By: JGHMT

Lesson Title
California
State
Standards

Lesson 3
Trench Warfare

10.5 Students analyze the causes and course of the First World
War.
1. Analyze the arguments for entering into war presented by
leaders from all sides of the Great War and the role of political
and economic rivalries, ethnic and ideological conflicts, domestic
discontent and disorder, and propaganda and nationalism in
mobilizing the civilian population in support of total war.
2. Examine the principal theaters of battle, major turning points,
and the importance of geographic factors in military decisions
and outcomes (e.g., topography, waterways, distance, climate).
4. Understand the nature of the war and its human costs
(military and civilian) on all sides of the conflict, including how
colonial peoples contributed to the war effort.
Objectives Students will be able to discuss and analyze what a Trench
Warfare consisted of and what was so dramatically of it, why did
it happened an how did it worked. Students will also learn about
the soldiers conditions in war. Students will learn to analyze and
interpret poems written by soldiers during the war. Students will
be able to discus the meaning and components of Trench
Warfare.
Introduction As the students arrive, start playing the warlike audio/video to
/ Overview imitate a warlike environment. Started the class lecture by
displaying an image about a trench and soldiers, ask the
students to interpret the meaning of the image.
Vocabulary/ Trench Warfare, Modern Weaponry, Germany Plans, Russia
Key Terms
Mobilized, Allied v. Central Powers, No Mans Land, Artillery
Shells, Role of Air Planes, Battle of Verdun, Race to the Sea,
Poison Gas, Environment destruction, Bleed France White
Context
Trench warfare is the result of the highly destructive nature of modern weapons.
It involves soldiers digging trenches to save themselves from modern weapons.
These trenches were used as a protection from machine guns, canyons and
artillery. These trenches were protected by bog wire to slow down opponents.
The land between the trenches was know as No Mans Land. Soldiers had to
cross no man land while been fire at them, artillery exploding next to them and
poison gas surrounding them. This type of warfare favor defense in which those
who advance were received with machine guns killing hundreds of soldiers. This
was a war of attrition, inflicting causalities, wearing the other side down. As a
result, the landscape was destroyed and turn into a moody place of war. The
biggest, longest and nasties trench battle is known as the Battle of Verdun
between Germany and France. In this battle, Germany was at the offensive. The
German commander wanted to kill more opponents troops than what causalities
could result for Germany. He wanted to Bleed France White, to the point that
France wont be able to continue fighting the war. The war lasted 11 months,

By: JGHMT

Focal Ideas

Materials

Activities

Time
Assessment

Reflection/N
ext Lecture
Preview

February 21 to December 1916, leaving Germany with a 330,000 total causalities

while France has a toll of 370,000. Best example of trench warfare. This type of
war was psychologic destructive. The significance is that this type of warfare led
to horrifying causalities in World War I as well as a psychological trauma for
soldiers. Losing millions of life for little gains.
What is Trench Warfare? How did it got started and why?
Germany plan to decapitate Paris. Discuss the Western and
Eastern front (it will be covered in great detail in another
lesson). Fighting style in the trenches and soldiers conditions.
New weaponry in action.
PowerPoint Presentation and Classroom Clickers
Map of Major Battles, Map of Europe that illustrate the Germany
advance.
Warlike Sound/ Video
Color and with paper
Arrange the desk so that they face each other in opposite sides
of the classroom to emulate a trench war. Play audio and display
images as if the classroom was the setting of a typical trench
war.
50- 90 Minutes Class Meeting
Using a clicker, students will complete pop quizzes (may include
extra credit points) during the lecture. This is aim to be as a poll
to make sure that the students are understanding the content
discuss. Students will talk to a peer next to them explaining
what the previous lecture was about at the beginning of the next
class meeting. Have students develop a sketch/drawing of a
trench warfare.
Students will be asked to do a 3 minute quick write as a
reflection of what the lecture was about (it could be an outline,
simple sketch, key words, etc.)