
loop throughout the practical.
Lesson 6) Local History Study - Noel Chavasse
(PSHE, History, English and ICT)
Captain Noel Chavasse was the only man to be awarded
Term Lesson Planning
Two tactics
http://history.howstuffworks.
com/world-war-ii/historicalintroduction-to-world-warii5.htm



Flashcards about Gas
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/Wonder-Weaponsof-WW1-6098982/
Sound bite of the Trenches
(found in the KS4 resources
pack on the Merseyside at
War website)
Experiment apparatus and
safety equipment, be in a
well-ventilated room.

PowerPoint ‘Noel
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
Have students ask family members about any
stories from the First World War.
Objective: This session will look closer to home
and learn that Liverpool was the first in Britain
to establish a ‘Pals’ regiment.
Merseyside at War
the Victoria Cross twice during the First World War, and
is only one of three to receive that honour since. His
actions were a testament to the bravery and sacrifice
that soldiers made during that time. Chavasse presents
an opportunity for students to learn about a local hero.
Introduce students to the reason why the Victoria Cross
is awarded. Talk about what type of actions would
grant people the Victoria Cross and introduce them to
the story of Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry of the 1st
Battalion, Prince of Wales Regiment, the only living
recipient of the award who was awarded the VC in 2004
for twice saving the lives of colleagues under enemy fire
in Iran.
Activities/Homework: Students can do one or more of
the following activities:
 Compose a poem relating to the Armed
Forces (of Today and World War One)
 Write a letter to Captain Chavasse’s parents
as his Commanding Officer explaining both
his bravery even while battling his own
death and why they think he deserved his
medals. (Use plenty of primary sources to
make this a realistic letter.)
 Write an article for the Liverpool Echo for
example describing the life of Captain
Chavasse’s and also his achievements on
the frontline. They should also include an
explanation as to why every child in
Merseyside should learn/remember him.
Lesson 7) Liverpool Pals Regiment.
(Religious Education, Citizenship, English and ICT)
The creations of the Liverpool Pals battalions
represented an important shift in the makeup of the
war. For the first time, white collar workers signed up
and signed their freedoms away for the glory of their
Term Lesson Planning
Chavasse’ (found in the
KS5 resources pack on the
Merseyside at War
website)

Make use of the great stories
listed on this website
http://www.merseyside-atwar.org/?s=Pals
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
city and country. The first of their kind, the Pals
battalions became a huge part of the Army.
This session will allow students to learn about the Pals
regiment with a homework task of creating a week long
diary extract from the time about men joining the
Liverpool Pals.
 Use the information and stories from the
Merseyside at War website to help with the
homework task.



8
Merseyside at War
WALT: Women and the First World War
Objective: At the end of this session, students
should be able to answer the question ‘What
was the role that Women played in the First
World War?’
Horrible Histories - Suffragettes Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rve1j2NXeX8
The changing role of women is an important part of
World War One history. Due to the shortage of ablebodied men, women were drafted into the workforce
for the first time, becoming factory workers, drivers and
police officers. Some women took it upon themselves
to get closer to the war. Talk to students about a few
examples of women in Wartime (e.g. Edith Cavell,
Dorothy Lawrence
( https://archive.org/details/sapperdorothyla00lawrgoo
g) and Flora Sandes (http://spartacuseducational.com/Wsandes.htm))
After discussing the role of women, have children work
through the worksheet with you until the end of the
Term Lesson Planning


