UNIT: WORLD WAR I (1914-1918) YEAR 9 HUMANITIES

TOPIC: Introduction to World War I.

AIMS FOR THE LESSON: To assess students prior knowledge of WWI and introduce students to some of the
terms covered in the unit on WWI.
RESOURCES USED: Australian History: Part 1 (Lower Secondary);
WWI and Conscription.
Women and WWI.
INTRODUCTION:
In pairs or small groups, students are to match the words relating to WWI with their definition (5 minutes).
Students are to share these definitions explain why they have matched things up as they did. See if they can
construct a sentence about WWI using these words (5 minutes).
BODY OF THE LESSON:
Students watch the two clips: WWI and Conscription and Women in WWI (10 minutes).
Using this information, students can create a mind map of what they know about WWI (5 minutes).
Make a mind map of this information on the board using the headings; locations, countries involved, impacts
of war, and dates of key events (10 minutes).
CONCLUSION:
Have students answer the question What would I like to learn about WWI?













Match the words in the left-hand column to their correct definition in the right-hand
column.

Propaganda


To voluntarily join the military.

Conscription


Distorting the truth to persuade people to support a
particular point of view.

Recruitment


The German Emperor.

Kaiser


A narrow peninsula in Turkey where heavy fighting occurred
between Allied and Turkish forces in 1915.

Enlist


Compulsory enlistment of citizens to serve in the armed
forces.

No Mans Land


Actions designed to find new people to join or support a
cause.

Pacifist


A person who holds the belief that it is immoral to take part
in a war.

Gallipoli


Region where a battle is being fought.

Warfront


People who are killed or injured in a war or accident.

Casualties


The unoccupied land between the front lines of opposing
armies.









Match the words in the left-hand column to their correct definition in the right-hand
column.

Propaganda


To voluntarily join the military.

Conscription


Distorting the truth to persuade people to support a
particular point of view.

Recruitment


The German Emperor.

Kaiser


A narrow peninsula in Turkey where heavy fighting occurred
between Allied and Turkish forces in 1915.

Enlist


Compulsory enlistment of citizens to serve in the armed
forces.

No Mans Land


Actions designed to find new people to join or support a
cause.

Pacifist


A person who holds the belief that it is immoral to take part
in a war.

Gallipoli


Region where a battle is being fought.

Warfront


People who are killed or injured in a war or accident.

Casualties


The unoccupied land between the front lines of opposing
armies.

UNIT: WORLD WAR I (1914-1918) YEAR 9 HUMANITIES
AIMS FOR THE LESSON: To provide students with an overview of WWI and the timeline of events for WWI and
an introduction to the causes of World War I 75 minute lesson.
RESOURCES USED:
PowerPoint Presentation Causes of World War I.
INTRODUCTION:
Take the roll to learn the students names (10 minutes).
Draw a mind map on the board with WWI in the centre; use the sub-headings of locations, countries involved,
impacts of war and dates of key events. Ask each student to contribute one piece of information that they
included in the mind map that they had to complete for homework (10 minutes). Students need to copy this
mind map into their workbooks as we go (5 minutes).
BODY OF THE LESSON:
Hand out to each student a piece of paper with a date and an event. The students must line up in chronological
order of the event. When everyone is in order they must read out their date and event (10 minutes).
Students need to make notes of certain dates to remember which will be included in the PowerPoint
Presentation (5 minutes).
Using the PowerPoint Presentation, students need to complete the provided worksheet MAIN Causes of
World War I (1914-1918) by finding and labelling the countries on the map and colour coding and naming the
countries who were involved in each alliance (15 minutes).
Using the PowerPoint Presentation and the worksheet, students need to provide names and definitions for
each of the causes of World War I (15 minutes).
CONCLUSION:
Students need to record in their workbooks one thing that they have learnt about WWI in this lesson. Get
students to share one thing that they would like to learn about WWI whilst doing this unit (5 minutes).
If there is still time left; hand out the Essay and Assessment Sheet.
TIMELINE OF WORLD WAR I EVENTS
28
th
June, 1914 Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary
and his wife in Bosnia.

