Activity
World War I Centenary
Key Learning
Students will gain a deeper understanding of Australia’s involvement in the First World War.
The Australian Curriculum
History / Historical Skills / Chronology, terms and conceptsSequence historical events, developments and periods(ACHHS205)
Use historicaltermsandconcepts(ACHHS206)
History / Historical Skills / Historical questions and research
Identify a range of questions about the past to inform ahistorical inquiry. (ACHHS207)
/ History / Historical Knowledge and Understanding / Community and Remembrance
Days and weeks celebrated or commemorated in Australia (including Australia Day, ANZAC Day, Harmony Week, National Reconciliation Week, NAIDOC week and National Sorry Day) and the importance of symbols and emblems.(ACHHK063)
Discussion Questions
- What is the Centenary of World War I?
- When did the First World War start?
- Why did Australia become involved in the war?
- Complete the following sentence: Some young Australian men were so keen to sign up to serve in the war they...
- During which battle did the ANZACs fight together for the first time?
- Describe what life for the soldiers was like in the trenches?
- Where did most of the fighting happen?
- How did the attitudes of Australians change as the war went on?
- What is an armistice and in which year was it signed?
- How many soldiers and civilians were killed or wounded in World War I?
Activities
Key wordsStudents will find out what the following key words mean.
Snapshot of World War IStudents will find out more about World War I and create a snapshot of Australia involvement in the war. The following questions can be used to help guide students’ research.
- Why did Australia become involved in this war?
- How was Australia involved in the war?
- Which events started and ended World War I?
- Where were Australian troops located? Show on a map.
- What were the major battles in the First World War?
- What was the role of women in World War I?
Students can display their research in using one of the following:
- Prezi
- Glogster
Recruiting soldiers
Students look at the recruitment posters for the First World War and respond to the following questions:
- How are young men being encouraged to enlist?
- What words and pictures were used?
- Why would recruitment posters have been needed during the First World War?
Listen to the audio recording of five Australian solders explaining why they signed up to fight in WWI. Briefly describe their experiences and memories.
Images from World War IStudents will look at the following images from World War 1 and then respond to the following questions:
- What is happening in the image?
- Where do you think they are?
- How do you think they might be feeling?
- Is there a message about war that come across in the image?
- What three questions would you ask the person/people in the image?
- Create a caption for each image.
Biography
- Students will choose an Australian who served in World War I and create a biography about them. The person could be a well known serviceman or woman or someone related to the student.
The following plan provides a guide for students when writing a biography.
- Research
- Set a direction for your biography
- Create a plan
- Start writing
- Edit
Encourage students to present their research using maps, timelines, drawings and photographs in an interesting way, for example using Bio Cube Creator
Remind students that they will need to cite all references in a bibliography at the end of their biography.
Further Investigation
Students investigate what life was like in the trenches for Australian soldiers. What were the conditions like and what problems did soldiers face? Draw a picture to illustrate life in the trenches.
Related Research Links
Behind the News – Remembrance Day
ABC – First World War Centenary
Australian War Memorial – Centenary of the First World War
Australian War Memorial – Timeline WWI
Australian War Memorial – First World War trench environment
Civics and Citizenship Education – Australia’s involvement in World War I
©ABC 2014