Go to this link for more
information on researching
the King’s Liverpool Regiment
http://www.liverpoolmuseum
s.org.uk/mol/visit/galleries/sol
diers/research/index.aspx
Website of a group dedicated
to memorialising the Liverpool
Pals
http://www.theliverpoolpals
memorialfund.com/history.ph
p
You may also wish to see a
few ideas about teaching the
story of the Liverpool Pals to
students from this Liverpool
Culture magazine
http://issuu.com/cultureliverp
ool/docs/memories_of_world
_war_one
PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/Resourc
eDetail.aspx?storyCode=6425
287
(You may need to edit these
slides and make more
appropriate to your students)
Worksheet
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/The-impact-ofWWI-on-women-6180756/
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
9-10
Merseyside at War
WALT: Propaganda in Wartime Britain
Objective: To describe what propaganda is how
it is used as well as well as evaluating the
impact propaganda had during the First World
War.
Specifically, look to identify the persuasive
techniques used in WW1 propaganda.
lesson.
Lesson 9) How easily would you have gone to War?
As a starter ask children to think about how they would
‘persuade’ their parents into buying a new
mobile/iPad/PS4 etc.
PowerPoint will feature footage of ‘your country needs
you’, images of the outbreak of war and recruitment
tactics. (Propaganda posters and persuasive techniques
used.)
 ‘Who’s for the Game?’ - In pairs, one locates an
A3 sheet on the wall & spends 1 minute
reading. They feedback to their partner any
nouns, adjectives, verbs they remember and
their partner will draw their response. Then
swap roles. Feedback to class. Any persuasive
techniques used? Is it ‘propaganda’?
Go back to PowerPoint: Did propaganda work?
Statistics – use students to illustrate e.g. 4 out of 5
(students out at front) Show of hands.
 End of Class Vote: who thinks they would have
‘joined up’ because of the propaganda? Flash
cards - yes: rifle/no: white feather Write 1
reason why on the back of the card.
Lesson 10) Propaganda Posters
(Art, ICT and Drama)
Using the information and techniques mentioned in the
previous session, create own World War One
Propaganda Posters. If the students wish, they may use
techniques to age their work to make it look 100 years
old. They must have finished their pieces by the end of
the class and then left to dry (if painted examples)
(Somewhere in the school, have a First World War
Memorial Wall for students work so show them and
visitors that they are actively participating in the
commemorations.)
Term Lesson Planning

PowerPoint, ‘Who’s for the
Game’ and cards.
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/Propaganda-andWWI-recruitment-6130066/
(You may need to alter these
to be at a more appropriate
level for your students)

Slideshow/Hand-outs of WW1
propaganda posters to assist
in design etc.
A collection of Posters can be
found here
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/n
ews/article-2569145/Whyarent-khaki-Fascinating-

Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
11
12
Merseyside at War
WALT: Technology and War
Objective 1: To understand the technology
available to the war effort on both the Allied
and Enemy lines.
Objective 2: Understand how new warfare
resulted in the loss of the ocean liner RMS
Lusitania who was particularly important to
Merseyside.
WALT: War Poetry
Objective: To understand the main features of
one of Wilfred Owen’s most famous poems
‘Anthem for Doomed Youth.’
Submarines and the Lusitania
For the first half of this session, look at the
technological advance bought about by the First World
War on both sides of the war. Do they know of any
“inventions” that became weapons during the Great
War? Using PowerPoint, introduce students to
technology and weapons of the war.
Finish the talk with submarine warfare and have the
students read the article (written in 1920) about
submarine warfare while you load the docudrama.
Have a quick discussion after they have finished reading
about what the link between Liverpool and this new
technology.
 Watch the first few minutes of the Docudrama
(mentioned in Resources) to allow for a
contextual background about why the Lusitania
became a target in 1915. (Student may wish to
finish the video at home to help with
homework.)
For the second part of the lesson, use the PowerPoint
to explain the Liverpool link. This session will lead to
the homework activity (Creative Writing Short Story)
that, if time needs filling, can be planned towards the
end of class.
Birkenhead’s Poetic Son – Wilfred Owen
(English Literature)
Talk to children about Birkenhead’s link to the famous
war poet. Many of his poems are seen as the strongest
accounts of the war. You may wish to encourage
children to visit the Gallery in Birkenhead.
(http://www.visitwirral.com/attractions-and-
Term Lesson Planning