28
th
July, 1914

Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
30
th
July, 1914

Russia declares war on Austria-Hungary.
1
st
August, 1914

Start of World War I Britain declared war on Germany.
3
rd
August, 1914

Germany declared war on France and invades Belgium.
4
th
August, 1914

Britain declared war on Germany, and Australia supports Britain.
3
rd
November, 1914

Australian soldiers were training in Egypt.
21
st
December, 1914

The first German air raid occurred in Britain.
Christmas, 1914 Unofficial ceasefires took place along the Western Front. German and British
soldiers exchanged seasonal greetings, songs and gifts.

22
nd
April, 1915

The first use of poison gas by Germany in the 2
nd
Battle of Ypres.
25
th
April, 1915

The ANZACs landed at Gallipoli.
6
th
August, 1915 The Battle of Lone Pine occurred Australian soldiers took control of several
Turkish trenches over a four day period.

7
th
August, 1915

Battle of the Nek Australia experienced many casualties.
19
th
December, 1915

The first troops started retreating from Gallipoli.
31
st
May, 1916

The Battle of Jutland, the major naval battle of the war, begins.
1
st
July, 1916 The Battle of the Somme started on the first say of the battle there were 60,000
casualties.

28
th
October, 1916 Due to the limited amount of men enlisting for the army, Australia held a
referendum for conscription.

6
th
April, 1917

The United States of America declared war on Germany.
31
st
July, 1917

The Battle of Passchendale occurred.
20
th
December, 1917

Australia tried to enforce conscription again, and failed.
25
th
April, 1918

Australian and British forces drive the Germans back.
9
th
November, 1918

German Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates and flees Germany.
11
th
November, 1918

Germany signs an armistice to officially end WWI.
12
th
November, 1918

Austria is proclaimed a republic.

Year 9 Humanities
WW1 Essay
Aim: To demonstrate youre knowledge about the causes of WW1 and
your essay writing skills

Essay question: What caused the Great War?














Conditions
1. Two classes to work on plan and handwritten draft
2. Handwritten draft must be submitted to the final copy
3. References list needs to be completed

*Make sure you use the planning sheet attached to write your essay





Essay Question: What caused the Great War?
Introduction
Provide a context sentence (The Great War was between )
Describe the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and its importance
Briefly explain MAIN reasons
Paragraph 1 Militarism
Topic sentence: State that militarism was one of the causes of WWI
Explanation: Explain what militarism is (definition)
Evidence: Give an example of militarism in the build up to war (e.g. the German navy) use a
source!
Link: Another cause of the war was alliances between European powers
Paragraph 2 Alliances
Topic sentence: State that alliances were one of the causes of WWI
Explanation: Explain what an alliance is (definition)
Evidence: Give an example of alliances in the build up to war (e.g. the Triple Alliance and the
Triple Entente) use a source!
Link: Another cause of the war was imperialism
Paragraph 3 Imperialism
Topic sentence: State that imperialism was one of the causes of WWI
Explanation: Explain what imperialism is (definition)
Evidence: Give an example of imperialism in the build up to war (e.g. the British Empire and
German Empire in Africa)
Link: Another cause of the war was nationalism
Paragraph 4 Nationalism
Topic sentence: State that nationalism was one of the causes of WWI
Explanation: Explain what nationalism is (definition)
Evidence: Give an example of nationalism in the build up to war (e.g. a speech/WWI
propaganda)
Link: State that in addition to militarism, alliances and imperialism nationalism was another
cause of WWI
Conclusion
Come back to the essay question (What caused the Great War?)
Summarise the MAIN reasons
Reference List
Ref. no. Author
(Surname + Initials
Multiple Authors = et
al)
Last update
(in brackets)
Article Title
(in full + underlined)
Date Accessed

URL
(eg. http://www.sose.com.au)
eg.
Stanton, R.


2001

The Secret Life of Us

June, 2001

http://www.warickpub.aus


















UNIT: WORLD WAR I (1914-1918) YEAR 9 HUMANITIES
AIMS FOR THE LESSON: 50 minute lesson
To have students demonstrate their knowledge about the causes of WWI, planning and essay writing skills by
beginning an assessment Essay What caused the Great War? they will have two lessons to plan and write
this. For homework, they were instructed to collect different sources to use in their essay at least five.
RESOURCES USED:
Year 9 Humanities WWI Essay Task and Criteria Sheet.
Main Causes of World War I Worksheet.
INTRODUCTION:
Take the roll (5 minutes).
Ask students to list the main causes of WWI (see what they remember). Give the worksheet to students to
complete as a refresher of knowledge from the previous class (10 minutes).
While the students are completing this worksheet, speak with the students who were absent (Katia, Jasmine,
Luke) give them the PowerPoint slides and explain. Get them to complete the second half of the worksheet
from the previous lesson. Give them the document for the Essay Task. For this class, they have the option of
beginning to plan their essay, or using their Macs to find the sources they need for this essay.
BODY OF THE LESSON:
Read through the task expectations and criteria sheet with students (5 minutes). This includes the reference
list/bibliography.
Go through the structure of a paragraph; (5 minutes).
- Topic sentence. - Explanation. - Evidence. - Link.
Get students to volunteer the construction of sentences which models each of these different aspects. Model
sentences on the board: (5 minutes).
- How could you say I think that the Great War was caused by militarism?
One of the causes of the Great War was militarism.
Do not present statements as if they are your own opinion.
- Because the Aussies were part of the British Empire they...
Because Australia was part if the British Empire
Avoid using slang or writing the way that you talk.
First, the students must plan their essay. Reiterate that they will not know what to write unless they have
planned what they are going to write! Students must plan their essay and have collected their sources before
they start to write their essay. Students must show their plan to me before they can commence writing.
CONCLUSION:
Students have the rest of the lesson to work on this assessment. Tell students that they will also have next
class to work on this essay.


11

MAIN Causes of World War One
Use the words in the box below to complete the paragraphs;
World War One, sometimes called The Great War or the war to end all
wars was triggered by the of Archduke Franz
on 28 June ____ . However, the main causes of the war
were more complex and tensions between countries had been building
in for some time.
One of the main causes of the war was , which
means building up armed forces and getting ready for war. Because
countries were competing to have the largest army, it made them
suspicious of each other.
The _______ between European countries also
led to the war. These agreements meant they had to defend and help
each other. The two most important alliances were the
__________ (between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy) and the
_____________ (between Britain, France and Russia).
Another cause of the war was , which means
trying to build up an empire. In 1914, all the Great Powers were
competing for territory and wealth around the world.
N ______ was also a cause of World War One; it means having
pride in your country and being willing to defend or protect it. Some
countries had a feeling of superiority over other countries and nations
wanted to assert their power and independence.
On the 4
th
of _______ 1914, _______
declared war on Germany. Because Australia was a part of
the British ______ , it was automatically at war with
Germany too. Australian soldiers were sent to fight overseas in
Turkey, France, Belgium and Egypt.





Militarism
Imperialism
Nationalism
Alliances
Britain
Triple Entente
Triple Alliance
Europe
Empire
Assassination
Ferdinand
1914
August
Extension task: Look at the recruitment poster.
1. What do you think it means?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2. Who is the Old Lion and who are the Young Lions?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3. Which word above does the poster most relate to?
_______________________________________________________

12

YEAR 9 HUMANITIES LESSON PLAN
TOPIC: Source Analysis of WWI Propaganda
Lesson Length: 75 minute period
Aims for the Lesson:
For students to gain the skill of source analysis and introduce students to the concepts of conscription and
propaganda.
Learning Outcomes:
- ACHHS165 Use historical terms and concepts.
- ACHHS169 Identify the origin, purpose and context of primary and secondary sources.
- ACHHS171 Evaluate the reliability ad usefulness of primary and secondary sources.
- ACHHS172 Identify and analyse different historical interpretations (including their own).
Resources Used/Attached:
Samples of propaganda posters.
Lesson Content:
Take the roll 5 minutes.
Ask students what they know about propaganda. Provide them with a definition:
Propaganda is media that uses carefully-crafted messages to manipulate and influence peoples actions and
beliefs. It has one purpose: to persuade you. Write this definition on the board for students to copy into their
books (5 minutes).
There are a variety of techniques. They use bias to appeal to peoples emotions instead of their judgment and
reasoning.
Can anyone think of the ways in which propaganda is used to persuade people? Discuss for 10 minutes. How
are these techniques used in modern day advertising?
TESTIMONIALS respected individuals endorsing/supporting a product or idea.
BANDWAGON creates the impression that there is widespread support for a thing or idea. Peer
pressure to join in.
NAME-CALLING using negative words and bad names to create fear and dislike for people, ideas or
institutions.
GLITTERING GENERALISATIONS use simple, clever programs that appeal to peoples emotions.
CARD STACKING uses facts and figures to show one side as positive and one side as negative.
PLAIN FOLKS sends the message that a product or person is just like you.
TRANSFER uses your feelings about one thing to get you to feel the same way about something else.
Place an image on the board and conduct a source analysis with the whole class; (10 minutes) Provide the
following questions for them to consider when they are confronted with a new source to analyse.
o Have students think about the content of the image. Provide them with the content to the image if
they are not aware about a certain aspect of WWI. E.g. conscription/white feather/jail are akin to the
Athletics Carnival. What is the key message?
o What do you already know about whats happening in this image?
o What questions do you have about this image?
o What information might you need to find out about this image?
13