archive-posters-urging-menenlist-WWI-encouragingwives-send-set-sell-20000.html
PowerPoint
Docudrama – The Sinking of
the Lusitania 1915 (2007)
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=69iFyMvUDAc (Up to
3:35)
Creative Writing Short Story
Task Sheet
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/English-CreativeWriting-Short-Story-Task6375058/
Poem – Anthem For Doomed
Youth
http://www.bbc.co.uk/poetry
season/poems/anthem_for_d
oomed_youth.shtml
Wilfred Owen Case Study
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
13
WALT: The Christmas Truce – Case Study
Objective: To understand why the Christmas
Truce was important as it portrays the
significance of Music and Sport even though
these men were ‘enemies’.
Objective: Discuss the importance of language
skills and use the context of the Christmas Truce
in 1914 for MFL conversation practice and
vocabulary development
Merseyside at War
activities/the-wilfred-owen-story-and-gallery-p285031)
Children will read the poem and think of four key words
that could be used to describe the poem in general or
the content having learned so much about the Western
Front.
Homework: Having learned how to analyse and spot
the key features in class, children must analyse another
Wilfred Owen poem (they must choose – to get some
variety.) Write 300+ words about the man from
Birkenhead and some of the features in the selected
poem. They must answer the question;
 How did it make you feel reading this piece?
The Christmas Truce
(Music, Languages and PE)
Music – Start the lesson with the video (Logitech)
mentioned in Resources. It will get them thinking about
lesson. PowerPoint giving the contextual details about
the Christmas Truce. In a group discussion, ask children
why the Truce in 1914 was important.
To emphasise the point of understanding songs no
matter the language, play the video (Frozen) to show
that no matter where you are from in the world, people
will always have something in common even if it
something as small as a song.
Languages – Start the lesson with the video (Logitech)
mentioned in Resources. It will get them thinking about
lesson. PowerPoint giving the contextual details about
the Christmas Truce. In a group discussion, ask children
why the Truce in 1914 was important. To emphasise
the point of understanding songs no matter the
language, play the video (Frozen) to show that no
matter where you are from in the world, people will
always have something in common even if it something
as small as a song.
 Divide the class into 5 groups and as an activity,
Term Lesson Planning




/historic_figures/owen_wilfre
d.shtml
PowerPoint
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/Anthem-forDoomed-Youth-War-PoetryPowerpoint-6005247/
Logitech UE, Power To The
Music (YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=3aRLGwsafTM (Only up
to 1:46)
Disney’s Frozen - “Let It Go”
Multi-Language Full Sequence
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=OC83NA5tAGE&feature
=kp
Football Remembers-PackActivities.pdf
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/FootballRemembers-Education-Pack6427911/ (pp 12-17)
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
Objective: To begin planning a football match
to commemorate the Christmas Truce and
consider the attributes of an effective football
player.
14
Merseyside at War
WALT: Legacy of the Great War
Objective: To understand the Legacy of the
“Great War” (e.g. the map of Europe changed as
a result of the end of the First World War and
the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.)
using the Truce vocabulary (Resources) have
the class greet their class mates as the soldiers
did in 1914. Have their classmates use their
aids to translate.
PE – It’s time to play Football. The football that was
played at Christmas 1914 was not like a football match
children might see on a Saturday. It was played in a
rough and often bombed area of ground between the
trenches. Some of the accounts mention caps being
thrown down as goal posts, but the pitch would
certainly not be marked in any way.
Within a generation of the signing of the Treaty of
Versailles which ended the First World War, world war
again swept through Europe as Adolf Hitler sought to
restore German strength and power in the Third Reich
by invading several of the new nations created in the
treaty. In this lesson, students will investigate the
continuing evolution of legacy as it ran through the
20th Century and beyond.
As an overview for the lesson, you should discuss the
purposes of the Versailles Treaty and also document
the participants, nations, goals, and outcomes of each
of the “Big Four” delegates to the treaty. (see hand
out) In this activity, students will act in groups as “Big
Four” delegates to re-draw the map of Europe in hopes
of providing more realistic “ethnic homelands” for
people living in the Balkan Peninsula and avoid future
unrest and disruption of world peace.
The second half of the lesson will look to understanding
how the Versailles Treaty was a seed to World War II.
In this lesson, students will investigate the issues and
mistakes made by the Versailles delegates that led to
the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Second World War.
Homework: For the purposes of this assignment, divide
the class into three groups to conduct their own
Term Lesson Planning



Football Remembers-PackActivities.pdf
http://www.tes.co.uk/teachin
g-resource/FootballRemembers-Education-Pack6427911/ (pp 24-17)
PowerPoint Paris Peace
Conference” (found in the KS5
resources pack on the
Merseyside at War website)
Hand out “Paris Peace
Conference Delegates” (found
in the KS5 resources pack on
the Merseyside at War
website)
Key Stage One - Five
Merseyside at War – First World War Commemorations
research and create presentations relating to how the
end of the World War One links to World War Two.
Each group will research a particular aspect of how the
Versailles Treaty and the end of World War I led directly
to the beginning of the
Second World War.
The groups include:
 Political causes
 Social causes
 Economic causes
Merseyside at War
Term Lesson Planning
Key Stage One - Five