Aspects for students to consider;
Context what was happening at the time the source was create? What do you know about that time
period? How is it reflected in this source?
Author who created this source? What do you know about them? Where did they live and what did
they believe?
Bias are there any voices from the period which you know about that are omitted from the source?
Message what is the key message that the source is trying to convey? Why?
Audience who was the intended audience of the source? How can you tell?
Purpose what is the author of the source hoping that the audience will feel, think or do?
Significance is the source important? Is this source an accurate representation of the period? How
do it fit with other sources of this time? What does this source reveal about the past and is this
important?
Ask students to volunteer what they can see happening in the image and why they think that it is happening?
Write these on the board (10 minutes).
Place three images on the whiteboard. Break the students into three groups. Give each group a whiteboard
marker and have students collectively conduct a source analysis on the image (15 minutes).
Discuss students interpretations of each of the images. Add in anything that they may have missed. Get them
to consider the image from another perspective. Discuss the use of the different propaganda techniques in
creating these posters (10 minutes).
If time permits, place an image on the board for students to individually conduct a source analysis.
14





15





16






17

USE OF PROPAGANDA IN WORLD WAR I
Propaganda is media that uses carefully-crafted messages to manipulate and influence
peoples actions and beliefs. It has one purpose: to persuade you.
TECHNIQUES USED TO PERSUADE PEOPLE;
TESTIMONIALS respected individuals endorsing/supporting a product or idea.
BANDWAGON creates the impression that there is widespread support for a thing or idea. Peer
pressure to join in.
NAME-CALLING using negative words and bad names to create fear and dislike for people, ideas or
institutions.
GLITTERING GENERALISATIONS use simple, clever programs that appeal to peoples emotions.
CARD STACKING uses facts and figures to show one side as positive and one side as negative.
PLAIN FOLKS sends the message that a product or person is just like you.
TRANSFER uses your feelings about one thing to get you to feel the same way about something else.
WHEN INITIALLY EXAMINING A PIECE OF PROPAGANDA CONSIDER;
o What can you see happening in the image?
o What questions do you have about the image?
o What information might you need to find out about this image?
WHEN CONDUCTING A SOURCE ANALYSIS CONSIDER;
Context what was happening at the time the source was create? What do you know about that time
period? How is it reflected in this source?
Author who created this source? What do you know about them? Where did they live and what did
they believe?
Bias are there any voices from the period which you know about that are omitted from the source?
Message what is the key message that the source is trying to convey? Why?
Audience who was the intended audience of the source? How can you tell?
Purpose what is the author of the source hoping that the audience will feel, think or do?
Significance is the source important? Is this source an accurate representation of the period? How
do it fit with other sources of this time? What does this source reveal about the past and is this
important?







18

YEAR 9 HUMANITIES LESSON PLAN
TOPIC: Practicing Answering Exam Questions Focusing on Conscription
Lesson Length: 50 minutes.
Aims for the Lesson:
To refresh students minds as to how to correctly read and answer exam questions. We will be doing this while
teaching students about conscription. Students will also be attempting a source analysis.
Learning Outcomes:
- ACHHS166 Identify and select different kinds of questions about the past to inform historical inquiry.
- ACHHS167 Evaluate and enhance these questions.
- ACHHS170 Process and synthesise information from a range of sources for use as evidence in a historical
argument.
- ACHHS174 Develop texts, descriptions and discussions that use evidence from a range of sources that
are referenced.
Resources Used/Attached:
Pro-conscription poster and anti-conscription poster.
Lesson Content:
Take the roll. Today we will be learning how to read and questions properly, as your exam will be occurring in
the next few weeks (5 minutes).
How do you read a question? (10 minutes).
A. Take your time in reading the question and have students highlight the key components of the
following question:
Who were the Allies and who were the Central Powers? (2 marks).
Have students provide an answer to this question considering;
- What will get you full marks
- What is Ms. Thompson looking for in an answer
- What would a good answer to this question look like?

A. The Allies were comprised of the alliance between Russia, Britain and France. The Central Powers, also
known as the Triple Alliance, consisted of the countries of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.

Write up a bad answer to this question (10 minutes)
Britain was on one side of the war and Germany was on the other.
Have students work in pairs to improve upon the above answer and share.
Students to conduct a source analysis (15 minutes).
Students will be provided with one of two possible sources a pro-conscription poster and an anti-
conscription poster.
Look at one on the board initially to provide students with background information.
- Is this a primary or secondary source? Why? How can you tell?
- Define conscription compulsory enlistment.
- Explain that they tried to enforce conscription in Australia.
- Two referendums were held a ballot in which the voters decide on a political question.
28
th
October, 1916 failed 1, 037, 557 votes versus 1, 160, 033 votes.
20
th
December, 2917 failed 1, 015, 159 votes versus 1, 181, 747 votes.
Emphasise that we have considered initial information such as;
19

- What do you know about whats happening in this image?
- What questions do you have about this image?
- What information might you need to find out about this image?
Have the students analyse the image considering its;
- Context what was happening at the time the source was created?
- Author who created this source and is this information important?
- Bias is this source biased?
- Message/Content what is the source trying to convey?
- Audience who is this source intended for and how can you tell?
- Purpose what is the author hoping that the audience will think, feel, or do?
- Significance/Accuracy is this source important and accurate?
Discuss the phrasing of questions and what is being asked of them (10 minutes).
- Define militarism.
Militarism is...
- Why did World War I begin? List four reasons.
World War I occurred because.... (assassination). Four factors that contributed to this
were... (MAIN).
- Explain four reasons why WWI happened.
Name each M, A, I, N and define them,
- What is the purpose of propaganda?
Propaganda is... (define). It is used to... (purpose).
- Identify two techniques that were used in WWI propaganda posters and describe them.
One technique that was used to persuade people in propaganda was.... (name). It works
by.... (describe).
- Why wasnt conscription introduced in Australia?
Conscription was not introduced in Australia because... (two referendums were held
and the people voted against them).
Conclusion
Today, we have focused on how to correctly answer exam questions. You have also conducted a source
analysis. For homework, find a WWI propaganda poster (type into Google images WWI propaganda poster
Australia), and conduct a source analysis on it. I will check these in tomorrows class.
20































When conducting a Source Analysis consider the following:
- Context what was happening at the time the source was created?
- Author who created this source and is this information important?
- Bias is this source biased?
- Message/Content what is the source trying to convey?
- Audience who is this source intended for and how can you tell?
- Purpose what is the author hoping that the audience will think, feel, or do?
- Significance/Accuracy is this source important and accurate?

21






























When conducting a Source Analysis consider the following:
- Context what was happening at the time the source was created?
- Author who created this source and is this information important?
- Bias is this source biased?
- Message/Content what is the source trying to convey?
- Audience who is this source intended for and how can you tell?
- Purpose what is the author hoping that the audience will think, feel, or do?
- Significance/Accuracy is this source important and accurate?



YEAR 9 HUMANITIES LESSON PLAN
TOPIC: Exam Revision and Study Tips
Lesson Length: 75 minutes.
Aims for the Lesson:
Students will learn tips for revising for exams, how to answer exam questions properly and will create a
summary of all the information that we have learned about WWI.
Resources Used/Attached:
WWI weapons information sheet.
Trenches crossword.
Lesson Content:
Discuss the phrasing of questions and what is being asked of them (15 minutes).
- Define militarism.
Militarism is...
- Why did World War I begin? List four reasons.
World War I occurred because.... (assassination). Four factors that contributed to this
were... (MAIN).
- Explain four reasons why WWI happened.
Name each M, A, I, N and define them,
- What is the purpose of propaganda?
Propaganda is... (define). It is used to... (purpose).
- Identify two techniques that were used in WWI propaganda posters and describe them.
One technique that was used to persuade people in propaganda was.... (name). It works
by.... (describe).
- Why wasnt conscription introduced in Australia?
Conscription was not introduced in Australia because... (two referendums were held
and the people voted against them).
On the whiteboard, we will be creating a mind map with interconnections (as a whole class) of everything
that we have covered in the unit on WWI (25 minutes).
Begin with the classifications that we started with at the beginning of the unit; locations, dates of key events,
impacts of war and countries involved.
Once students have exhausted these categories, have them come up with information under other categories
including; causes of WWI (as well as the catalyst), propaganda (source analysis), conscription, and trench
warfare/equipment.
Ask students, what are effective ways to study? What should you be doing in preparation for the exam?
How should you be studying? (15 minutes).
Make lots of summaries and diagrams use your own words and examples for these.
Study in ways that suit you. I. e. Verbal or visual. Etc.
Make a revision timetable.
Find and answer questions. E.g. From your textbook.
Do not study whilst watching the T. V. or listening to music.
Study over several short sessions. Do not study for long periods of time.
Do not wait until the day before the exam to study. Do not cram on the day of the exam. If you dont
know it by then, then you wont learn it in time for the exam.
Keep calm dont panic.


Teach someone else the content a parent, sibling, dog or friend. Makes things clearer in your mind
and helps you to practice explaining things.
Make links between different topics.
Students are to read the information on the different kinds of weapons used in WWI, and match them to the
correct picture before gluing them in their workbooks (20 minutes).
Students are to use the included information on trenches to complete the crossword and the matching pairs
task.






























.: FIRST WORLD WAR WEAPONS :.
Cut out the following pictures and descriptions of WWI weapons, match them up, then glue them in your
workbooks.









ARTILLERY is the word used to describe
large-calibre mounted field guns. (The word
calibre refers to the diameter of the barrel of
the gun. These were used in the trenches as a
long-range weapon to deliver devastating
blows to the enemy. They required 12 men to
work them, and their shells could weigh up to
410 kilograms!

THE BOLT ACTION RIFLE allowed soldiers to
fire 15 rounds a minute and could kill
someone up to 1,400 metres away. Bayonets
could be attached to the end.

TANKS started to be used in warfare because
armoured cars could not cope with the
terrain. It had a small engine, caterpillar tracks
and needed 3 men to work it. It maximum
speed was 5 kilometres per hour! The more
modern (and successful tank) was not
developed until the end of the war.

MACHINE GUNS required 4-6 men to man
them and had to be positions on a flat
surface. They could fire up to 400 round per
minute, with the fire power of 100 guns!

TORPEDOES were used by submarines. The
Germans used torpedoes to blow up shops
carrying supplies from America to Britain.










THE ZEPPELIN was an airship used in
bombing raids. They weighed over 12 tonnes,
and were propelled by two engines. They
usually carried machines guns and around
2,000 kilograms of bombs. They were very
easy targets for artillery.

PLANES for the first time in war, planes
were used to deliver bombs. Planes become
fight aircraft armed with machine guns,
bombs, and cannons. They were used for
reconnaissance work, and fight the enemy
aircraft in the air (dogfights) to protect
soldiers on the ground.

CHLORINE GAS was first used by the
German army in 1915. At first, soldiers
thought that it was a smoke screen. It has a
very distinctive smell. It causes suffocation
through chest pains and a burning sensation
in your throat. MUSTARD GAS was a deadly,
odourless weapon that took 12 hours to take
effect! It was very powerful, only small
amounts were required, and it remained
active for weeks when it landed in the soil. It
caused skin to blister, vomiting, sore eyes,
internal and external bleeding. It could take
up to 5 weeks to die!





TRENCH WARFARE
What is a Trench?
A trench is a long, narrow ditch. Trench warfare characterised much of the fighting during World
War I, particularly along the Western Front. Trench systems were complicated with many
interlinking lines of trenches. Below is a diagram of a trench system.



















LIFE IN THE TRENCHES
The trench, when we reached it, was half full of mud and water. We set to work to try and drain it. Our efforts
were hampered by the facts that the French, who had first occupied it, had buried their dead at the bottom
and sides. Every stroke of the pick encountered a body. The smell was awful.
Private Pollard

No washing or shaving here, and the demands of nature are answered as quickly as possible in the handiest
and deepest shell-hole. Guy Chapman

The other soldiers in the hut took their shirts off after tea. They were catching lice. We had never seen a louse
before, but they were here in droves. The men were killing them between their nails.
Henry Gregory

All we lived on was tea and dog biscuits. If we got meat once a week we were lucky, but imagine trying to eat
standing in a trench full of water with the smell of dead bodies nearby.
Richard Beasley
KEY
1. Communication
Trench
2. Machine Gun
Nest
3. Underground
Bunker
4. Traverse
5. Wire Break
6. Listening Post +
Trench Block


This is a cross-section of a front line trench:
LIFE IN THE TRENCHES
All we lived on was tea and dog biscuits. If we got meat once a week we were lucky, but imagine trying to eat
standing in a trench full of water with the smell of dead bodies nearby.
Richard Beasley

If you have never had trench feet described to you. I will tell you. Your feet swell to two or three times their
normal size and go completely dead. You could stick a bayonet into them and not feel a thing. If you are
fortunate enough not to lose your feet and the swelling begins to go down. It is then that the intolerable,
indescribable agony begins. I have heard men cry and even scream with the pain and many had to have their
feet and legs amputated.
Sergeant Harry Roberts

The other one said to me Chas, I am going home to my wife and kids. Ill be of some use to them as a cripple,
but none at all dead! I am starving here, and so are they at home, we may as well starve together. With that
he fired a shot through his boot. When the medics got his boot off, two of his toes and a lot of his foot had
gone. But the injuring of oneself to get out of it was quite common.
Charles Young




Match the words on the left with the correct definitions on the right:
COMMUNICATIONS TRENCH




A block of barbed wire and wooden obstacles to stop
any enemy soldier from advancing through the trench
system.
NO MANS LAND




A break in the barbed wire to allow soldiers out into No
Mans Land.
TRENCH BLOCK




An underground shelter often used for storage.
WIRE BREAK





A channel at the bottom of the trench to allow water to
drain away.
SANDBAG





Trenches between the front line trenches and the
support trenches used by messenger to relay messages
to the front line and back.
SUMP





The area between the opposing sides front lines.
BUNKER





A bag filled with sand to protect the trench from
flooding and the men from bullets.













- CONSCRIPTION DURING WWI, IN AUSTRALIA -
At the outbreak of WWI, the number of people
volunteering to enlist in the Australian Imperial
Force (AIF) was so high that recruitment
officers were forced to turn people away. But
as the war progressed the number of
volunteers declined. Prime Minister Billy
Hughes decided to take the issue to the people
in a referendum. A REFERENDUM is a ballot in
which the voters decide on a political question.
The nation was asked to grant the government
the power to compel citizens to serve overseas
during the current war - CONSCRIPTION.
The referendum provoked furious debate. The
referendum was held on 28
th
October, 1916, and
the proposal for conscription was narrowly
defeated. After this, there was an ensuing political
fall-out, the Labor Party split, and the Nationalist
Party was formed.




Enlistment continued to decline. In 1917, Hughes
called for another referendum on the conscription
issue. On 20
th
of December, 1917, the nation voted
no to conscription, this time with a slightly larger
majority. Australia and South Africa were the only
participating countries not to introduce
conscription during the First World War.


If you were asked to vote in this referendum
would you vote YES for conscription, or would you
vote NO? Why
28
TH
OCTOBER, 1916:
1, 037, 557 votes versus 1, 160, 033 votes.

20
TH
DECEMBER, 1917:
1, 015, 159 votes versus 1, 181, 747 votes.